Bespoke Curtains & Blinds
in Primrose Hill, for
Terraces & Bays

A bay is three or more windows meeting at angles, and the mistakes are predictable: a pole that does not follow the shape, curtains that stack across the glass and cut daylight, or a drop that fouls a radiator or window seat on one facet only.

We measure each facet separately, record the angles, and decide where the fabric stacks when open: usually at the ends of the bay rather than across the returns. Where a pole cannot follow the geometry neatly, a curved or bent track does the job and keeps the operation smooth.

Sometimes individual blinds on each facet are the better answer, with dress curtains at the sides for softness. That keeps the whole bay usable as a light source and avoids a large stack of fabric standing in a room where floor space is at a premium.

Lower-ground floors receive the least light in the house and are often overlooked from the pavement or a neighbouring garden. Heavy full-length curtains in these rooms take away the little light there is and make the ceiling feel lower than it is.

The better approach is usually slimmer hardware, lighter fabric, and blinds fitted high above the opening so the glass stays clear. Where privacy is the driver, a voile or unlined blind gives daytime cover while keeping the daylight coming through.

Damp is a real consideration at this level, particularly on garden-facing walls. We avoid specifying fabrics and timber hardware that will not tolerate consistent humidity, and say so at selection rather than replacing them later.

Rooms facing the park or a wide street take strong, open light for much of the day. That is a pleasure in a sitting room and a problem in a bedroom, where early summer light arrives long before anyone wants it. Fabrics on those elevations also fade faster, so lining weight and light-fastness are specified for the exposure rather than chosen by appearance alone.

Interlined curtains bring a secondary benefit on busy streets: the extra layer softens noise noticeably at night, on top of the thermal gain across single-glazed sashes. Where a room needs both quiet and darkness, curtains plus a blackout blind above the opening is the combination that actually delivers it.

The walls themselves need attention. Victorian terraces here commonly have lath and plaster or lime plaster over old brick, which will not hold a standard bracket under an interlined curtain. We establish the substrate during the survey and, where the wall above the window is unreliable, fit a ceiling-fixed track or a pelmet board to spread the load safely.