Adding a smart nautical touch to your Interior Design scheme

The summer is almost here and we all want to bring that nautical feeling into our homes, but how do we make it work? You can start by mixing blues and white stripes with wicker baskets, warm brass and distressed leather for a shipshape appearance. You could try some of these ideas…

IDEA 1: Hang a vertically striped Roman Blind against white or off white walls. This will accentuate the height of the ceiling and contrast with the walls and woodwork. Choose a fabric that has muted tones of blues and creams. This will give you a more nautical feeling rather than a deckchair style. I really like Clarke & Clarke’s Maritime collection, this one for example…

Clarke & Clarke Maritime

IDEA 2: Add a statement floor lamp in the corner for target lighting. With its tripod base, this striking tripod floor lamp has the look of a telescope, making it perfect for a seaside-style. These are often found in charity shops! Go on, try some bargain hunting for something similar!

See www.houzz.com

If you like what you see and want to buy the look? I recommend you try these:
For nautical fabrics: www.clarke-clarke.co.uk, www.ianmakin.co.uk or even www.johnlewis.co.uk
For fabulous New England style home accessories: http://www.thewhitelighthousefurniture.co.uk they have lovely products!
For tripod floor lamps: I like www.lombok.co.uk and www.made.com
For quirky picture frames I often go to www.rockettstgeorge.co.uk and http://www.grahamandgreen.co.uk

I hope you have found this article helpful and would love to hear from you!

Paula meets TV Dragon Theo Paphitis

The Founder and Owner of Curtain Lab, Paula Trovalusci, received a great boost for the business from Entrepreneur and Dragons’ Den star Theo Paphitis.

Paula who has run her successful soft furnishings business, in Kingston upon Thames (Surrey), for the last ten years was chosen from thousands of small businesses by Theo as part of his Small Business Sunday competition (#SBS) on the social networking site Twitter. Each week Theo gives companies the chance to promote themselves and after receiving the ‘tweets’ he picks 6 of them to forward to his 240,000 followers.

To mark her success Paula was invited to the inaugural Small Business Sunday Winners’ event in Birmingham where she met Theo along with many other fellow business owners who had also been recipients of a #SBS win.

Paula commented afterwards, “It was great to be able to meet Theo, who gave us a very inspiring speech about small businesses and presented a new website to showcase all the winners”.

Alongside the design, manufacture and installation of curtains, blinds and soft furnishings Paula now offers a complete interior design service through her sister company Casabella Designs which she formed last year with her new business partner.

“I enjoyed meeting lots of people at the Small Business Sunday (#SBS) event, many of whom I have built up working relationships with on Twitter. I hope to contact more of them in months to come”.

Contact Paula about your Soft Furnishings and  Interior Design requirements on 07742 496209 or use the contact form on this site.

How to Dress Loft Windows – use curtains

Loft windows often are challenging to dress but with the help of some expert advice it is possible to dress your windows and make the most of it’s shape at the same time.

Take the photo below for example, I used a combination of eyelet curtains in the centre windows and some fixed dress curtains to the side panels giving the impression of luxury, full length silk curtains and tie backs and keeping the lovely shape of the window too.

But every window is different and the picture below, for example, is of a loft window in a rental property.  Where the requirements were slightly different.  The client was keen to keep cost to a minimum whilst dressing with windows with full-length blackout curtains that could be used for both a playroom and or a guess bedroom.

We decided to combine a functioning pair of pencil pleat curtains hanging from a discreet Integra centre track with fixed dress curtains/panels to the side.

I strongly suggest that you take a long, hard look at your windows and make a note of what is most important to you.  What is it you want from your window treatment?  Does it need to block out the light? Does it need to keep the heat in and the cold out? What style of window treatment most appeals to you?  A good curtain designer will listen to you and should be able to design something that does exactly what you want.

And what if you don’t like curtains?  There are many other options.  In my next post I will tell you all about Blinds for Loft Windows.

If you any questions or comments about this post get in touch, I would love to hear from you.

It is a well known fact that Lined and Interlined Soft Furnishings can appear more substantial, more luxurious and altogether more stylish.

Lining will protect the main fabric and improve the drape of curtains.  The first defence against sunlight, fading and dirt is a good quality, smooth, sateen-woven lining.  On sunny windows, for example, is worth getting sun-resistant lining.  Although this won’t stop the fading process it will considerably delay the sun damage.

If you are a perfectionist like me and don’t like to see creased fabric, look into crease-resistant linings.  It’s gorgeous and it will save you lots of time if you are making the curtains yourself!

Interlining your curtains & blinds will make them hang beautifully and give it that extra special look.  Interlining is a blanket-type fabric which is sandwiched between the lining and the main fabric.  Curtains can be lined with medium or heavyweight interlinings depending on how thick you want the curtains to look.  Traditional interlinings are cotton but synthetic ones are also available (they don’t shed fluff).  Whichever one you choose, always buy a pre-shrunk one.

When your Curtains & Blinds are in need of a little cleaning, remember that lined and interlined window treatments are best steam cleaned in situ as they hang.  There are a number of reputable companies providing this service, it may cost a little more but you can be sure mistakes won’t occur in the cleaning process.

As the cold months approach, it is important to draw your curtains at night time.  This will prevent heat loss and if you have lined and interlined soft furnishings it might save you a few pennies on the heating bill too!

If you like this post or would like me to cover a specific topic, let me know! I’d love to hear from you.

Paula Trovalusci

For more information or help in choosing your own soft furnishings contact http://www.curtainlab.co.uk, with Christmas round the corner you might want to act now.

Shutters

Indoor shutters are one form of window treatment that is quickly gaining popularity, making a wonderful alternative (or a perfect match) to curtains on bay windows accentuating quality and style. Shutters have such a dramatic impact and it’s important to choose the right style, design, and colour

Using shutters allows you to control the ambiance and overall mood of the room by the way they filter, block or let in the light of hte outdoors. They also provide privacy, whilst allowing circulation and ventilation. Interior shutters offer a traditional look and can fit in with just about any home decor scheme from contemporary to country and elegant to Mediterranean.

The following companies offer great service and a wonderful range of tailor-made shutter solutions well worth looking into.

http://www.apollo-blinds.co.uk
http://www.theshuttergallery.co.uk

http://www.shutterlyfabulous.com
http://www.thecaliforniacompany.co.uk

Of course we would always suggest you pair your shutters with dress curtains for a softer, cosier look!

Full Length Curtains

There is nothing quite like a full-length pair of curtains. They look elegant, give visual height and even bring warmth to a room.

In their most basic form, curtains are gathered or made of pleated panels of fabric hanging from tracks or poles for privacy as well as insulation against noise and draught.

Give it a little more thought and what you will have is an opportunity to bring texture and pattern into a room. At night, curtains will make the room feel cosier and inviting.

We tend to think of curtains in pairs, but in the case of bay windows, you can make the most of its shape by hanging 4 curtains to create a sophisticated focal point and dress this otherwise awkward space.

Lots of factors need to be considered to make sure you get the best looking curtains for your bay. If the windows are large and sunny, choose a ‘Light Resistant’ lining as it will help your fabric last better and retain the colour for longer. Cooler rooms might benefit from a substantial interlining, as this will act as an insulating barrier.

To add a little ‘wow’ factor and drama try using either vertical or horizontal borders. For a softer approach you can use a leading edge in a suitable trimming – there are some great trimmings on the market i.e. bobbles, beadings even feathers!

For a more formal look you can hang the tie backs high up, of course, allowing the curtains to be drawn in a more swag like style.

The most important thing, however, is to embrace the shape of your bay window, celebrate its beauty and love the home you live in.

Image by http://www.housetohome.co.uk/

Create a Custom-Built Seating Area and dress it with Roman Blinds

I like working with bay windows. They vary so much in size and shape that no 2 bay windows are ever the same and this is precisely what makes dressing a bay window so challenging.

What ever window treatment you choose it is important to work with your windows and not against it. Don’t disguise or hide them in any way. Make the bay area a focal point, bring it into the heart of your scheme and make sure that, as well as looking good, the bay provides comfort and extra storage space.

This type of project requires skill so I suggest you call in a professional! A good carpenter or joiner should be able to build a good window seat for you that is both stylish and functional. You can finish dressing the area with Roman Blinds for a tailored, smart look. Add a few cushions to the seat, a small side table and all you will be missing is a good book and/or a glass of wine!

A window seat can work very well with most bay windows including Square Bays, Bend Bays or Semi-Circular Bays. Go ahead, celebrate your bay window!




How have you decorated your bay windows? Let us know!

Bay Window Solutions

At first glance Bay Windows are a tricky space to dress.  The angles can be challenging to work with, not all poles can be bent, the radiator might be in the way of curtains, etc.  The list of obstacles is rather long.  However, there are a number of very practical, functional and rather stylish solutions to choose from.

Combine Roman Blinds with Curtains:

The Roman Blinds are a contemporary and simple solution for bay windows while the curtains can add extra privacy and warmth in the cooler months or simply be the decorative finishing touch, framing the window and adding a smart finish.

A tamed, toning colour will be the perfect match for a larger pattern with more impact.  The curtains can be either left ‘standing’ or can be arranged on a pair of holdbacks for a more dressed look.

Coming up in Part 2 – Roman Blinds and a Made-to-Measure seating area for Bay Windows

Image Credit: House to Home

Five Great Reasons To Choose Roman Blinds

1.   Price: Buying a bespoke, high quality Roman Blind will cost much less than a high quality pair of curtains. With Roman Blinds there is no need for curtain poles and it uses much less fabric thus keeping the overall cost down.

2.   Easy to install: Measuring for Roman blinds is much simpler than measuring up for curtains (no stack back, overlap or overhung to consider).  The process of hanging Roman blinds is also easier than it seems. There are even tutorials online!  Whether using a traditional fabric covered baton or an aluminum head rail hanging a Roman Blind is very straight forward and due to its size Roman Blinds are also easier to handle.

3.   Selection: Roman Blinds can be made in a wide range of colours, materials and styles.  Every combination gives a different vibe to your room.  The correct lining is also paramount as it will affect the overall colour of your fabric and the amount of light in the room.  There is plenty of lining and interlining to choose from like blackout, fade resistant lining, and coloured lining.

4. Maintenance: Roman blinds can be cleaned using the soft furnishing attachment of your vacuum cleaner. Moreover, they fold up neatly and can be pulled out of reach of children and pets, meaning they’re less likely to be broken.

5.  Style: Roman Blinds offer a neat, stylish and understated alternative to curtains working well in both traditional as well as a more modern setting.  In a more traditional setting it can be coupled with a coordinating pelmet or traditional full length curtains as below.

Parkertex at its best

I finally got to photograph a job I finished earlier on in the year. The project was simple, just a pair of full-length, blackout lined, double pleated curtains.


The result was, as always, stunning! The curtains totally finished the room and made it cosy, enriched but still full of simplicity. I loved the fabric so much that I couldn’t resist and made a door stopper to match…

Love the home you live in….