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Curtains & Blinds
I am looking for a curtain pole covered in leather and preferably with finials in a nickel finish.
McKinney & Co www.mckinney.co.uk are specialists in all types of exquisite poles, finials, pelmets, coronas and doorknobs in every conceivable style. Each item can be custom-finished. Glass and all metals are mixed with wood, leather and gilt. Another company you could try is the soft furnishing specialist House Couturier www.housecouturier.eu ; they have hand-made leather curtain poles in five colours.
I have three windows with awful views of the back of an office block. I hate net curtains, yet need to let as much light in as possible. Any ideas?
Caroline Rees Glass Design www.blastedglass.co.uk specialises in contemporary etched glass for windows, which is an alternative to traditional obscure glass, and can be made to order in an original design.
Have you considered shutters? Louvred shutters provide a covering for the windows and if the blades are tilted, light can still come into the room. There are many shutter makers listed on our website, including The Capella Shutter Company www.capellashutters.com and Rutland Shutters www.rutlandshutters.co.uk.
Venetian blinds can also allow light in but provide privacy as you can control the direction of the slats. Companies like BellaVista Shutters & Blinds www.bellavistashutters.co.uk can help with this solution.
For a softer option, you could use a sheer linen panel beneath a Roman blind – this would still let in light. You could try sheer linens from Volga Linen www.volgalinen.co.uk or from Ada & Ina www.linenfabrics.co.uk.
I am looking for period cane sofas, any suggestions where I might find them?
The Decorative Antique & Textiles Fair www.decorativefair.com is an imaginative source of decorative furniture, art and objects, C20th, modern and antique. You can find dates for upcoming fairs on our website www.thehousedirectory.com. Another good source is Decorative Collective www.decorativecollective.com, a select group of English and European dealers offering antiques and contemporary items. They have a ‘search request form’ which would help you to track down the type of cane sofa you are after.
I would like to cover the ground floor windows of my house with a contemporary- look fabric as I dislike net curtains. Can I hang this fabric quite flat with a weighted bottom bar rather than have it gathered, or would it look too much like I have just hung a flat bed sheet against the window?
That should work. I suggest attaching the fabric to a pelmet with Velcro so it is easy to remove for washing.
Also consider:
1. Screening only the bottom half if you have sash windows.
2. Using the sheer fabric to make a stiffened roller blind.
3. Using an iron pole (which could be hung from the ceiling or wall) and hanging the sheer fabric from the pole with ties.
4. Making a soft blind which rolls up.
I am looking for solid glass finials to fit a 50mm wooden pole.
McKinney & Co has a huge range of exquisite poles, finials, pelmets, coronas and doorknobs in every conceivable style. Each and every item can be custom-finished. Clear and coloured glass finials are available in a wide range of sizes www.mckinney.co.uk
