I am re-decorating my bedroom at the moment and have been considering the best way to dress the windows. I have one large bay and a separate sash window so traditional, lined floor length curtains will work out very expensive, which led me to thinking about stylish alternatives.
You can customise plain ready-made curtains by adding braiding and trims. V.V Rouleaux has an amazing selection and is great source of inspiration.They have outlets in London and an online store.
Braid trimmed curtains hung on a pole in front of the window can be used to dress awkwardly shaped windows like these arched ones.
Curtain poles are a good way to add interest to simple plain curtains. There is a huge variety of styles and finishes to choose from online
Add interest to plain curtains by using neon curtain poles. These come in a range of different colours to co-ordinate with your interior design scheme. These are from Byron and Byron.
Roman blinds are a simple, elegant alternative as they only need about 1/4 of the amount of material as full length curtains so you can afford to use a more luxurious fabric. You can make these yourself ( I made blinds for my living room a long time ago and it wasn’t too difficult!). The problem I find when trying to make your own curtains is that you really need a dedicated workroom to cope with the volume of fabric but blinds are more manageable.
Roman blinds always look elegant and sophisticated and suit both classic and contemporary interiors.
If you are covering draughty windows, thick interlining really makes a difference, helping to keep the room warm and cosy. Curtain exchanges are a good source of quality secondhand curtains, although you may need to alter them to your own windows.
Sheers are the exception to the rule and should never be lined. Muslin panels can be used in layers and you can tie them on to a pole or fix with clips for a quick, easy treatment.
Plain and patterened muslin panels are hung from clips from a simple pole
You can use dress curtains, combined with wooden blinds for privacy, to soften the look. Dress curtains are really just lined panels of fabric that hang on the outside and between the bays to add decoration, they are not designed to be pulled across, and so use much less fabric.
This is a good look for a bay window. Dress curtains edged in black, ties in with the black lamp and chair frame, and softens the wooden blinds
I am a big fan of shutters and made to measure wooden blinds. They are practical, easy to maintain and suit contemporary or period schemes. Although these are expensive, they are really an investment as they stay looking good for ages. The wooden blinds in my living room still look good after 15 years!
Shutters are practical to use in bedrooms as they are very effective at blocking out the light.
Shutters come in all different colours and finishes, including leather and faux suede like these ones from the California Shutter Company, covered in red faux suede.
If you have a stunning view and you are not overlooked, you may be able to do away with curtains altogether. I have left my kitchen windows bare as they look out onto the garden and I wanted to create a feeling of the indoors and outdoors merging . Humidity in kitchens and bathrooms don’t really suit curtains so if you need privacy the ideal treatment here is window film or frosted glass. I have frosted glass panels in my sash windows in the bathroom.
Window film preserves the view and provides privacy in this bathroom.
All images from pinterest.
I hope you have been inspired to tackle a window project! But if you would like help with any soft furnishing, or interior design dilemma, you can contact me at http://www.dressingroomsinteriors.co.uk