Interior designer guide to window dressing in interiors
Designer’s tips to curtains and blinds
It may come as a surprise, but completing window dressing packages require a great deal of expertise and attention to detail. From aesthetics, practicality and price point, there is plenty to consider when choosing curtains and blinds. That is why it takes a great deal of knowledge and experience to ensure it goes right!
To help you along the way, our interior designers put together a mini-series for an all you need to know guide on the topic. Not only it will help in dressing your windows to complement the interior, but allow you to control the levels of room light to suit particular activities and provide flexibility.
Temza Design Studio will help you overcome obstacles like fitting new curtains on traditional windows or find space recessed tracks in an existing room.
Controlling Light Levels
Firstly, consider how much light you want to allow in and what level of flexibility you are aiming for. The rule of thumb is; bedrooms should have options for complete blackout, and most likely an additional sheer as well, controlling light. Meanwhile, a kitchen or dining area might not benefit from total blackout option, just a sheer to provide privacy.
You need to evaluate any activities that might take place in a room. For example, a study that may occur on occasion for guests, or a living room that doubles as a cinema room, meaning it needs blackout. Window dressing is very personal and not a one size fits all. Our interior design team always ensures to discuss the client’s requirements and expectations concisely before working on a new package.
Black Out Fabrics
Once you have decided how many layers of curtains or blinds you need for each room, it’s time to choose some fabrics. The most exciting and awaited step of the process, our interior design team can assure you that it ours also! Blackout curtains are usually opaque, thick fabrics, intended on keeping much of the light out. However, almost any fabric can make a blackout system with the correct lining. Curtain making specialists would determine the length of fabric needed for each window. They would also provide good quality, UV resistant lining to back the decorative fabric and ensure it keeps the desired shape over the years.
Sheer Fabrics
Sheer fabrics often referred to as ‘voile’, are intended to block direct sunlight and privacy while providing natural light and views out. When choosing sheer fabrics, there many levels of opacity as well as texture, colour and pattern to consider. Opacity levels show in percentages between 0 and 20, 0% being a black-out, and 20% a very transparent material. You might want to use a very light sheer if you have a second layer of blackout curtain also present. If you are using only a sheer, you could opt for a denser material for more versatile use.Our interior designers love the elegant curtains at Colefax and Fowler, choosing many options and exploring the collections should keep you up to date and inspired!
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Familiarising the terminology will help communicate your ideas to curtain-makers and ensure the final result will be as you imagine! Stay tuned as our interior designers continue the series discussing in detail options such as curtains, blinds and motorised systems!
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