The View - Summer 2019

SILK ROAD

FORTY YEARS

TROPICAL VIBES

We travel through the ancient and eclectic trading route between East and West.

Decora celebrates 40 years of tremendous growth and success!

Bring a botanical presence with tropical inspired fabrics like Lush or Emperor.

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CONTENTS

WELCOME to another packed full edition of the View this Summer, bringing you a range of new products, top trends and adventures on your doorstep.

8 FORTY YEARS

Celebrating 40 years in business, we look back over the last 4 decades.

12 DECORA INSIGHT

Behind the scenes to Decora’s 40 year history with interview from Decora’s Board of Directors.

NEWS

20 ALSO TURNING 40

Other gems from the wonderful year of 1979.

24 THE FABRIC BOX

The Fabric Box inspires your digital and retail customer experience.

26 THE SILK ROAD

Make an impact with The Fabric Box and follow our inspirational journey along the Silk Road.

30 VISUAL IMPULSE

It has been a busy start to 2019, with the launch of The Fabric Box, Unishade and Cruze Vertical System.

Preparations are also underway to move to a new purpose built 58,500 sq ft warehousing facility in Birmingham, which is due to be operational in October.

2019 began with The Fabric Box receiving the “Best Marketing Campaign” at the First BBSA’s Awards, we were delighted to have received such recognition.

44 UNISHADE

Tips on incorporating the bang on-trend tropical theme to your window displays.

The Ultimate wide width FR Contract Fabric.

32 OUTSIDE INSIDE

Bring these easy and delicious recipes to the table this Summer.

Turn your home into a peaceful retreat by bringing the outside in.

34 SOCIAL SOPHISTICATION

46 SIMPLE DELICACIES 48 SERENE

Sunwood Fauxwood introduces a new pristine white to the iconic collection.

Are you following us? Our favourite Fabric Box social posts.

50 SPORTING EVENTS

36 ADVENTURES ON

A look back on the drama and what’s still to come in the sporting world.

YOUR DOORSTEP

OF 2019

Picture-perfect Air BnB getaways for exciting exploits close to home.

40 CRUZE VERTICAL

Introducing the ultimate in light management for motorised vertical blinds.

42 BOG-TASTIC!

Bog snorkelling.. get in amongst it!

43 LIDOS LOVING

Maximize the great British Summer with our top loveable Lidos across the UK.

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1993

2011

2011

2015

4 2015

2018

2014

2006

2010

40 YEARS

2012 2012

2015

2018

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RO L L E R 6

V ERT I CA L

FIND OUT MORE AT: W W W. D ECOR A .CO.U K / U N I S HA D E 7

YEARS YOUNG

1979 saw Sony launch its first ever portable cassette player called the Walkman, McDonalds introduced Happy Meals, Are You Being Served, Last of the Summer Wine, Dallas and Charlie’s Angels were UK TV favourites. The average house price in the UK cost £13,650 and inflation was 17%. Meanwhile in Lisburn, Northern Ireland, Michael Dickson started an external awning business which would become Decora Blind Systems Ltd. 8

With a history spanning across 5 decades, Decora has came through 3 recessions, 7 UK prime ministers and has seen the rise of technology both in everyday life and in manufacturing processes along with the effect of the internet in changing consumer buying behaviour where everything is at our finger tips!

In this edition of The view we celebrate 40 Years of Decora, we take a look back at Decora’s growth, the obstacles and opportunities faced and the people behind its success. We hear from people from across the business who have been here from the beginning and look to see what the next 40 years will bring.

STUART DICKSON, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF DECORA COMMENTS “From humble beginnings, a staff force of 4 and a manufacturing facility of 500 sq ft, Decora has expanded to manufacturing and wholesaling from purpose-built factories of 500,00 sq ft, with over 1000 employees and actively selling in over 20 countries worldwide.

The growth and success has been down to a mix of hard work, innovation and a

will to succeed from the Decora team throughout the years. Offering a full product portfolio of internal window covering solutions, individual product collections are presented under distinct product brands, each with its own brand ethos, personality and target market.

The creation and development of each of the collections would be impossible without the passion and know how of the Decora team. From across the company the growth has been underpinned by interdepartmental teams, who collaborate on the design, engineering, marketing, sales and servicing the customer.

These new roles are evident through the new collections currently making their way to market, firstly with the launch of the Cruze vertical system, which will be closely followed by Cruze Roller Motors.

Decora’s customers are integral to its success. Throughout our 40-year history we have built a customer network who continually support the brands and new offerings. With service a driving factor for Decora’s continued growth, investment in a new warehousing facility in Birmingham, will see Decora’s Wholesale footprint more than double in size. This expansion will enable Decora to further evolve throughout the UK and European blind industry.”

Growth of new departments have continued to develop the in-house experience and provide ability for further product development, from both a design and product engineering perspective.

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DECORA’S CHAIRMAN AND FOUNDER, MICHAEL DICKSON, TALKS ABOUT WHY HE CHOSE TO START OUT ON HIS OWN, HIS GREATEST CHALLENGES AND SOME OF THE PROUDEST MOMENTS IN BUSINESS.

DECORA’S CHAIRMAN, MICHAEL DICKSON 10

Start-up businesses need a clear focus, strong leadership and determination to succeed.

As Decora celebrates its 40th year in Business, we take a look back at Decora’s growth, the obstacles and opportunities faced and the people behind its success.

It is often said that in business you sometimes need a bit of luck! So when in early 1979 I was taken by some friends to a shopfitting exhibition in Germany (The exhibition was called Euroshop and was one of the largest in the world), I was fortunate to see something that I had never previously been aware of. Known in the window blind industry as a Dutch blind, the external awning was a folding structure for shop fronts and was very rarely seen in Northern Ireland.

a loft in a barn at Mallusk came at a modest rent. The first consignment from Perma went to Dublin by mistake and it took another three or four weeks to sort out. Meanwhile I built a bench and a rack to hang the frames on while the cover fabric was attached. Covers were sourced from J Nickells & Co. Gerry Nickells was my mentor, he taught me how to cut and attach Dutch blind covers. He even travelled to Northern Ireland to teach me how to recover shop roller blinds using a palm and needle onsite.

My friends in the shopfitting business provided me with leads and enquiries.

When fitting onsite I would canvas all the shops in the immediate area for business.

To accommodate the Sani machine larger premises were needed and a move to Lisburn was made in anticipation of the arrival of the machine. At this stage Lynda joined me in the business and we had one other employee which soon increased to four. One of the four was Julie Campbell who continues to work in the Customer Services Team in Decora.

At this point I made the decision to stop our outside work with Dutch blinds and folding arm awnings. For a small company it was difficult to be away from the factory fitting external awnings while venetian production suffered. I was very much involved in the production process so it was important that I was present.

One of the companies who had a stand at this exhibition was Perma Blinds. In those days Perma was headed up by Ken Powell a highly regarded professional in the window blind industry. David Tatlow was the sales director and David Tycel was the sales person.

As I passed the Perma stand David Tycel overhead me remark that I had never seen anything like that before. ‘That’ being a number of Dutch blinds which they were exhibiting. He jumped into the aisle in front of me asking me about my accent and where I was from.

He told me that Dutch blinds were extremely popular in Dublin and he felt the same would happen in Northern Ireland. A week later for some strange reason that I have never been able to remember I found myself in Dublin. I quickly realised that David Tycel had been correct, Dublin was in fact covered with Dutch blinds. A further week went by and unexpectedly I had a call from David Tycel.

When I told him what I had seen in Dublin he instantly invited me to visit him at Perma.

I made the visit and came back having placed an order for a starter kit of aluminium components to make Dutch blinds. David Tycel was a great salesman!

He pushed me to make a start in what turned out to be a marvellous industry.

Forty years ago there was no such thing as next day delivery service and two to three weeks for delivery was more the norm. This gave me time to find premises,

Business grew steadily however it is amazing to think that now average daily sales are more than ten times the total for the first year.

Through Nelson Watt at Nickells I met the late Frank Molloy at Mitco who became our hardware supplier. Frank became a good friend and I often had dinner with him and his wife Lesley at their house. It was over one such dinner that Frank suggested we should enter into the venetian blind market. The market in Northern Ireland for venetian blinds was very strong. However, the machinery was relatively expensive it was therefore a major decision to order the famous Sani 216A machine to automatically cut and punch venetian blind slats. The purchase price was £5,000 and delivery was twelve months.

All our production was now internal, mostly all venetian, it was the late Peter Mackay, who persuaded me to begin roller blind manufacturing. Vertical blind production followed however we were late starters because I had the mistaken idea that the product would never catch on.

The evolution at Decora has been incredible from one person to currently over one thousand staff.

All from an accidental meeting with David Tycel in Dusseldorf some forty years ago.

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MANAGING DIRECTOR, STUART DICKSON, HAS BEEN A CONSTANT FIGURE THROUGHOUT THE PAST 30 YEARS, HAVING JOINED THE BUSINESS AT THE AGE OF 15, TODAY HE GIVES US AN INSIGHT INTO HOW HE HAS HELPED SHAPE DECORA’S SUCCESS.

DECORA’S MANAGING DIRECTOR, STUART DICKSON

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WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST JOB? My first job was working in the Decora warehouse assembling and packaging customer wholesale orders. Looking back on this now it has been a great benefit to continue to understand the service levels that are needed on a daily basis for the business. The window blind business has always been a 24-hour stock business and remains so to this day.

WHAT DREW YOU TO THE SUPPLIER SIDE OF THE BUSINESS? I liked the idea of finding something new for our market, but the main factor here was a family business in which one brother took control of the supply side whilst the other took control of the customer and sales side of the business.

FROM A SUPPLIER PERSPECTIVE WHAT DECISIONS HAVE MADE THE GREATEST IMPACT ON DECORA? I think the decision to build relationships with the prime producer was a key

decision. In the early days a lot of the exhibitions we visited had brokers or agents selling the prime products.

We made the decision to travel to these factories directly. Through these visits we were able to understand and source best supply lines for the company.

Today it is all about the people. We are lucky to have a team that have the same passion about the business as our family has.

WHAT DRIVES YOU TO PUSH THE BUSINESS FORWARD? I don’t want to come off second best. Not just for me but the team around me. I see the passion and effort that goes into each product.

I would say, the last BBSA showcase in October. I walked onto the stand and saw a company in complete harmony. Walking the hall, I felt our team spirit stood out, that was something I was very proud to be part of!

DURING YOUR TIME AS MD WHAT HAVE BEEN THE PIVOTAL MOMENTS THAT HAVE MADE DECORA SUCCEED?

IF THERE WAS ANY OTHER JOB IN THE WORLD YOU COULD HAVE DONE WHAT WOULD IT HAVE BEEN?

From a supplier perspective one pivotal moment was the relationship with our first wood supplier. We partnered with them to develop and launch Sunwood. It was the first boxed blind style wood venetian in the UK. Sunwood opened up the wood venetian blind to a larger target market, offering a quality product at an affordable price.

No idea, but something that was fast moving. Your job gives you life. If you work in a fast moving environment you will be happy.

FROM A PERSONAL AND DECORA PERSPECTIVE WHAT ARE YOU PROUDEST MOMENTS DURING YOUR TIME IN DECORA?

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WITH OVER 30 YEARS’ EXPERIENCE IN THE WINDOW BLIND INDUSTRY, RUSSELL DICKSON, THE COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR IN DECORA TAKES TIME TO GIVE US AN INSIGHT TO THE SALES AND MARKETING SIDE OF THE DECORA BUSINESS.

WHAT DO YOU FEEL HAS BEEN A CORE FACTOR IN DECORA’S SUCCESS? A number of core factors have been fundamental to our success, however saying that, without the right people, a company will struggle to grow the way we have. Looking across the company we have over 100 colleagues who have been with us for over 10 years. If we look at the Senior management team, while individually it is a young, driven unit collectively along with the board of directors there is over 170 years’ experience in the blinds trade between us all.

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as well as having a forum to challenge these as well as existing thinking. Director doors are always open if someone has a constructive idea or proposal.

WHAT DO YOU THINK CUSTOMERS SEE IN DECORA THAT ENGAGES WITH THEM? Our customers see a company that is trying to push the boundaries and offer them a product portfolio and a service that will help their business grow.

As we look at new collections and product launches we try to better ourselves as well as the market offering.

HOW HAS THE COMPANY CULTURE DEVELOPED THROUGHOUT THE 40 YEARS?

We begin every project with the customer at the forefront of our minds. We aim to see things through our customers eye’s.

The company ethos and the culture is very important. Throughout the years obviously things have got more formal, with additional structures needing added to manage a much larger team. However, I think we have maintained the ability to have an open flow of communication.

We encourage independent thinking, promoting the generation of new ideas

Customers’ expectations are always changing, we, as a company need to be able to move quickly to react to this demand, or indeed foresee potential market changes. This is one of the advantages of having a small company mentality. I’m glad to say we have retained that mindset through the growth of the

company. We can make things happen quickly and control the speed to which we bring a product to market.

Customers always need to have a value proposition, one that they can see will help their business. This need pushes us as a team to create products that exceed the current market offering, to be better in what we do, in design, engineering and through the service we provide.

WHAT MOTIVATES YOU? The dynamic work environment in Decora pushes us all to look that little bit harder at how we can be better at what we do.

It pushes us to take risks, albeit calculated ones. I have a positive attitude to risk, one where I respect each risk but if we don’t take opportunities Decora would not be where we are today!

WHY THE MARKETING / SALES SIDE OF THE BUSINESS? The dynamics of the consumer markets and the ever-changing trends fascinated me. The ability to work on a product

range, take it from a blank page through conception, design, production and into the hand of the customers gives a real sense of ownership. There is great satisfaction in seeing something that you have contributed to succeed in the market.Followed with the resultant success which provides the ability to move the company forward again.

Marketing allows you to have fun with the product presentation and communication to the customer, to think outside of the box in a disruptive way.

DECORA’S COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR, RUSSELL DICKSON 15

OPERATIONS DIRECTOR, ALISTAIR SPEER, JOINED DECORA 15 YEARS AGO, THROUGH HIS TIME HE HAS BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN THE OPERATIONAL SIDE OF THE BUSINESS, ENSURING DECORA LOOK TO THE FUTURE. HERE ALISTAIR GIVES AN INSIGHT TO WHAT DRIVES HIM ON A DAILY BASIS AND WERE HE GAINS INSPIRATION!

DECORA’S OPERATIONS DIRECTOR, ALISTAIR SPEER

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IN THE YEAR YOU JOINED DECORA WHAT WAS THE COMPANY ENVIRONMENT, WHAT WAS YOUR ROLE? I joined as Business Improvement Manager with a focus on IT. At that stage there were 120 in the Decora team. The ordering, stock control, warehousing and manufacturing processes were a lot more manual. With my background in IT, automation and systems implementations were a natural step for us to take as a business which had to be scalable to grow. I spent a lot of time in every department, understanding how the individual departments worked, how they linked with other departments and how we could streamline and work together better.

I spent a lot of time on the floor looking at our warehousing and manufacturing processes.

From this, I got to know all of the teams throughout the business.

This is something I still like to do. I think it is important that all the teams at all levels in the business are in touch with each other. At the end of the day we are a manufacturing and wholesale business. These are departments at the heart of servicing our customers.

WHAT MOTIVATES YOU FROM A BUSINESS PERSPECTIVE? People! It is seeing others around me succeed and develop in Decora that inspires me. Many of Decora’s team have grown their careers with Decora. The management team are made up of people who have worked their way through the company, have a working knowledge of the business. With this comes a sense of

promotes independent thinking and allows people to be creative. We encourage our team to speak out and challenge all aspects of the business. I feel this provides the feeling of autonomy which in turns drives an entrepreneurial spirit in the team that results in innovative thinking, an ability to look at opportunities from a different light.

IS THERE A SECRET TO DECORA’S SUCCESS? There is no secret to success. It is the combination of hard work, innovation, commitment and the strategy which sees re-investment in the company. We are about continual investment, whether that be in people, up to date facilities, machinery or systems that enable Decora to provide the highest service levels. It is through this investment that we secure products and solutions for our customers to drive our company forward.

WHAT HAS BEEN THE PIVOTAL MOMENT DURING YOUR TIME WITH DECORA? 2007 was a pivotal moment for Decora when we built our K3 facility which doubled our operational and office space.

It was a catalyst for so many aspects of the business to move forward.

ownership, a passion for the company that is across the business rather than just with the family.

YOU MENTION THE IMPORTANCE OF THE DECORA TEAM AND THE LENGTH OF SERVICE MANY HAVE WITH DECORA, WHAT DO YOU FEEL MAKES DECORA STAND OUT AS AN EMPLOYER OF CHOICE? I feel we create an environment that

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR PROUDEST MOMENTS IN DECORA? Everyday walking into Decora makes me proud, and makes me hungrier to continue to drive forward.

LOOKING OUTSIDE OF DECORA WHO INSPIRES YOU? My family are my inspiration, they make everything worthwhile.

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DECORA’S FINANCE DIRECTOR, JONATHAN MCCLUGGAGE

WHY FINANCE? I’ve always been very passionate about local Northern Ireland businesses. To see a local company grow and develop partnerships outside of Northern Ireland, whilst bringing back the benefits to the local economy is something I wanted to be part of. It was my goal to contribute to local business, and finance seemed the natural fit for me to achieve that.

HOW HAS THE COMPANY ENVIRONMENT CHANGED FROM YOUR APPOINTMENT IN DECORA? Decora has a very fast paced and dynamic environment, the ability to react quickly when change is required has been a massive influence on how we have grown.

The growth has been incredible in terms of Sales and number of employees.

Many companies experiencing this level of growth struggle to implement different structures to cope. Decora have an experienced team in place who work together to ensure customers are serviced. Despite all the change and growth, I still feel the core values of 18

being a family owned business is evident within Decora.

WHAT MAJOR MARKET CHALLENGES DECORA HAS DECORA FACED OVER THE PAST 8 YEARS? As with any business growing at the rate we have done over the last 8 years inevitably you are going to face challenges. Industry wise Child Safety was one of the major challenges, ensuring that all our products met the new legislation; it was a steep learning curve.

Competition continues to be fierce, this always pushes us to think outside of the box. Economically, the instability that Brexit has brought to the market has been a challenge, one that has encouraged us to think creatively about how to ensure our UK and European customers continue to have a smooth and efficient supply line.

WHAT ELEMENT OF YOUR JOB EXCITES YOU THE MOST? I think it’s the variety. One day I could be dealing with a pure financial decision and

the next I could be talking product with a supplier or customer. There can be a lot of different balls in the air and you are always just trying to land a few.

WHAT MAKES DECORA STAND OUT AS A COMPANY COMPARED TO PREVIOUS WORKPLACES? The company ethos is very different from previous roles. There is a real will to see the team succeed. Decora encourages promoting from within, many of the managers and supervisors from across the business have developed their careers within Decora. With this brings a working knowledge of the business as well as a pride and passion in what they do, creating a driven, dynamic team.

The other element of the Decora ethos that makes us stand out, is the ethos to continually re-invest. Our people, facilities and in the products that we create. This re-investment in the product portfolio is underpinned by the passion of the teams, continually driving to create practical yet aspirational products that ensure we stand out in the market.

JOINING THE COMPANY OVER 8 YEARS AGO, JONATHAN MCCLUGGAGE, OUR FINANCE DIRECTOR, HAS BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN MANAGING THE GROWTH AND INVESTMENT OF THE BUSINESS TO REACH RECORD LEVELS. JONATHAN HAS A PASSION FOR BUSINESS, AND IN THIS INTERVIEW HE GIVES US AN INSIGHT AS TO WHY THIS IS.

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT IN DECORA TO DATE? I like to think of it collectively as a whole company. The feeling being part of the growth and the journey has been incredible.

So many companies will not have the opportunity to experience the growth that Decora have achieved over the past 10 years.

To have played a part of this is something I am proud of!

WHO INSPIRES YOU THE MOST? I don’t think there is one person in particular. I have always been encouraged to do things the right way and am inspired by people with the right moral compass.

The old phrase “Play with a straight bat”, was something I learnt from a very young age. I enjoy working with likeminded people in business.

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ALSO TURNING

40 Decora is charmed to share its 40th year with many spectacular people, media, products, brands and events.

From the legendary U2’s first ever recording session, to the launch of British Airline Flybe then known as Jersey European Airways, to Mother Teresa awarded as the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize Laureate.

1979

was an Astounding year Sony Releases The First Sony Walkman In 1979 Sony introduces the Sony Walkman, a device as astonishing on first encounter as the mobile phone or digital camera would later be.

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Mother Teresa Awarded The Nobel Peace Prize In 1979, Mother Teresa was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, “for work undertaken in the struggle to overcome poverty and distress, which also constitutes a threat to peace.”

David Attenborough’s First Life Series Airs The Landmark nature series “Life on Earth” aired on BBC, the first of David Attenborough’s Life series of programmes. The series established Attenborough as an iconic figure in British cultural life.

Activision is Established Activision is the world’s first independent developer and distributor of video games for gaming consoles and started out in 1979 producing games for the Atari 2600.

Life of Brian Causes Controversy Monty Python’s Life of Brian contains themes of religious satire that were controversial at the time of its release in 1979, some countries banned its showing. It has since remained popular, the film was named “greatest comedy film of all time” by several magazines and television networks.

MCdonalds Introduces The Happy Meal Alien is a Box Office Success Alien a 1979 science fiction horror film directed

by Ridley Scott and starring Sigourney Weaver was a huge success around the world, grossing $104M.

McDonald’s introduced the first Happy Meal in June 1979 with a circus wagon train theme. Later the same year McDonalds launched the Star Trek happy meal to support the release of the major motion picture.

Flybe Launches As Jersey European Airways Known today as Flybe, Jersey European Airways launched in 1979, was renamed British European in 2000 and received its current name in 2002.

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www.thefabricbox.co.uk Lush Maya

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Muscari Ink

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Creating a customer experience that makes you stand out from your competitor involves employing a mix of tactical marketing techniques, from digital to instore displays to create a memorable impression with the potential consumer.

In this section of The View, we take time to look at how you can make an impact with The Fabric Box, how you can utilise simple techniques to create inspiring retail displays on a budget or generate visuals for social media that draw the consumers to you.

Digital Digital marketing is now a core aspect of any business, providing the opportunity to speak to a great audience of potential customers.

Making your digital activity stand out in the news feeds of Instagram or Facebook requires, striking visuals and calls to action that shout the benefits to the customer.

With The Fabric Box we take a look at some visuals sure to grab the attention of your customer. The stockist search on The Fabric Box website provides the ability to drive more traffic to your business. If you are not already listed this is the opportunity to create a link to your site.

Visual Merchandising Creating eye-catching window and retail displays does not necessarily involve huge production budgets. To get the most from your displays there are a few tips that should be followed, remember colour is powerful, co-ordinating colours whether that be contrasting, or complimenting can be both intriguing and attention grabbing. Use colour to catch the eye of your customers and draw them instore! Incorporate this with a story,

why will this product benefit your customer?

Is it in line with the latest interior trends, does it add benefit such as motorisation? Story telling can be both through visuals and signage, just as long as the message is clear to the customer. Turn to page 30-31 to be inspired with tips how to create a botanical themed display with The Fabric Box on a minimal budget.

Keep reading for further hints and tips on creating visuals, displays and messages to inspire your marketing activity.

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Are You A Registered Stockist ?

Contact Your ASM For Details 25

TRENDS

The Silk Road Beneath the charming and sophisticated cover of the Fabric Box Collection lies the collaboration of 5 creative stories giving the new Collection a compelling foundation of interest binding each fabric in its elegant and cohesive form.

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The first of our stories derives from ancient civilizations‌the trading route we know today as The Silk Road.

We are inspired by the craftsmanship, curious of the traditions and sparked by the colours of the ancient route.

The Silk Road, an ancient trading route between East and West. From China to Japan, through India, Persia, Africa and into Europe. This route carried treasures across the world. Rich vibrant silks, antiquated crafts, porcelain, teas, gold, silver and fragrant spices.

With the fast-paced world, we live in today, the essence of the Silk Road has followed through into fashion and interior trends allowing consumers to reconnect with the slower paced world of times gone by which thrived on quality and craftmanship.

China & Japan Poised with gentle pastel colours inspired by intriguing Geisha’s, clear blue skies and cherry blossoms. The sketched bird print of Loras along with the subtle pastels throughout Splash and Bella bring to light this feminine story.

EMPEROR GRANDIS

The dragonfly populates The Silk Road. A symbol in ancient times or power, ability and victory. Loved by the Samurai.

Thought to be a good luck charm in China and now an inspiration to The Fabric Box with the stunning and vibrant Emperor.

LORAS SONNET 27

VITRA ACTION

SHIMA GRANITE

India, Arabia, Persia & Africa Travelling east along the route meanders through the dry-stone roads of India, Africa, Egypt, Arabia and Persia renowned today still for rich textures, colours of stone and depth of colour. Shima and Treviso evoke the warm tones of the Egyptian stone and arid landscapes whilst Sio and the new deep tones of Splash and Bella resonate the colours of the road. Vibrant shades mirroring the shoes from Souks, and silks of Egypt that inspire a rainbow of colour.

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AVOCA CAPELLA

Italy Reaching the end of the inspirational trading route, the journey takes stimulus from the roads through the Tuscan, Italian landscape rich in trees, berries, leaves and grasses which have been translated into the metallic berries of Avoca, linear reeds of Sio through to the mystical tree design of Othello.

SIO MARMO

We all have the innate desire to travel, explore and learn.

The Fabric Box continually looks to be inspired by what drives us, presenting the ultimate fabric collection, all of which are designed to entice and excite entwined with cohesive themes from conception to presentation.

TREVISO SHADOW 29

Visual Impulse

The power of display Tropical Vibes There is no escaping the tropical interior trend and it isn’t going anywhere fast.

Focusing on colour and light in abundance we continue to see it on the high street and we can’t resist bringing it into our own homes. So, this summer we want you to add these tropical vibes into your window displays. Repetitive creature patterns and large palm prints will bring a botanical presence and create a bold statement which will certainly catch the eyes of on lookers passing by. Exquisite designs invoke a whole new appreciation for this vibrant interior trend and we want you to get involved.

Embrace Colour

Needless to say green is a prominent feature when creating a tropical inspired space but we can’t forget about the bursts of colour that pop out and attract our attention. The Fabric Box Collection brings an array of plain bright colours with its Splash and Bella collection of 60 colourways each. Layer these colours and combine them with our selection of design fabrics to create the perfect mix of simple and striking.

Be Bold With Patterns The Fabric Box displays a variety of designs and textures inspired by Nature’s wilderness. Designs such as Lush present a large leafy design in a palette of vibrant colours presents Lush Maya mixing earthly greens while Lush Sago combines an exquisite mix of navy, green, pink and orange.

Emperor features a standout repeated dragonfly on a crisp white backdrop. Choose from 3 colourways, each featuring statement tones which bring out the dragonfly detailing.

Muscari presents a beautifully stitched fern design which is enhanced with an elegant combination of matt and sheen yarns.

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Sio M armo

Muscari Ink

Accessorise Lush M

aya

To complete the look we can’t forget about the detail. With a dash of gold or copper accessorises, from eyelets to bottom bars, these metallic tones will bring a luxurious vibe to your display. Tie these accessories in with plain colours or match them with metallic printed fabrics like Sio, our linear reed design in a range of contrasting tones.

Be Bold With Patterns

Why not try to include some decorative leaf window decals to really create an overall botanical feel. Easy to place and quick to remove when necessary, you can purchase these easily online. We are loving these large hand painted palmleaves and only £6.99 on Amazon.

Maybe you want to add some greenery to your display to create a more dimensional look.

Group different sizes, shapes and textures of greenery together for a stunning display.

Whether you want to go all out or just add a few pieces to add a little more interest you can find these leafy plants anywhere. Check out Matalan, Next or Online at Bakker.com, the selection is endless.

If artificial plants aren’t your thing, why not incorporate botanical inspired cushions stacked in a variety of colours or quirky metallic accessories like this gold pineapple or small decorative creatures flying around your fabric, there is plenty to play with.

This trend can be exuberant, flamboyant and a little bit eccentric, but you have to be fearless when immersing into all things tropical. Invite the outside in this summer with The Fabric Box’s range of prints and textured designs and you will definitely catch the attention of your customers.

Cushions: Wayfair.co.uk Gold Pineaple Ornament: Amazon.co.uk

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OUTSIDE INSIDE There’s something organically calming about living in a natural environment, which is why the ever-growing interior trend ‘outside - in’ is becoming increasingly popular for homeowners of all interior styles. Both fashionable and functional this growing trend is sure to be around this season and many more ahead!

Whether you are renovating, extending or building be sure to bring the outside in at any stage of the process. Indulge yourself in natures beauty and allow natural light to enter your home by choosing your window positions wisely.

If you can’t change the actual structure of your home, you can still take advantage of this interior trend to bring more of the outdoors in by including natural materials, textures and on-trend tropical prints to your home.

Lush Sago 32

Lush Maya

Adding a stunning tropical print to your window will create attention and interest.

The Fabric Box Lush range offers a striking design inspired by nature’s wilderness, the large leafy design of Lush Maya mixes earthy greens with vibrant limes whilst Lush Sago stuns with an exquisite mix of navy, pink, orange and green.

Turn your home further into a peaceful retreat by adding a collection of house plants. Adding plants to a room or any space immediately gives it soul and life and brings a calming sense of Zen to your home.

Often, house plants can fill a space that nothing else can. Pair your plant with beautiful pots to catch your guest’s attention, in a small space, think about introducing hanging planters, which is also a quirky way to add some character to your decor.

With the outside in trend create a more beautiful, healthy, and appealing home.

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Social Sophistication Social media has taken the world by storm and the global evolution continues to advance!

Whether it’s tagging a friend in a hilarious meme, streaming a live video, sharing a thought provoking idea, following our favourite brands, or seeking interior inspiration, how we interact with friends, family and brands has forever changed.The Fabric Box continues to evolve along with social media and how we interact with our customers. Check out some of our favourite posts along the way.

Follow us on Instagram/Facebook or visit our website, www.thefabricbox.co.uk 35

Adventures On Your Doorstep Airbnb Getaways Close to home AirBnB’s have grown in popularity over the last couple of years. Not only does a great AirBnB feel more like home but many hosts around the world have created unique spaces that compete with many upmarket hotels. With AirBnb, no apartment is like the other and that’s what makes them really special. With interesting but stunning interiors you can stay in places you would have never thought you would have stayed in before. But if you don’t want to venture to far from home why not delve your curiosity into this distinctive range of AirBnB’s that you can enjoy this summer without the long-haul flight.

Airship 2, Drimnin, Scotland 137

£120 per night 2 guests Retreat to the deck of this sustainable getaway and gaze at the twinkling constellations under a cosy tartan blanket.

Positioned on a four-acre site with stunning views that reach across the Sound of Mull, AirShip 2 is an iconic, insulated aluminium pod designed by Roderick James.

Drummond Tower / Castle - Drogheda 406

£106 per night 4 guests Victoria Drummond Tower was built as a Folly Tower in the Victorian period in 1858 by Victor Drummond Delap as part of Monasterboice House & Demesne.

Recently restored into a small habitable dwelling and is now available for rental for selected months of the year is a unique and enjoyable place to stay with a vast range of local & historical amenities. There are 360-degree views of the area and space to enjoy the fine weather and the roof terrace is illuminated so one can access the area at night to look at the stars.

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Old Smock Windmill - Kent 280

ÂŁ175 per night 2 guests Surrounded by breath-taking views of the idyllic Kent countryside is the Old Smock Windwill. With its peaceful and relaxing atmosphere from the moment you walk inside, everything is designed to help you unwind and relax during your stay. It even has a luxurious clawfoot bath! End the day in one of the local pubs, cosy by a log fire in the Winter or in an English garden in the Summer.

Lawrenny Glamping - Wales 67

ÂŁ120 per night 6 guests Not a fan of roughing it out in the wilderness but still want to enjoy a camping experience? Check out this luxurious dome located at Knowles Farm B&B, 20 minutes from Tenby, Narbeth and Haverfordwest.

You are free to explore the stunning gardens around the dome with plenty of picnic areas to enjoy a nice lunch and also have access to a private hot tub and sauna which is located within the walled garden.

The dome also has a state-of-the-art wood burner to keep you cosy in the cooler months.

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INTRODUCING

VERTICAL

ESSENCE OF MOTION 38

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VERTICAL

Setting a new benchmark in system design, Cruze is the result of the combination of advanced engineering and sleek design merging.

Combining functionality and design, Cruze presents the ultimate light management for vertical blinds. A choice of three operating systems provides the customer with an application to meet their needs: A direct drive, a reduction geared system and wand control.

The direct drive operation delivers a responsive sleek vertical blind, while the reduction gear box offers precision for ultimate control.

The wand controlled option presents the consumer with the ultimate child safe solution eliminating chains and cords.

Available in Gloss White, Textured White and Anthracite, the Cruze Vertical system has enhanced the visual aspects of the vertical blind for both the headrail and matching coloured components.

Each curve, edge and surface is shaped to perform.

The streamlined headrail is softened by the addition of a light texture. The patented double facing channels neatly encase the travellers within the headrail creating the distinctive Cruze system appearance.

The new traveller combines aesthetics and engineering to create a highly functional yet visually attractive vertical component. Production speed is increased with the enclosed top, speeding the cording process, while the reduced width of the traveller also decreases the fabric stack back by 20%, increasing window view.

ESSENCE OF MOTION 40

Each curve, edge and surface is shaped to perform .

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Bog-Tastic!

Muddy & Messy!

Bog snorkelling‌ yes you read that correctly!

This sporting event allows competitors to compete for the shortest time to stroke their way through a water filled trench cut through a 55-metre peat bog traversed twice for a total course length of 110 metres.

Though it’s not just as simple as that, participants must complete the course without using conventional swimming stokes, relying on the flipper power alone.

Sound like something you would be interested in?

The next Bog Snorkelling Championships is hosted by Rude Health, Sunday 25th August 2019 at the Waen Rydd bog, Llanwrtyd Wells.

Did You Know? *The World Record was set by Neil Rutter at the Waen Rydd bog, Llanwrtyd Wellson 26th of August 2018 with a time of 1 minute 18.81 seconds.

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As the British Summertime begins, we look forward to long summers days and ice cream in the sun,The British Lidos tradition dates back to the early twentieth century.

Lido culture began in the UK in the 1930s with many of the original buildings still standing with the traditional red brick structure surrounding the swimming pool.

Swimming lovers will want to make the most of the opportunity to swim open air in the sunshine!

Check out our top picks across the UK!

Saltdean Lido, Brighton Saltdean’s glorious Art Deco lido reopened in Summer 2017 following the neglected and almost demolished building.

This Lido, originally opening in 1938 and is the only Grade II listed coastal lido in the UK.

Sandford Parks Lidos, Cheltenham This family friendly lido at the edge of the Cotswolds invites families to come along and make use of the children’s pool with slide and paddling pool. The main 50m pool is heated and has two lanes reserved for serious swimmers.

Lymington Sea Water Baths, Hampshire One of the oldest in the country, the Lymington Lido has been around since the 18th century when the therapeutic benefits of bathing in salt water were beginning to be recognised.

The site has been refurbished many times however the 110m sea water pool is still one of the largest in the UK.

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TH E U LTI MAT E CO NT R ACT FABRIC The needs of the contract market continue to push the boundaries of window shading specification. As the realisation continues to grow of the impact that the right (or wrong) shade can have on the contract environment, specifiers are looking more and more to the window blind trade for innovative window covering solutions that balance specification, quality and price.

efficiencies as well as the ability to produce wide width roller blinds without the need of a join.

Colours have been meticulously selected to ensure they are in line with the latest market trends for the contract sector, whether this be bold brights for a school environment or cool greys for a modern office environment.

With this in mind, Decora have extended their wider width fabric selection with the launch of the new Unishade Blockout FR collection along side the extension of the Unicolour offering to include 3m wide roller fabric and new colour ways.

Unishade Blockout

The Unishade colour palette and fabric widths are reflected in the newly revamped Unicolour collection, with all 26 colours also available in 3m wide. Contractors can now avail of the dimout and blockout properties in the same complimenting colours enabling blockout or dimout light control management where necessary.

Unishade Blockout, boasts 26 colourways, available across 3 roller widths 2m, 2.5m and 3m. The complete palette is also offered in 2 vertical widths 89mm and 127mm. 3m wide option ensures optimum in production

Individual Unishade and Unicolour contract cards are available to order through Decora, along with a dual card option or swatch which presents both Unicolour and Unishade ranges together.

Unicolour Collection

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S A N TA F E S H U T T E R S . C O . U K 46

HAMPTON S H U T T E R S

Handmade by Us In Two Weeks

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Simple Delicacies!

Want to bring some exciting new recipes to the dinner table? Gather your family and friends and why not introduce some of these tasty delicacies into your home, giving you that getaway feeling over the summer months.

Tasty, Traditional Greek Souvlaki Simply means ‘little skewers’ in Greek and it is basically little pieces of marinated chicken or pork, fried on the grill.

Method 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Cut the chicken into small pieces and place into a bowl.

Season the chicken with a selection of Greek species like oregano, coat with extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice and flavour with garlic.

Marinade the chicken souvlaki in the fridge for at least half an hour to allow the aromas to infuse and prepare the desired flavours.

Place pieces of chicken onto a skewer and grill.

Once cooked, prepare to serve most commonly alongside some pitta bread.

Ingredients For the chicken souvlaki:

For the tzatziki sauce:

4 chicken breasts

1 cucumber

4 tbsps. olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

juice of 1 lemon

Âź of a cup extra virgin olive oil

1 clove of garlic, minced 500g of strained yogurt 2 tbsps. dried oregano 1-2 tbsps. of red wine vinegar salt & freshly ground pepper a pinch of salt 48

Taco Tuesdays, Tacos Everyday Grilled Beef Tacos with Sweet Potatoes Looking for Tacos with maximum flavour? This Mexican dish is delightfully simple yet full of flavour, perfect for any night of the week.

Method Beef 1.

2.

Crunch, Spice and Sauce

Tacos 1.

Katsu Curry Japan certainly knows comfort food. What makes it stand out from other curries is that the meat is breaded and fried before having a delicious silky curry sauce slathered all over it. Offering crunch, spice and sauce, this is real comfort food.

Method 1.

2.

3.

4.

To make the sauce, heat the oil in a small pan. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for 2 minutes, then throw in the carrots and cook slowly for 10 minutes with the lid on, giving the odd stir occasionally.

Stir in the flour and curry powder and cook for a minute. Slowly pour in the stock bit by bit until combined. Add the honey, soy sauce and bay leaf and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a slow simmer and cook for 20 minutes. The sauce will have thickened and taken on all of the flavours, although you still need it to have a pouring consistency. Add the garam masala, then pass the sauce through a sieve.

Now prepare the chicken. Lay the seasoned flour, egg and breadcrumbs on separate plates. Coat the chicken in the flour, then dip into the egg and finally into the breadcrumbs.

Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the breaded chicken breasts for 5 minutes on each side, or until golden and cooked through.

Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and leave to drain on kitchen paper. Slice the chicken diagonally and serve with the sauce drizzled over, steamed rice and salad.

Ingredients Ingredients:

For the curry sauce:

100g flour, seasoned with lots of salt and pepper

1 tbsp groundnut / vegetable oil

In a sealable bag or airtight container, mix all the ingredients. Seal tightly and let marinate in the refrigerator for 8 hours or overnight.

Remove the meat and onion from the marinade and pat dry.

Discard the marinade.

Place a grill wok on the grill and preheat the grill, setting the burners to high. Oil the grate.

2.

3.

4.

Place the sweet potatoes in the centre of two layers of aluminium foil. Lightly oil, season with salt and pepper, and seal the foil to make a parcel.

Place the foil pack on the grill, close the lid and cook for 20 minutes, turning the packet over halfway through cooking. Remove from the heat and mash the potatoes with a fork. Keep warm.

Meanwhile, grill the onion in the grill wok until it begins to colour.

At the same time grill the meat for 3 minutes per side for rare.

Season with salt and pepper. Let the meat rest on a plate for 5 minutes before serving. Heat the tortillas on the grill.

On a work surface, thinly slice the meat. Spread the sweet potato mash on the tortillas and top with the beef, onion and avocado.

Serve with the sour cream, chipotle sauce and lime wedges, as desired.

Ingredients Beef

Tacos

1 lb (450 g) flap steak, cut in half

2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes

1 onion, quartered 2 tbsp (30 ml) vegetable oil 2 tbsp (30 ml) vegetable oil 2 tbsp brown sugar 2 tbsp (30 ml) lime juice

12 soft corn tortillas, about 6 inches (15 cm) in diameter 1 avocado, peeled and sliced Sour cream, to taste

1 tbsp (15 ml) soy sauce 1/4 tsp (1 ml) Tabasco Green

Chipotle-flavoured hot sauce, to taste

Jalapeño Pepper sauce

Lime wedges

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1 onion, peeled and chopped 1 free range egg, lightly beaten 5 whole garlic cloves, peeled 200g Japanese chicken breasts 100ml groundnut / vegetable oil

2 carrots, peeled and chopped 2 tbsp plain flour

Steamed rice and salad to serve

1 tbsp medium curry powder 600ml chicken stock 2tsp honey 1 tbsp soy sauce 1 bay leaf ½ tsp garam masala 49

Serene /si’ri:n/ adjective

Calm, peaceful, and untroubled; tranquil.

Stylish modern interiors make you want to pull up a chair and relax in a personalised haven to escape today’s busy and hectic pace of life. The creation of a truly “homely” living space is curated from a blank canvas, letting imaginations run as wild or conservative as one wishes.

Simplicity and minimalism provides the perfect back drop for iconic designer furniture pieces, contemporary ornaments or stunning pieces of art. Pristine white walls, wood work and window coverings exudes classic style and in most interior themes, the brighter the white the better.

Sunwood Fauxwood introduces a new pristine white, Serene which embodies the demand for bright white. Available in 35mm and 50mm slat widths and in flat and fine grain finish. Elemental to Serene’s development was the creation of a pure bright, the new colour addition to the fauxwood collection demonstrates the continued strength of the collection.

The modern paired back colour offering Sunwood Fauxwood enables the consumer to create an atmosphere of purity and perfection through to a subtle contrast of tone adding depth and intrigue.

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WWW.SUNWOOD-BLINDS.CO.UK 51

SPORTING EVENTS OF

2 019

2019 has been a remarkable year for sport on the international stage, with plenty of excitement and drama to look back on and even more to look forward too.

THE YEAR SO FAR...

Champions League - JUNE European Football favourite Jürgen Klopp leads Liverpool to victory. Liverpool defied the odds in the semi-final after staging a sensational comeback to beat Barcelona 4-0 after their 3-0 defeat at camp Nou, reaching an all English final take on Tottenham Hotspurs and giving Liverpool the 6th star on the Liverpool shirt.

Wimbeldon - July The shocker of the tournament was when Wild Card 15-yearold American Coco Gauff sent Venus Williams home in the first round. Coco voiced visions of winning the tournament but ultimately reached the fourth round of the event to be defeated by 7th Seed and former world No.1 Simona Halep of Romania. Serbia’s Novak Djokovic won his fifth Wimbledon title by beating Centre Court favourite Roger Federer in the longest ever Wimbledon singles final.

Womens World Cup - JULY The World Cup favourites and defending champions, America, had an unbelievable tournament scoring 13 goals to nil in their opening match against Thailand. This sent the president for the tournament with the States scoring a goal within the first 11 minutes of every single match until they met the Netherlands in the final. The Dutch done well to prevent the first American goal until the 61st minute which came in the form of a penalty, this spurred the Americans onto victory scoring a second goal in the 69th minute.

The OPen - JULY The 148th Open made a historic return to Northern Ireland after 68 years, with the world’s greatest players competing for the Claret Jug. Royal Portrush is home to one of the best and most challenging golf courses in the world, not to mention the beautiful views of the Causeway Coast. Northern Ireland took centre stage of the global sporting event with spectators travelling from around the world and descent upon the town of Portrush. Despite the harsh weather conditions on the final day, the atmosphere will be recorded as the best in history. The support over the 4 day tournament was remarkable and certainly contributed to the victorious win from Shane Lowry finishing up 6 shots ahead of Tommy Fleetwood. The 2019 Open is sure to be one to remember!

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THE YEAR AHEAD...

THE Ashes - AUGUST Following Englands triumphant victory at the Cricket World Cup, hopes are high for this years ashes. The Ashes has seen England and Australia compete in the ultimate Test of Cricket since 1883. More than one hundred years later this remains one of the most important and viewed events in the world. England will host this year’s battle following the Cricket World Cup which was hosted by England and Wales this summer.

GRANd PRIX - 2019

Lewis Hamilton broke records at Silverstone in July as the championship leader secured his sixth British Grand Prix victory and ninth podium, the most of any F1 driver in history at the oldest race meeting on the calendar.

Hamilton’s 80th career win also puts him level with Alain Prost for the most victories in front of a home crowd.

Hamilton may be in the lead currently but there are still several races left to complete the Grand Prix which runs right up until December.

After years of Australian domination both home and away in the 90’s and early millennium, the past number of years has seen the urn passed between both teams. Following Australia’s win in 2017/18 England are sure to be hungry for the win this year on home soil. Be sure to tune into the action!

Rugby union - World Cup, Japan - SEPTEMBER The 2019 Rugby World Cup will be the ninth Rugby World Cup. Japan will host this year’s competition, the first tournament to be held in Asia. The logo has also been changed to mark the event taking place outside of the traditional heartland of the Rugby Union.

The opening match of the 2019 Rugby World Cup kicks off on Friday 20th September as nations from around the world compete for the William Webb Sllis Trophy in Japan. The opening stage of the competition will see 20 teams battle their way out of Pool A, B, C and D. England have a challenge ahead with Argentina and France also in their group, meaning one of Rugby’s ‘Big fish’ will be defeated and will be going home early.

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SUMMER Interior Trends Soak up the Summer season with a series of our interior go-to Summer home decor trends that are sure to brighten your horizons as we move towards the warmer weather. From a Splash of colour to striking patterns, shaded sophistication and feminine furnishings, we take a look at everything you should consider for decorating in Summer 2019!

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2019

Colourful and Crisp The season of bright interior colour palettes and patterns is upon us and colour blocking is a dream trend for those who really want to make a statement. Reinvent your home by introducing vibrant colour combinations, from striking orange to vivid pink. Add electrifying colour contrasts along with the perfect window blind to create an energetic ambience. With a palette of 30 colourways, our Vitra range presents a kaleidoscope of colour where vibrant tones take centre stage.

Vitra Action

Layering textures & contrasting colours will create a sense of zen and create interest in every corner.

Tasteful Texture Texture remains prominent this season as we see delicate yarns and defined woven textures throughout all elements of interior. Add texture to your home to add dimension and tie the room together like we see on Instagram and glossy magazines.

Layering textures & contrasting colours will create a sense of zen and create interest in every corner.

Traditionally, cushions, throws and rugs are our ‘go to’ for texture, however The Fabric Box collection encourages us to add texture to our window!

Fabric Box 2019

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Bright & Bold When we think of bold interior trends we immediately think of colour. Opting for dramatic colourways may feel like a risk, but this definition is incredibly effective.

The power of colour and striking stripe is perfectly portrayed in our Midas range.

A contemporary stripe design merges confident tones with an iridescent glimmer to offer a touch of luxury. Available in 6 colourways ensure the traditional blockout fabrics maintains style and functionality.

Midas Citrine

A contemporary stripe design merges confident tones with an iridescent glimmer to offer a touch of luxury

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Bella Bossa

Moody & Masculine Prefer something a little more muted?

Introduce a variety of neutral textures to your home. Neutral and earth texture & tones are great for a more masculine interior. Start with a classic palette of colour then layer more tones. Our Sunwood collection offers a variety of natural and warm wood finishes (Montana, Tuscan Oak). Masculine design focuses on strong simple lines. Venetian blinds allow light to enter the room however create the perfect hue at anytime of day. All accessories need to serve a purpose & be simple in design. Think Urban shape and design when adding pieces, less Oak is more in this ‘Man Cave’.

Urban Oak

Feeling Feminine This season we see a prevalence of softer lines and shapes, as well as feminine tones and colours. No longer content with smaller pops of colour, we are seeing a move towards larger investment pieces of furniture which add a harmonious, gentle display of colour to our living spaces. This trend is all about creating an elegant and romantic feel and is flawlessly depicted through our Bella range offering a soft colour palette Bella Bossafor a sense of serenity. Mix your textures and team pale grey tones and pastels with velvet and sheepskin.

Mix your textures and team pale grey tones and pastels with velvet and sheepskin.

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40 YEARS

Thankyou to all our valued customers for your support over the last 40 years, we look forward to doing business with you over the next 40!

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