JOHN BIDDELL BLIND AMBITION
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Last month we looked in some depth at my favourite window treatment – curtains. So this month I thought we’d explore the world of blinds in some detail. There are many types of blind available today, all of which have their various merits. Still the most widely used and versatile is the roman blind. I don’t know where the name came from, as I’ve been to Rome a few times but never seen one. Mind you, I’ve also been to Venice and not seen any venetian blinds, and Austria . . . I think you know where I’m going with this.
A roman blind can look great as a stand-alone treatment. It looks smart and crisp in a contemporary setting, whether in a plain or fabulously patterned fabric, a crisp pin stripe, or a sumptuous texture. It also looks just as at home in a traditional room, although here perhaps under a set of beautiful, full-length curtains.
You can choose to site your blind inside or outside the window recess. Wherever possible I like to see roman blinds outside the recess and well above the window, assuming there’s enough wall space. This makes the window look bigger and more significant, as well as keeping all the available light. The drawback of putting it inside the recess is that unless you raise it so tightly as to be scrunched up, it can cover up to a third of the drop of the window, therefore restricting the incoming light. Whereas if situated 30 centimetres or so above the recess
you can keep the top pleat flat, thus showing off the fabric to its fullest extent.
If you do choose to position your roman blind above the window, a pelmet of between 15 and 25 centimetres deep will make a lovely finishing touch. This can be in the same fabric as the blind, or something more dramatic. And now that passementerie of all kinds is back in fashion, why not add a trim? The usual principle applies here; the smaller any trim or accent is, the stronger it can, and indeed craves to be.
While some companies will still offer the old-fashioned ways of making a roman blind, with ugly lines of stitching across the face of the blind where each baton is situated, make sure you go for a hand-sewn finish using a concealed stitching method, so that there are no visible stitching lines on the front of the blind at all. It will cost a little more, but the overall effect will definitely be worth it. And while you’re at it, the addition of interlining will give a softer drape to linen based and more diaphanous fabrics.
Wood slat venetian blinds are still quite popular, particularly in the 50mm slat width. These are available in all manner of wood stains and paint colours, including some really smart high gloss finishes, and can often be a more practical option than shutters. For larger windows or a more colonial look there is also a 70mm slat width. Fabric tapes, as opposed to the standard
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HOMES & INTERIORS JOHN BIDDELL - INTERIORS EXPERT
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