Windows and Doors

Published by Conran Octopus

This is my section of the massive Conran Octopus Decorating Book which is a ‘bible’ of interior decoration, packed with inspiration and practical step-by-step illustrations of how to make or do all the things the book tells you about. There were five authors, each of whom produced a great chunk (see the passage on The Decorating Book below for more detail). My intention in this book was to give a comprehensive guide to many many window treatments and method of decorating doors, with the emphasis on simplicity (both of appearance and in the method), practicality and colour. Windows are so important, as are doors – they are the eyes and ears (and you might say lungs too) of a room – whether you live in a gracious old house or a light-filled contemporary home.

The contents of Windows and Doors describe the following:

Decorative finishes for window frames and doors

§        Preparation for decorative finishes

§        Painting wood and metalwork

§        Finishes for woodwork

§        Special finishes on windows and doors

§        Finishing off

Curtains

§        Poles, tracks and accessories

§        Preparation for making curtains

§        Making curtains

§        Finishing touches

Blinds

§        Preparation for making blinds

§        Making blinds

§        Non-fabric blinds  

 

The pictures on these pages sum up the whole range of curtain types for me, from the simple fabric panel on the left, blowing in a delicious breeze on a Greek Island, to the complex and structured arrangement of blind and curtains in the right-hand picture. I’m not keen on elaborate window treatments, though I do admit that they can look handsome in houses of certain periods. This book gets away from that rather heavy, swagged-and-tailed look which is out of date now in any case, and aims instead at a more contemporary look. The blind and curtains on the right are substantial, well made and beautifully finished, but they are plain (except for the humourous touch of the tasselled braid along the bottom of the blind) and the fabric is a vibrant yellow and orange check. To me, this window treatment epitomises the fertile meeting of old and new. The sky-blue fabric in a Greek doorway, meanwhile, is entirely in keeping with the contemporary decorating aesthetic, is easily reproduced (most high street stores and decorating catalogues sell ready-made fabric-panel curtains now) and, quite simply, makes me dream of hot summer days by the sea…