My Ultimate Guide to Curtains, Shutters & Blinds - Part 3
The most fun, irreverent part. Unusual designs, Roman blinds, electric, eyelet, roller, outdoor, single panel, cafe style, pooled and the art of adding nothing.
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.
In this concluding part to my trilogy, which I had the most fun writing, I’ll be rummaging through the world of the more obscure ideas for adorning windows, some of which you can make from every day items in your home. I’ll also be giving you the low down on Roman blinds and my recent discovery of electric remote control options, plus eyelet curtains, the dreaded roller blind, outdoor curtains, single panel, cafe style and pooled.
If you missed Part One, we discussed pinch pleat, double pinch pleat, pencil, blackout and thermal. You can find Part Two here, where we looked at wave curtains, plantation shutters, Venetian blinds and solid panels.
Big News First!
Guess what? I’m going to be doing my first ever live on Substack this Thursday 30th January at 4.30pm GMT, which is 8.30am PST. Absolutely scared to death, which is why I need you guys to be there to support me! Just so you know, even though I used to talk on Insta stories all the time, I only ever did one live!
It’s just a little test (keep telling yourself that JP) and will only be for 15 minutes or so, but if it goes well, then I plan to do a lot more of them as I start the barn and garden renovations. I also want to do a lot of fun joint lives with some of my favourite Substackers.
But, instead of just talking nonsense, I thought I would ask you guys what you’d like me to talk about? Keep it light-hearted. Leave a comment today to let me know what my first live should be about. The first one at least will be free for everyone, but you’ll need to download the Substack app to be able to view, take part and comment. See you on Thursday. Yikes!
Who knew there were so many different forms of window treatment? The last six or seven years have been a revelation to me, a former self-confessed curtainphobe, who would have rather left a window blissfully bare than smother it in ruches, pleats and tassels. But now, I am a semi-convert. I say semi, partly because I just like using the word as it makes me giggle, but also because, although I have now lovingly embraced drapery in my last four homes, I still believe there are times when adding nothing is the perfect choice. So, I’m going to start Part Three with the act of doing nothing at all.
Sometimes, a window is so beautiful that the thought of any embellishment would be almost sacrilegious. The church-like arched windows in the entrance hall of our previous Victorian home, for example. I defy anyone to add to the beauty of their leaded curvature. It was completely impractical, of course. Single-glazed and, in winter, permanently dripping with musty condensation, the wooden surrounds would often be black with mould and require cleaning with bleach. But, I loved them none the less.
The windows of the weatherboard home we created between 2013-2020 were chosen by me and a huge amount of research and planning went into their existence. This wasn’t just a case of replacing existing windows. Every single aperture changed size and some were even bricked up and re-build in completely different positions. Ever the perfectionist, which is actually quite a debilitating obsession, it was imperative to me that if we were going to turn an ugly 1920’s house into a New England dream, it had to be genuine. The thought of a pastiche horrified me, which is why we actually spent quite a lot of time in New England to get the look just right.
There, the windows are deep and low, almost window seats. Always wooden sash, they are often side by side, creating a vast expanse of light and views. Some have a centre bar, a lot have marginal bars, I opted for the latter. Again, completely impractical, as the little squares of glass that are created in the corners are a nightmare to clean, but I’ll do anything for love.
I did indeed fall head over heels in love with those windows. Is it unnatural to have such devotion to inanimate fenestrations? If it is I don’t care. They made me supremely happy, which is why, other than the bedrooms, a bathroom and a downstairs loo, I didn’t bother with curtains or blinds at all. Of course, it depends how much you value your privacy. If it had been completely up to me I wouldn’t have bothered in our bedroom either, but my husband needs darkness. As for people looking in, let them look. If you want a show I’ll give you one.
The drudgery of roller blinds
I’m not going to say very much about roller blinds other than I don’t like them a lot. As decoration I find them extraordinarily dull and almost pointless unless you have them permanently semi-unfurled. They are, in effect, the Mr Anchovy of the window world, the Ronseal of drapery, doing exactly what it says on the tin, but not a whiff of excitement more. 1A miserly invention that had to have come from none other than a no-nonsense straight man named Norman. Enough said.
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