Propress, the UK’s leading fabric steaming brand, has teamed up with Kate Forman one of the UK’s stars in the world of fabrics and interiors.  The joint campaign sees Kate advise on the benefit of re-inventing your home through simple changes such as new curtains, re-upholstered furniture and accessories.  Re-vamping your home need not be the expensive luxury some can only dream of by following Kate’s imaginative advice.

Kate, who has supplied Pearl Lowe, Tim Henman and Tim Rice, says that restyling with new fabrics can be the easiest way to breathe new life into your home, whilst watching the pennies.  Simple changes include bringing in new colours and patterns via new cushion covers, table clothes or bed spreads. For the more adventurous, picking one feature chair and having it re-upholstered in a fabulous colour or contrasting pattern, can really shake up the look of a room and is currently one of the hottest interior trends around.

Kate says: “People underestimate how much a room can be transformed just by changing the fabric. Sometimes being daring with a pattern can create a really eye catching new room style and by bringing in colours like reds, pinks or oranges, warmth and a sense of fun is added, whilst shades of blue, grey and green can bring calm.

“The other important thing to be aware of is that crumpled fabrics, particularly if you have children or animals, can make even relatively new fabric look tired.  Steaming fabrics regularly helps them look their best, plus it can zap dust mites and stale odours in the process. Steam is the best way of getting rid of unwanted creases in curtains, sofas, and even indentations in rugs or carpets from heavy furniture, especially relevant for light coloured carpets.”

Kate’s top tips include:

• Firstly, lighting is key to the look and feel of your home.  Well positioned lights, can create warmth and subtlety without breaking the bank balance.  Overhead lighting can be very oppressive and completely interfere with the look and mood of the room.
• Try adding a sash to your curtains, or a simple fitting to hold them back.  A draping effect can add a touch of grandeur to the room without costing the earth.
• Adding cushions in statement fabrics can liven up a sofa or chair that is in need of a lift.  Like wise different sizes and colours can help brake up block colours and help create a more contemporary look.
• If you have a neutral décor then try making one of your walls the focus of the room.  A beautifully chosen wallpaper will add colour and design to counteract that magnolia look. This then allows you to really brighten the room without making it look messy and uncoordinated.
• Finally, whenever possible make the most of the fabrics you already have, whether that be curtains, sofa, throws, or cushions.  Creased or crumpled fabrics give off a shabby look, whereas fabrics that look ‘just like new’, ooze class and sophistication.  Using a steamer is the best way to care for these things, it refreshes fabrics and helps keep them in their optimum condition.

Kate recommends steaming to look after your fabrics and home furnishings and in particular “Propress”.  Propress has made its name over 25 years as the fabric steamer of choice to many retailers, including interior stores like Osborne & Little, Sanderson, Porta Romana and Hitch Mylius, along with fashion stores such as Gucci and Jaegar.  By working in partnership with Kate they hope to help people make the most of their homes in the simplest but chicest of ways.

To view the full Kate Forman collection, visit www.kateforman.co.uk or call on 01962 732244.