Let The Light In // Curtains & Blinds

Curtains and blinds are quite an investment when it comes to dressing each window of your home but worth the thought and effort put into getting it just right.  I would love to be able to have a large expanse of windows where I could leave them bare with an out reaching view of fields and hills but unfortunately I don’t have that, I have small windows and neighbours who may not appreciate seeing into our house when taking a bath!

I’m not one for fussy colourful curtains, although they may create a cosy feel, I find them a little restrictive. I like soft linen draping beautifully, Roman blinds and muslin to screen but let in the light. All my window dressings are there to mask the windows as well as being practical for the space. A clever trick to make a room look bigger is to keep the colour palette of walls and window dressing similar, soft calming colours and simple clean lines work to perfection.

If curtains are too bulky but you still need to keep the heat in or distribution of light to diffuse bright glare then blinds are the perfect option, we all love sunshine streaming into our homes but don’t like the consequences of furniture fading and perishing.  There are a myriad of options out there, the technology is rather mind boggling.  Did you know that you can get remote control blinds that you can set to rise and fall according to the daily sunrise and sunset.  Also to be able to remotely control the blinds via your mobile or tablet so great when you are away from home.  These blinds would work brilliantly on windows that are high up that you can’t reach to draw manually.

It depends on how much light you like to disperse into a room throughout the day, I like waking with the sun so have chosen to have fine linen curtains in the bedroom to let in that dappled glow but I know that black out linings are rather popular for those who struggle to sleep or work shifts.

 

When it comes to bathrooms it’s more about privacy that controlling the light.  Sheer fine muslin or a simple blind works brilliantly, keeping the space clean and bright with minimal fuss, especially with this being a highly humid environment you need something that is easy to keep clean.

Kitchens are similar to bathrooms,  you need that extra bit of privacy but over  fussy curtains don’t work especially near sinks or cookers, they hold cooking smells and can get grimy very quickly.  Cafe shutters are a good option but  simple adjustable blinds are equally viable.

There are many minimal styles to choose from but I’m sure the right one is out there for you.  I hope that these tips and looks have inspired and will help if you are quibbling about how to dress your windows at home, well it may have reduced the choice just a little bit!

Jx

Images 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 & 16

• This post is written in collaboration with Thomas Sanderson