JOHN BIDDELL HOW TO TREAT A WINDOW . . .
Buy it dinner, take it to the theatre, or just tell it how fabulous it is !!! I know the joke is corny, but whenever I cover this subject, which is usually every couple of years or so, I simply can’t resist.
For me the queen of window treatments is a fabulous pair of curtains. I just love curtains !!!! When I first started in the trade some 45 or so years ago it was in a curtain and soft furnishing shop in Romford, in my home county of Essex (cue the jokes). I wasn’t allowed to even speak to a customer until I’d learned the art of unrolling and re-blocking fabric. I was then sent for time with the curtain makers, time with the fitters, and time with the buyers. It was the type of apprenticeship you just don’t get these days, but boy did it teach you to appreciate the product.
I believe curtains make or break a room. They can add colour, texture, drama, warmth (both metaphorically and literally), softness – the list goes on and on. I realise that a pair of well-made curtains in a gorgeous fabric will undoubtedly set you back a good few quid, but believe me it’s so worth it. We often have returning clients telling us that the curtains we fitted in their house 10-15 years ago still look fresh and new.
My heart sinks when a new client comes to us saying that the building work has gone over budget, and consequently they don’t have much left to spend on the curtains. It’s such a shame. The new heating system might be top notch, the technology bang up to date, so much so that you could run a bath at home while you’re on holiday in Crete (assuming your flight isn’t cancelled of course), but a skimpy set of curtains at the window is going to absolutely ruin the impact of any room, and devalue the overall effect entirely. We always advise people in that situation to wait until they have the funds to give the windows the proper treatment the project deserves.
A good pair of curtains will be hand sewn, and of course lined. But good can instantly be made into fabulous by adding interlining. This is a fleecy fabric inserted between the face fabric and the lining, giving bulk and substance in any situation, but particularly to more diaphanous fabrics, and most certainly linen. It also has the properties of adding insulation, deadening sound and reducing light
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