My Ultimate Guide to Curtains, Shutters & Blinds - Part 2
In this edition: Plantation, Venetian, Wave and Solid panel designs
Lots of photos today, so this post could be cut off in your email. If it is just make sure you press ‘download entire message’, or read in the Substack app.
Today I’m continuing through our last four homes to show you every type of window treatment I have ever used. W’eve already discussed pinch pleat, double pinch pleat, pencil, blackout and thermal. You can read about those here. Now we are venturing into the world of wave curtains, plantation shutters, Venetian blinds and solid panels. This is my ultimate guide in three parts and you don’t want to miss it. Next week I’ll be concluding this series with Roman blinds, electric, roller, eyelet, outdoor curtains, single panel, cafe style, pooled and some really exciting unusual treatments that you can even make at home.
Hey everyone, thank you so much for the response to this series so far and there’s a fair few new people joining us, so welcome to you all. It’s been a busy old week here at the barn. I’ve been dealing with planning permission, bat surveys, water metres, finishing my accounts and writing for you guys. There’ll be more on the planning, surveys, etc when we are a little further along. I don’t want to jinx anything.
I’m back to full health after getting the wretched flu yet again and have just, finally finished taking down all the christmas decorations. Yes, yes, I know it’s way past twelfth night, but if you didn’t see the chat in our little private forum here, then you won’t know that we secretly went away with our house guests just before new year to the dizzy heights of Lanzarote for a well-earned break.
If I’m honest I wasn’t very much looking forward to visiting the island after hearing some bad reviews from friends, but I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. Only a four hour flight from London, it’s a super little get away for some sunshine in the depths of winter and some of its natural wonders are pretty spectacular. If you’re interested in knowing more, let me know, I could put a little something together.
Fancy a luxury break by the sea with a free night?
Talking of holidays, are you thinking of taking a few breaks this year and are any of them in England? If so, then why not consider Emsworth harbour on the south coast? We have a very beautiful (even if I do say so myself) deckhouse on stilts, right by the water’s edge in the marina and only a short walk to the pretty village. It has two double bedrooms, so sleeps four, and it’s the only deckhouse on the harbour that has a full south-facing outside deck for sunbathing and dining, plus a west-facing balcony for those all important sunsets and sea views.
Very special offer!
For a limited time only I’m offering all of you new, free, or existing paid members a two-night stay at The Harbour Deckhouse from Monday-Thursday this year (not including June, July & August), with complementary Chapel Down sparkling wine, Noble Isle toiletries, Tregothnan tea and Nespresso coffee, plus a year subscription to HOME & HORT for just £295! The full price is usually £506! You’ll be getting one night almost completely free.
All you have to do is become a Gold Tier Member of H&H. If you’re already a paid member, then don’t worry, the subscription will be prorated from the day you upgrade and your renewal date will change to that day. Then all you have to do is direct message me and I’ll book in your chosen dates. Plus, I will personally greet you on your day of arrival! How’s that for service? If you’d like to add more days to your stay, then I can also do that too. If you’re worried about auto-renewal you can cancel, or downgrade to the normal annual fee at any time, or you can let it roll over to get another stay next year!
Okay, let’s get down to today’s subject and I’m going to start with wave curtains. What even are they? Here’s a little history of how I discovered them:
Our holiday let on Emsworth harbour is a very different type of property from any of the other homes we have owned and renovated. You can read the start of a three-part series about it here. I designed and decorated it in a simple monochromatic palette to match its exterior with a Scandi relaxed coastal vibe and pops of olive green. Here, it’s all about the views. When guests arrived I wanted them to immediately exhale and feel like all their troubles were melting away.
The floor to ceiling windows and sliding doors are in black and frame the views to the harbour perfectly already. If it wasn’t for the tiny issue of privacy and needing to get to sleep, I wouldn’t have bothered with a window treatment here at all. The views speak for themselves. However, guests and my husband like privacy and none of us fancy being woken up at 5am by sunlight streaming in. So, what could I possibly use for a window treatment that would solve all those problems, yet remain paired back? Whatever I chose needed to blend with its surroundings seamlessly. Enter Wave Curtains. I know, I had never heard of them either, but they are a true revelation and I’m hooked, so hooked that I’ve now used them at our barn too.
Wave Curtains
Out of all the window treatments I have ever measured up for and fitted, these have to be the easiest. They are also the only ones that glide effortlessly and stay in perfect shape without any help from me. Overall, I’d say they are suited to more contemporary homes, but I have just installed them in the living room of our barn, choosing a textural basket-weave fabric in an earthy tone and they look great.
They come with a free track, which can be wall or ceiling mounted, I chose the ceiling track option. As I had painted the ceiling white, the track literally disappears. This clever track allows you to draw the curtains back effortlessly and create perfect, uniformed folds. Now, if you know me at all, then you’ll be fully aware that this makes me very happy. Perfect undulating waves are achieved as if by magic, due to the tracks clever pulley system. Trust me, you’re going to love them. Read on to get the low down.
The rest of this post and most of next week’s part 3, which took so long to write, is for paid members only. This newsletter is only possible because of the people who contribute. Upgrade now and get 20% off an annual subscription for just £3.73 a month, that’s 50p cheaper than an M&S Club sandwich for goodness sake, it’s practically free! Come and spend 2025 with us and transform your home and garden.