Renovating a home is often a game of chicken or egg - which comes first. Even when starting from scratch, it can be very overwhelming to know where to begin.
From layout to lighting, concept to colour, design can be like playing a chess game. Constantly moving pieces that enable to next piece to move but always with the endgame in mind. It’s this long game that often finds people a bit exhausted with planning a design and can end with the ‘I’ll work it out later’ mindset. Window dressings often being the biggest casualty of this and the one that suffers most. I have seen too many times the horror of the naked window at the end of a renovation because window dressings hadn’t been factored in and the homeowner has a bad dose of decision fatigue. Cue the dreaded blackout sheet or paper blind being slung up until a solution can miraculously appear!
A good rule when first thinking about your renovation is start at the end and work backwards. Imagine yourself sitting down in the room at night once the dust and madness has settled and what do you see? Is it cosy and warm and private or are you staring at black mirror (the effect of glass and the dark night outside). Worse still, are you on show like fish in a bowl?
In my opinion, factoring in window dressing as part of the early design is a must. Not only do you want to make sure they fit with the overall design aesthetic but their fixtures might need to be accommodated for in the build portion, making sure the curtains don’t sit against a door opening or a built in cabinet for example. Or allowing for a ceiling mounted track to be installed. The devil is in the detail as they say and this is the kind of detail that will give you unending joy so it’s worth getting it right. You never want a pair or curtains to feel like an ‘add on’ at the end. They should absolute sit alongside the overall design.
You will also want your window dressings to compliment your overall design. I like to order samples of every material to be used in a rooms design and lay them together on a moodboard. I cannot understate how important this step is. Seeing the colour of a sample in real life can be so different to a computer screen. Even more, seeing several samples side by side can make your heart sing (in which case you are onto a winner!) Or sink (in which case, back to the drawing board). Luckily, Hillarys offer a whopping 8 free samples (and free postage) at a time so absolutely do use that opportunity to try out different colour ways. If 8 isn’t enough, call your local advisor (add your postcode into their website for their details) and they can pop out with the full sample books to peruse and give you all the advice you will ever need – thermal lining, pinch pleat, best tracks, they know it all!). Once you’ve decided they can measure up and give you your quote. Easy peasy!
Don’t leave your windows naked! Renovating a home is often a game of chicken or egg - which comes first. Even when starting from scratch, it can be very overwhelming to know where to begin.
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