Interior Design
Notes On Design with Mary Graham
In this week's Notes on Design, Mary shares her expertise on window treatments, a key area to get right in any room. She answers your questions on creating privacy, designing for tricky spots such as dormer or bay windows and adding the wow factor to plain curtains.
Window Treatments
What is considered the most elegant type of curtains?
I personally love Italian strung curtains and think they are incredibly elegant. Generally speaking, if you’ve got lovely tall windows then you can get away with more elaborate window treatments as the curtains won’t drown the space, and the architecture of the room will be able to hold it’s own. If you’ve got a regular sized room then you will want to err towards a simpler window treatment in order for it to feel elegant.
What’s the best option for very low positioned windows, curtains or blinds?
I would go for a combination of the two. Quite often what we do with a low window is a fit a fake blind higher than normal to hide what's called the ‘dead light’, which is the section of wall above the window and below the ceiling. This gives the illusion of a taller window disappearing behind it, and then you might hang curtains over the top to make the whole treatment feel more generous.
What about deep and quite high dormer windows?
We would almost always use dormer rods which are specifically designed for dormer windows. If they're quite high up, you might need to have a pull to open and close them. These are usually the best solution because dormers tend to be right up to the ceiling, so you don't have any option for doing a blind.What types of fabrics require lining or interlining and what are those linings used for?
Curtains always need a lining because otherwise you can see the seams in the back of the curtain unless you're using something like a voile for a really floaty curtain. Linings are used to give your curtains weight and make them feel substantial, they can also help with warmth and acoustics, and if you want blackout you will need to use a blackout lining. In a very traditional house we would have them lined, interlined and blackout lined which makes for a really substantial pair of curtains.Using interlining is the traditional way of making curtains, and to me, it’s the proper way of doing it. You can do it quite thinly and achieve something that doesn’t feel too bulky if that is the preferred look. In a modern house, some people prefer to just line curtains. If you don't want to blackout line your curtains, you could blackout line a blind instead and just have the curtains lined and interlined. There are definitely ways of picking and choosing how you use linings, between your blinds and curtains.
How do you choose between blinds or drapes in the room, what practicalities to consider?
Firstly, consider accessibility to the window, can you get to it and what is easiest to live with? If it's a window above a counter, then a blind would be better than having a short curtain. Alternatively, if you’ve got a large drawing room with lots of tall windows then blinds may be more cost efficient as curtains typically take more fabric. However, I do think it's a misconception that blinds are always better value, sometimes they're more complicated to make than a simple pair of curtains, but they definitely use a lot less fabric.Blinds are very good at tricking the eye and changing the proportion of a window. If you want to make something feel taller, it's much easier to do that with a blind than it is with a curtain. Also, if you're using a patterned wallpaper then the simplicity of a blind can look wonderful in contrast.
We would definitely choose to use curtains in a bedroom because they're cozier than blinds and they're a better choice to create a blackout environment. You can't really create successful blackout with only a blind, because some light always escapes out the sides. Also, consider how much space you have either side of the window.
Remember, if you haven’t got at least 20cm either side of a window then there won’t be space for what we call the ‘curtain stack back’, as the curtains will end up obscuring much of the light from your window. A blind would be a better option in this scenario.
Ultimately, I think it's nice to have a variety of window treatments in your house and not have the same thing everywhere.
Any tips on using pelmets in a modern way?
Go for a plain shape, like a soft rectangle, and pair with a simple trimming which will look very sleek and modern. I would opt for a hard upholstered pelmet or a flat valance, rather than something gathered. The overall look tends to be dictated by your fabric choice; if you go for a plain fabric, that's easier to achieve a modern look with, compared to a blousy floral. Our Plain woven fabric is a great choice for a plain that isn’t too flat but can still give that contemporary feel.Best treatment for Bay windows?
We would normally do a curtain on a bay pole, which is especially made for a bay window. A corded pole can also be helpful when there is furniture in the bay which is hard to get behind to manually pull curtains shut.Blinds can be tricky as it’s very hard to raise multiple blinds up to sit at exactly the same height, particularly with a relaxed looking blind. Unless you are having something very structured and sleek like a Roman blind where it's straight at the bottom, it can be a challenge to make look good at a bay window.
How do you add the wow factor to plain curtains?
Definitely add a nice trimming. If you in-set the trim by an inch on the leading edge and hem it wont drag along the floor. If you use a simple tape, you can be creative on the corner of a curtain or pelmet and have it folded into a Greek key design which can be really attractive. Another nice thing is to use a contrast lining on the other side of the curtain, especially if it's a window that you're going to see frequently from the outside as it's nice to see something pretty. Make sure that you think about how all the linings of curtains and blinds look together from the outside, it’s something that you have to do everywhere or nowhere, otherwise it can look quite messy if not thought through.Most importantly you absolutely have to get curtains well made if they're plain because there's no hiding anything, and if you skimp on fabric, they'll just look mean and stingy. Remember, doing a plain curtain can sometimes be a false economy as although the fabric might be cheaper, patterned curtains are more forgiving when it comes to the quality of the workmanship.
Do you prefer your curtains to just touch the ground?
Yes, nothing worse than what I like to call short trousers. We usually say that they want to break the ground by an inch. Curtains can also move depending on the conditions and humidity in the room. You always want to have a bit of extra length in them because it's possible that they will shrink due to the atmosphere. If you have a generous heading and a generous hem then it’s very easy to adjust the length of curtains to make them shorter or longer.
Best treatment for small windows on a top floor?
If you've got ceiling height above it, then a sweet little blind is really nice, but the key is you want to make sure whatever treatment you're using isn't cutting out any unnecessary light. You have to make sure you've either got space above a window for a blind or space to the left and right for curtains and I think that's the biggest deciding factor.How to avoid regathering roman blinds each time?
We will often keep the blind up and tied and add a roller blind behind for everyday use. In general, we would always say in a bathroom or any room that you want privacy from the garden or from the street do a sheer roller blind or café curtain so that you don't have to open and close the curtains or the blinds every time you want to get changed.
Why do my roman blinds keep sagging?
If you do have a problem with sagging you can make your blinds with quite a sturdy rod that runs through to keep them straight. This is something we do when we use relaxed romans. It also keeps them consistent if you have two or more blinds next to each that need to all rise to an agreed level. If you've got more than one blind next to each other, there's always a risk that one won't hang quite as level as the other or one will sag more than another, so it may be better to opt for curtains in this situation.Curtain fabric style for a room with heavily patterned wallpaper would you just stick to a plain?
I think quite a good option is to go for a plain fabric and use a trimming. Something like our seaweed fabric is a really good example of a fabric that's one colour, but has a pattern to it, which is more interesting than just using a flat plain. We would always suggest using fabric that has what we call a bit of movement in it, either some texture or multiple tones of the same colour. Definitely a good opportunity to go wild with a trimming too!
What's the best window treatment for a radiator under a window?
A lot of people would do a short curtain or a blind, personally I would still do curtains. They look nicer when the curtains are open and they look lovely with a radiator in between. Yes, when you draw them it does restrict the output of the radiator, but this is a scenario where I would go for style over practicality.Thoughts on cafe style curtains?
We almost always use café curtains on the ground floor of a street facing property or even in a country house if people are going to be in the garden or walking past because it is nicer than having to pull a blind up and down all the time. They don't have to be overly gathered, but the more gathered the more privacy it provides. You can do less gathering in an attractive way, by using a tab top heading which can look quite contemporary. Just remember, the flatter the curtain is the easier it is for people to see through it.They're a relatively inexpensive treatment and can really finish off a room in such a pretty way, obviously our voile is the perfect choice!
Any window treatment pet peeves?
Definitely short curtains, unless it's in a nursery or you're going for that sort of cottagey vibe but it takes a lot of skill to pull off a short curtains. I personally don't really like tie backs and prefer curtains to hang straight, but if you do need them we use something called an embrace which is like a discreet shepherds crook that holds the fabric back. If regulations allow, it's really nice to use proper cords and weighted acorns rather than having to use chains. I think it's important to spend a bit of money on your curtain hardware especially if you've done the rest of your house nicely; it's always a real shame to then see plastic fixings behind the curtains.Shop Salvesen Graham Fabrics
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