When planning to redecorate your home, one of the most important tasks is finding the right fabrics to go with your chosen colour scheme.

It is not a decision to be rushed.

Easier said than done when you have 20 minutes left of your lunch break or an impatient, sticky-fingered toddler by your side.

What about looking on the internet, out of normal shopping hours, when you have got more time? It is possible to do the whole job online or at least do most of the legwork.

An excellent site, fabricsandpapers, has really cracked the process of buying fabrics online. It is well laid out with a superb choice and an extremely customer-friendly ordering and buying process. Leading-name designs to choose from are arranged into upholstery, curtain and neutrals, linings, accessories and trimmings.

Once in the curtain section, you will find further categories such as contemporary, floral linen, prints and voile. There are good-size pictures, large enough to give you a feel for the design. If you have the time, you can request up to six cuttings to be sent free of charge, or a larger, returnable sample for a £5 deposit. When you place your order, they will send you a swatch of your material and give you five days to cancel before proceeding with despatch, which is also free of charge.

The brain child of World of Interiors magazine, thedesignstudio is essentially an international directory of fabric and wallpaper. You cannot buy online but you can browse through hundreds of leading designs from the likes of Monkwell, Mulberry and Anna French, create your own swatch board and find your local stockists.

Once you have registered, you can browse by designer, colour and effect (abstract, floral, geometric, etc.).

The results can then be seen by scrolling down the swatches on the screen. Click on any that catch your eye for a bigger picture and product information, then simply check for a stockist.

Like many fabric designers, designersguild has an online brochure. There are virtual swatches of each of its fabrics in all the different colours. While you cannot buy online, you can request a brochure for the mail order service and locate your nearest stockist.

You will also find independent fabric retailers and designers active on the web, including tempting offers of discounted prices. The advice is to check out a site thoroughly before making a purchase. Read the terms of business, particularly on returns and payment. Find out if they are selling seconds rather than top quality and speak to them in person if you have any queries.

www.fabricsandpapers.com
www.thedesignstudio.com
www.designersguild.com