This post contains gifted curtains from Terrys Fabrics. All opinions are my own:
I must confess to a bit of a love hate relationship with made to measure curtains over the years. When I was much younger and had very little spare cash, I used to dust down the sewing machine whenever I needed a window dressing to finish a room. I was completely self taught. Most of my curtain making tips came from library books (yes I am that old!), but against all of the odds I did manage to get some half decent results. Not that I enjoyed it. Wrestling with metres of fabric on a small dining table, not to mention thread that would always break just as I was getting going, was simply a means to an end. And I swear that sewing machine hated me!
The beauty of fabric
Years later when I studied interior design (and learned how to make curtains properly), I fell in love with fabric. Head over heels in love with the colours, the patterns, the textures, and the way curtains (and blinds) can absolutely transform a room. In college, curtains were often the starting point for many designs and not just an afterthought. We would spend hours sketching, rendering and mounting curtain designs onto boards for presentation to clients. I love drawing so designing curtains for someone else to make, was a whole new pleasurable ball game. But, designer fabrics and made to measure curtains did not come cheap in those circles. Rightly so. Sadly, those beautifully presented drawings were the closest I was going to get to having them at home.
Affordable designer curtains do exist
Fortunately for all of us, you don’t need an interior designer to sketch out your curtains for you nowadays. And you can have designer fabrics too. Not only that, but they can be entirely made to measure (although you can opt for ready made if you so choose), and completely bespoke to you. Terrys Fabrics have a wonderful selection of fabrics to choose from. Simply select your colour/pattern choice/or favourite designer from a selection including Angel Strawbridge, Orla Kiely, Linda Barker, Paloma Faith or Sophie Allport. Next select your chosen curtain heading, decide if you need lining and pop in your measurements. You will get a quote in seconds! It really couldn’t be easier.
So, what did I choose for the dining room in my new home?
Second confession of the day coming up. I’ve thrown every rule book out of the window (and every moodboard too), and ordered and hung curtains before decorating the room. Don’t do this at home. There is a reason. I couldn’t live with the curtains that we inherited with the house, and the french doors looked bare without them. The curtain pole was already there. The flooring is not going to change although I’m not very fond of it and will probably cover it with an even bigger rug. And I’m keeping all of my old furniture because I still love it.
The curtains are in a fabric called Palm and the colour is Linen. The heading as you can see is a pencil pleat heading and they are fully lined with Terrys standard lining.
I can’t tell you how much I love my new curtains and the way they frame the view of the garden.
When the time comes the room will be papered on all of the walls with a pattern that brings the outside in. I’m looking at William Morris designs particularly as this new extension needs some historical reference in order to merge it with the older cottage. The trolly with the lamp and vase of daffodils is going to get a facelift too with some black paint and green tiles. The rug may change for one with some pattern on it. Slowly does it.
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