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| Window treatments |
| Find out how to dress up your window after the renovation... and don't bust the budget. |
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Window dressings are usually the last thing to be decided upon when renovating or decorating a room and often where most of the budget is spent. Tara visits specialist store Urban View and looks at some of the new and interesting alternatives available for your home.
Andrew Clissold opened Urban View eight months ago aiming to create a one-stop showroom for window furnishings, both inside and out. He specialises in made-to-measure blinds, curtains, shutters and awnings with a modern and glamorous style.
Fabrics range from $40 to over $100 a metre but his ideas can still be applied using cheaper fabrics. In some cases though, what you're paying for is the quality and life span of the fabric and the way it hangs.
On display at the store are a range of full drop fabrics and blinds so customers can get an understanding of the fabric and how it will drape. Customers can also take samples home to experiment with. Most of Andrew's solutions are ceiling to floor as he believes this looks the most attractive.
The fabrics are mainly from Europe and America while the blinds are locally manufactured. He hand picks each one to offer variety and quality and encourages clients to choose different fabrics each time.
Andrew recommends planning your window furnishings at least a month before you finish renovating as it takes 2-4 weeks to make. The things to bear in mind when choosing a solution for a window are privacy, light and how the design and colour complements the rest of the room.
Sheer blind
This owner has a hand-me-down venetian blind over the window which she rarely has open due to privacy, making the room relatively dark.
Urban View are putting in a sheer roller blind that you can see from the inside out while still allowing in light. The beauty of this blind is that in daylight, people can't look in. At night, however, you can see inside, so we're adding a simple canvas Roman blind as a blockout.
Cost approximately $300
Sheer fabric on marine wire/eyelet system
This front bedroom has timber venetians on both sash windows. While they look neat, they can be a little stark.
Urban View are using striped sheer organza, hung from tensioned wire and thread through eyelets. The venetians still give privacy and the sheer fabric filters the light and softens the room creating a moody and romantic look
The marine wire hanging system is installed in one long piece across the two windows and two curtain panels are hung via eyelets. Once you've drilled a Dynabolt into the wall, attach a circular hook and a turnbuckle at one end and the 3/16 stainless steel marine wire and feed the curtain through with eyelets instead of rings. The trick is having the wire tension very taut so it doesn't sag. For this reason the wire system is ideal for a masonry wall rather than plaster. If drilling into plaster, ensure you find a stud first. The benefit of the marine wire is that there's flexibility to draw the curtains freely across from side to side. Using the eyelet and marine wire mean that you don't need as much fabric as a curtain rod hanging system
Fabric is $70 a metre plus marine wire system, eyelets, installation etc.
Total Cost approximately $600
Sheer panels on a brass hinge on French Doors for privacy
These French doors between the dining room and kitchen require more privacy when entertaining and decoration.
French doors can be a challenge to dress even if they're nice to look at. Panels of linen have been threaded onto a brass hinged arm and provide privacy when it's needed. Using a brass plated tube as the curtain rod, attached by a hinge to one side, the rods are simply screwed into the door. This hinged panel design is not limited to Victorian or Federation style, it can also be used on contemporary windows.
Brass curtain rod & hinge are $65 each from Urban View plus fabric and installation.
Total Cost approximately $300 |
More Info
Urban View
143 St Johns Road
Glebe NSW 2037
PH: 1300 300 446
www.urbanview.com.au
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