The aim of the temporary piece is, as Alice explains, to flout conventional expectations:

No stranger to the absurd and irregular, Alice’s artistic repertoire includes thought provoking pieces such as polishing white lines in the road in the Dumfries and Galloway countryside. Another memorable performance saw Alice in a pink rabbit costume, vacuuming local woodlands.

Alice chose Plumbs to help her with her latest piece, choosing one of our archetypal floral ‘Rose and Scroll‘ fabrics, more commonly found inside a traditional home. We’ve had great fun having Alice in our Preston factory and assisting with the cutting and sewing of the covers.

We cannot wait to see the final result, which will be erected next week on 31st May. It will remain, closely fitted around the building throughout the bank holiday weekend 2nd – 5th June. The cottage and it’s new made-to-measure cover will be highly visible on the B736, three miles south of Castle Douglas. Well worth a visit! We will indeed post the result as soon as we get our hands on some pictures!

The trend of growing foliage up and across interior walls has been made famous by British artists: Ackroyd and Harvey, when they covered a former church with grass interiors.  The concept may seem unrealistic and pose obvious functional difficulties in the home.  However, not all designs have to be quite so elaborate as Ackroyd and Harvey’s.

Green walls could make a stunning focal point and certainly a talking point in a contemporary home…

Opt for a smaller version and display a series of foliage like picture boxes for a novel decorative touch…

Or you can even merge design with functionality in the kitchen, with a living wall of fresh herbs.

Would you like a living wall in your home?

Establised in 1973, Swaffer have since been providing high quality decorative fabrics to over 40 countries worldwide!  Reknowned for their mix of modern and classic styles, Swaffer produce some of today’s most stunning jacards and innovative floral designs.

Below are a sample of our favourite Swaffer designs, available from Plumbs…

Bold and beautiful florals are fast making a come back in interior design, and this modern take on the English Poppyfield from Swaffer is up there with the best!  Particularly striking for blinds and curtains.

A fresh palette is used for this stunning ‘Vista’ fabric.  Favouring foliage over florals, this contemporary fabric is highly popular for the modern home.

This striking design certainly has the wow factor! Ideal for adding personality to your home as a statement chair.

This stunning designs that emerge from Swaffer each year aren’t just pretty to look at!  The company stress the other important qualities they strive to achieve with their fabrics: “Product quality and durability are as important to us as design and colour.”

Stay in touch for more featured fabric designers.  What’s your favourite Swaffer design?

Don’t forget, Plumbs will be exhibiting at many shows across the UK – click here to see when we will be visiting a venue near you.  Enjoy a great day out and pop over to say hello!

Amongst the mundane rituals of painting fences, sweeping out cobwebs and scrubbing down patio furniture, get your home ready for summer by breathing a whole new lease of life into your main entertaining rooms.

Whether you want to bring the outdoors into your living room, or spruce up your conservatory for its grand reopening after the cooler months, consider how small changes can really boost the appeal of your home.

Living Room

Bring the sunshine into your living room with a bold yellow colour scheme. Choose accents of red for maximum impact, but remember to offset with simple furniture.  We’ve mixed our classic Elegant Rose design with the fun, bold pattern of our Jacobean Opulence cushions.

Conservatory

Having stood abandoned and unused through the winter months, your conservatory deserves a little TLC this season.  Updating your conservatory furniture is the best way to give the room a dramatic uplift! Opt for a fresh new look with cool, plain covers or be inspired by the garden with a classic floral like Vicentio.

Dining Room

For those not so warm summer nights, bring the al fresco feel into your living room with a fresh, new look.  Use natural tones of brown and green to bring the outdoors in!  We love this Strata – Sauterne curtain which looks beautifully fresh againt the plain, Francesca blind.

How do you like to prepare your home for summer?  We’d love to hear your tips!

The number one rule to remember is Art Nouveau is fancy and decorative, Art Deco is sleek and clean….

Art Nouveau

A popular movement ranging from 1880 to before World War I, Art Nouveau was the aesthetic answer to Europe’s new industrial age.  Adopting geometric shapes such as arcs and semi-circles, design is elaborately stylised.

Inspiration was taken from insects and mythical woodland, with Tiffany Lamp Fairies epitomising the trend.

Bring Art Nouveau style into your 21^st century home with intricate, curved lines and natural woodland features like ivy and twigs.  Take inspiration from the Tiffany colour palette, or add finishing touches with beautifully crafted mythical figurines.

Art Deco

In its prime throughout the 1920’s and 30’s, Art Deco challenged the intricacy of Art Nouveau design, opting for sleeker, streamlined shapes and geometric patterns.  The movement saw more zigzags and sunbursts shapes as a result.  Paying attention to more modern materials like chrome, stainless steel and inlaid wood, the movement used natural materials more sparingly, with Zebra skins and fern leaves as popular choices.

Elements of Art Deco can look wonderful in today’s interiors with the use of sleek lines, and a monochrome palette.  Popular designers from the age such as Erte and Mackintosh can still be called upon for inspiration.

Yellow and Grey is fast becoming a popular choice in family homes.  Neither too feminie or too masculine, the colour scheme appeals to all members of the household.  Choose bold yellow walls and small acceessories to bring the look together.  We’ve teamed the beautiful Country Deco and Country Stripe in Gunmetal here for added texture and co-ordination.

Pale Yellow and similar subtle shades work well with neutral palettes to create a peaceful, calm scheme.  Be sure to add interest with floral or patterned fabrics to break up solid blocks of colour.  We’ve chosen Catherine’s Garden Curtains with Catherine’s Stripe Blind in Soft Gold.

Yellow & Purple create a stunning contrast that oozes luxury.  Think Quality Streets and opt for strong, jewel like shades for maximum impact.  Ensure your bold scheme stands out at its best with a neutral, plain backdrop.  For inspiration have a look at how we’ve deocarted with new fabric Royal Romance – Soft Gold.

So how about it?  Would you use yellow as a key colour in your living room?

Filling your conservatory with foliage and opting for a cool green and white palette will add instant freshness. Draw the eye with dark grey or black rattan furniture to complete the monochrome base of the room.

Move out the clutter and bring in fun, retro furniture for a modern take on your conservatory. Keep it warm with a red and brown colour scheme.

Want that island resort feel?  Opt for bright, cheery colours and exotic plants for a tropical touch. Bright pinks and greens are great for adding life and soul to your conservatory!

If you love al fresco dining but our ‘Great British Summer’ rears it’s rainy head, compromise with a conservatory dining room. A lovely garden view while staying warm and dry.

Experiment with fresh, bold colour schemes to add vibrancy and life into your conservatory. You can freshen up old conservatory cushion covers with a fabric like Paradise, available from Plumbs.

We’ve pulled out a few of our favourites:

Graham & Brown offer up these eye-catching wallpapers. Bring a regal touch to your home with the monochrome crowns and coronet design, or give a nod to the capital with this mix of London landmarks. Both are perfect for feature walls statements!

Adorn your furnishings with a flurry of British inspired cushions!  John Lewis’s Celebration of British Cushion Collection has a great range of classic and quirky designs to choose from.  We love the King & Queen matching sets!

Anyone for tea?  The ultimate British past-time sees a similar patritoic overhaul with many tea set designs emerging for the occassion.  Check out this lovely commemorative set from Not on the High Street.

What do you think of the growing Patriotic trend?

With over 150 years experience in the design industry, it’s no suprise that Sanderson are one of the UK’s leading design houses today.  Culminating quintessentially Bristish design with new and modern elements, their designs attract all ages.
They explain more about their style and ethos on their website: “We draw on the creativity of young contemporary designers, alongside the work of artists and historical documents. This mix creates new and directional designs for modern living.”

One of Sanderson’s most recent popular designs Dandelion Clocks has been greatly received by the Bristish public and home decor industry alike,  with the fun, simple design cropping up everywhere from teacups to wallpaper.  As a result, Dandelion Clocks is one of our most popular Sanderson designs for loose covers, re-upholstery and curtains.  An alternative, blackcurrent colourway is also available, alongside 4 more famous Sanderson designs including Pondicherry and Pangbourne.

To find out more about our other fabric suppliers click here, or check back for more Featured Fabric Supplier posts!  In the meantime we’d love to hear from you:

What’s you favourite Sanderson design?