How to overcome common window problems

 






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               Can you see that fabulous view of Dublin Bay ?
​Today we are going to share with you a home with an amazing view but with some challenges and problem windows.

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These curtains and blinds were fitted in Portmarnock in Dublin.
We will begin with the problems and share with you the solutions. A good case study is the best way to show the amazing advances and solutions for dressing your windows.

The problems 
1. Although the view is amazing across the ocean the home has a bus stop right across the road so privacy         was an issue.
2. The front windows were replaced during the renovation with tilt & turn windows.
3. The temperature can get up to 40 degress in the Sitting room.
5.  The side window in the Sitting room looks at the side of another property and was divided in two.
6.  The back guest room was overlooked by a row of houses and had a blackout blind for privacy which blocked out all the daylight.

Guest room 1
The guest room at the front of the house had a tilt and turn window with about 18 inches of wall above it to the ceiling . There was no space in the window to fit a roller blind.
The solution.....
A roller blind was top fixed to the ceiling with a Roman blind fitted in front to dress the space. The grey and white linen stripey fabric fitted the sea side theme brief .
A chrome trimmed pelmet was covered in the plain grey roller blind fabric. The returns / sides of the pelmet hide the brackets and workings of the blinds.
This room has an amazing view of the sea & the blinds offer privacy when needed without darkening the room.
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Guest room 2
This room was overlooked by a row of houses and had a blackout blind blocking all light and the window wasn't dressed .
The brief was to create a "boutique hotel" type glamorous bedroom

The solution

A triple top fix hotel curtain rail was fitted to the ceiling . These rails are inexpensive and are a really neat unobtrusive solution for a streamlined look. There is less light bleed too so when blackout options are required its perfect. It's also brilliant where there is little wall space to fit a pole or where a pole would look too bulky. A lot of new houses have taller windows and ceiling to floor curtains work really well on them.
Here we fitted casadeco voile for privacy. The voile pulls to one side otherwise called single draw and for privacy it is left closed most of the time. This was fixed on the back runner.
The main curtains were lined with fleece blackout lining for luxury and finished with 10 inch french pleats. The returns at the side were fixed back to the wall to hide the  side of the rail and prevent light bleed at the side.
The curtains brushed the floor too so there was no light coming in between the hem and the floor. The right and left curtain were placed on different runners so that they overlapped nicely in the centre.
We rarely use corded rails as these run so smoothly and with a spray of silicone with fitting almost close on their own. The room also got the vip treatment with a fabulous chrome studded , deeply padded  velvet headboard.
Our client was out while these were being fitted and we were delighted with the reaction. The only thing we are all sorry about is that we didn't video the sheer delight. Even our lovely client would like to have seen a replay......

French pleat 10 inch

Casadeco fabric

Top fix curtain rail

fleece lining

Headboard chrome studs

Sitting room side

This tilt and turn window again couldn't have a roller fitted so the blinds were fitted on to the frame and move with the window . The blinds are guided up or down within the side channels which stops the blind falling out from the window. There are limited spaces / sizes on these blinds so it is best to check and better still dont let the builder or architect put in tilt or turn windows . We can never understand why they specify them and often it happens unknown to the clients. Take our advise and avoid them as dressing them limits your options. 

Sitting room front

"the view is coming"

  The large front windows were not tilt and turn but the one to the left was . There was enough space to fit a roller here though and as the other windows in the room with tilt and turn blinds on them were functional  The client sacrificed the full  opening function of this window to have a streamlined moterised blind option at the front. All the front blinds are grey for uniformity whether moterised or not.
These battery operated moterised, rechargable rollerblinds offer privacy, a streamlined modern finish. light control and some degree of solar shading. They are also very impressive and relatively inexpensive. In this case they were a much better user friendly, multipurpose solution as opposed to curtains. " Did this curtain lover say that out loud?" 
Have a look for yourself. Gerry explains how they work.

The most important thing about this project was to find workable, usable solutions for our client. We are all thrilled with the results and our client particularly loves the moterised blinds.
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The only one not so impressed is "molly the dog" she loves to look out the window. Walkies ... ice cream.

What do you think ?
Have you any problem windows ?

Paula & Gerry x