Buenos dias amigos

'G'day' and 'have a nice day!'

Since the launch of the new Cover My Furniture website, there has been a flurry of enquiries from across the world. Great fun to see forums in America talking 'Cover my....'

The forums can be a bit of a mixed blessing however. When you pop up on free and give away forums, there is a flurry of interest from people who like to order free things, like swatches, just to receive stuff in the post.

The best forums for Cover My Furniture are the home interest, design and renovation forums. In America there are lots of very active forums in this area, but not so much here in the U.K. it seems. If anyone can prove me wrong on this then thanks in advance.

No doubt about it - that networking, social media and recommendation are just as important as advertising, particularly to an international audience.

So here's a subject for discussion.

Lot's of companies are out there at the moment saying - hey we're really green. Mucho jumping on the bandwagon me thinks. But then I look at what we're doing here at Cover My Furniture and well I have to admit it - that bandwagon looks awfully attractive.

Keeping the furniture you've got saves space in the landfill holes and the energy and materials needed to make the new furniture you buy. Refresh not renew!

So have we got a genuine case here for calling ourselves 'green' and do we really believe it when we say it?

For the population here in the U.K. I would say that yes, most people would like to act in an environmentally conscious way. How many of us are prepared to put our money where our mouth is and act in an environmentally conscious way? Quite a few - according to a new survey from Nielson called packaging and the environment, almost half of us would give up packaging for greener options.

But for businesses....call me sceptical but I think there is many a case made for being a green company, simply to sell more product. Discuss.

Unique, breakthrough concept in covering Leather Furniture goes online

Leather furniture has dominated the new-furniture market now for the last eight years, accounting for up to 60% of sales. Understandably, some of it is starting to look a little worn and tired. The upshot is that householders put up with the worn-out look - or throw their suites onto landfill. Now, thanks to covermyfurniture.com, an ingenious new alternative is released this week - chenille loose covers that offer a designer look and a sumptuous feel.

Loose covers for leather furniture have always been notoriously difficult to fit - most fabrics slip too much once fitted. However, after extensive research, covermyfurniture.com has located a new range of wonderful chenille fabrics. Their weight and texture make them highly suitable for covering leather sofas and chairs.

Research has shown that people might want to change their leather furniture for a number of reasons. They believe that, apart from looking worn over time, it becomes sticky in the summer and cold in the winter. Perhaps they simply want to breathe new life into their slightly tired-looking sofa. Or they might just fancy a new look.

Whatever the motive, thanks to covermyfurniture.com, the result is a complete transformation of leather furniture and a cutting-edge look at a fraction of the price of buying a new suite.

“This is really a unique, groundbreaking product,” says covermyfurniture.com Online Media Manager Simon Blackburn. “Not only can it transform old or damaged leather suites, but it can protect it, too - from pets, children, wine and food. Even better, we’ve made it really easy to buy it online, with a simple, five-stage buying process that you can see on our website.”

That process simply involves choosing from a wide range of new, fashionable fabrics online, with the ability to zoom in to see detail or even order a swatch.

Householders can then order online and leave only a small deposit. Next, they send some photographs of their furniture for visual reference (covermyfurniture.com can even supply a free camera), and receive a personalised measurement chart, made specially for their furniture. From there, they send back the dimensions and wait for their beautiful covers to arrive. Simple Cushion Covers and Throws can be bought direct online.

“It’s a very 21st-century solution to an old problem,” says Simon. “The half-leather, half-fabric style is very trendy, very ‘designer’, at the minute, so this is a highly cost-effective way of achieving that look.”