Who is Jim Dickens?

Jim Dickens, born in 1901 was the grandfather of the company’s founder. He inspired his grandson into the textile and design industry.

Back in the good one days, James started out as an upholsterer, based in the Black Country, where he honed his skills as a craftsman before moving to London in the 1930s. James then pursued a career working as a Fabric and Passementerie agent for the Art Textile Company of Featherstone Street.

In 1984, influenced by his artistry, skills and passion, Dominic Morgan went to follow his grandfather into learning the upholstery trade. Prior to starting he honed his skills working for certain European textile companies. Dominic travelled to the British Isles supplying furniture craftsmen and design firms with weaves, velvets from mills based in Turkey and Belgium.

Back in 1994 Dominic created Loomcraft, which was a retail shop in the city of Litchfield in Staffordshire. It became a superb supplier of fabrics imported from all over Europe. He set out to create his own fabrics for the UK marketplace, using his wealth of knowledge when it came to compositions and designs. This initial work would establish Jim Dickens in 2004.

In 2013, the Welsh print based company Elanbach became another brand alongside Jim Dickens. Elanbach had soft prints, that worked excellently alongside the quality designs and heavy weaves that made the Jim Dickens range. The prints were created from a building close to the current location in Litchfield. They now digitally print out to order samples and obtain across from across the Globe.

Today, the team has evolved into a strong, dedicated team of people that are based in Litchfield providing personal service with a bespoke feel. They supply stunning quality fabrics to clients across the Globe. Having been established for over ten years, Jim Dickens is growing from strength to strength within the textile industry that was created almost 100 years ago.

Here at Kings Carpets we stock the complete Jim Dickens range. For further information please call 0115 925 8347 or email us at info@kingsinteriors.com.

Why Regular Carpet Cleaning is Necessary

In order to keep carpets fresh, clean and hygienic they require regular cleaning. Dirt from outside can cause the carpet to age considerably and also enable bacteria and mites to multiply.

Vacuuming is an important part of keeping your carpets clean. Carpets in heavy traffic areas should be vacuumed daily to keep them in prime condition.

Carpet Cleaning can be a steamy business....

In the context of carpet cleaning, The hot water extraction method "steam cleaning" seems very popular, This method uses equipment that sprays heated water, sometimes with added cleaning chemicals onto the carpet. Simultaneously, the water is vacuumed up, along with dissolved dirt. “steam cleaning” is the preferred method of many carpet manufacturers as it removes more dirt and abrasive particles resulting in less wear and pile abrasion

Portable steam cleaning equipment that plugs into an electrical outlet can be hired from many large DIY stores or alternatively go onto Google for companies that offer professional carpet cleaning service.

Carpet Cleaning ask the experts

If you have a preferred carpet supplier it may be worth speaking to them for advice on the best way to clean your carpet as different materials need different treatments, jute-backed carpets and loose rugs with natural fibers such as wool could shrink after a wet treatment, Velvet piled carpets and Berber carpets could become fuzzy if cleaned the wrong way.

It is also worth speaking to your carpet retailer at the point of purchase about pre treated carpets this is often recommended in heavy traffic areas.

Here at Kings Carpets we stock a vast range of carpets from all the major brands. For further information please call 0115 925 8347 or email us at info@kingsinteriors.com.

Interiors: Give these winter interior trends a go

Shades of grey

No, were not talking 50 shades here, were talking neutrals and this year’s neutrals are coming in the form of a wintery grey colour palette. Think wisps of wood smoke, silver branches and frosty window panes.

Or go midnight blue

If you are prone to a more colourful and rich colour scheme for the winter, you should be watching out for midnight blues, indigos and ink colours.

Snug and warm knits

Thing are getting bolder with knitted accessories and massive chunky cable knitting is replacing demure weaves. Why not try some chunky knit or ribbed wool cushions in a dove grey or cream.

Check it out

Adding touches of traditional tartan or checked patterns will work well in both country house and town hose settings. If you’re not quite ready for the bold customary deep green and red, then you can
opt for a more lighter aqua or heather pastel tone instead.

Fire it up

Focus on fires, it doesn’t take a lot to make your hearth a feature, and with fuel bills soaring were likely to be focusing on it much more.

Long division

With more and more housing designs calling for open plan and lengthy areas of space, the demand for screen dividers is on the increase. They are ideal for allowing a visual separation for those open plan rooms without being a permanent fixture or to obtrusive and can often be a great talking/focal point.

Get whimsical 

Simply add a touch of brightness and fun to parts of your interior to instantly break through that gloom winter atmosphere. Try bright oranges, reds, greens or yellows to counter act the cold colours of winter and use things with curves and flowing angles to take away from the rigidness of the cold.

Caring for your sofa

Sofas are one of the most frequently used pieces of home furniture and with prolonged use it is inevitable that the fabric upholstery will start to show signs of wear and tear. Though this doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy many years of service from your sofa, you just need to take care of it.

Before going on to how to care for the fabric and sofa its self a couple of major things to avoid are 1: try and keep the sofa out of areas that will receive prolonged exposure to sunlight as much as you can 2: If you have pets, especially cats then you will need to be very vigilant about what they do with their teeth and claws.

If you have a fabric sofa

Accidents are bound to happen and for the best possible clean nothing will beat a professional service. But if it’s only a small spill, tackling it yourself shouldn’t be too taxing. Firstly you must resist the temptation to rub the stain, this will only drive it deeper into the padding, instead wipe the sofa with a damp cloth (not a wet one) and then wipe with a soft dry cloth straight away.

Vacuuming or brushing the fabric weekly will help remove dirt which can add to colour fading and general wear and tear. Also do your best to keep the sofa away from sources of heat and light to further minimise fading.

Ever wanted to know the history of Lloyd Loom furniture – Find out here

If you have a leather sofa

Fairly impossible to avoid to a degree but do your best not to spill anything on the leather but if the inevitable does happen treat just like the fabric sofa; wipe the sofa with a damp cloth (not a wet one) and then wipe with a soft dry cloth straight away. Never use any solvent based cleaners and try and keep sharp objects or anything that could cause a cut or scuff away from the sofa as it could prove to be very hard to rectify.

If vacuuming, vacuum cracks and crevices gently.

What about the cushions

Remove all the cushions that you are able to, hold from the opposite side and then give them a good squeeze to give them a reshape. If you cushions are the same material either side then rotate them to spread the ware evenly over time. You should aim to repeat this process around once a month for foam cushions but for feather filled cushions try to do it weekly.

If you would like any more advice or information, then please give us a call on 0115 9258347 or email us at info@kingsinteriors.com where a member of staff will be only happy to assist.

Brintons Carpets

Brintons is a British manufacturer of carpets and was founded in 1783 by William Brinton. Their first factory based in Kidderminster was established in 1820 and as of 2008 still has a big manufacturing presence on the Stourport edge of the town. In the 1970s Brintons opened their first factory in Telford, Shropshire to make spun yarns. Alongside these them also other factories across the world including: Australia, Portugal, and India.

Brintons launched an advertising campaign in 1993 featuring costumes designed by Vivienne Westwood and were made from the companies carpets. A second campaign involving Westwood followed in 1995 and was based on the dress style of 1783; the year the company was founded.  No more than a year later a third campaign was launched with the creation of evening gowns constructed from the carpets by British designer Antony Price.

Brintons offer a wide range of carpets and are divided into patterns and plains. Do you prefer bold, large or even more traditional floral patterns? Then Brintons patterned ranges are the one for you. Maybe a plain carpet is your go to? Plain carpets don’t have to be boring; Brinton’s four different ranges each have a different texture from velvet to twist, they offer over 100 colours. From the most colourful carpet around to very neutral colours you can always get a carpet to match your decor. They also produce tartan and plaid patterns which never go out of fashion and has the power to either be modern or classic whilst contrasting or blending with any style or decor. Last but not least is the ‘Inspired by nature’ range, using wood grains, floral, birds and butterflies to contrast well with your home decor.

Take a look at the Brintons range on our website http://www.kingsinteriors.co.uk/flooring call us on 0115 9258347 or email us at info@kingsinteriors.com