Any ideas on the age of this fire?

[JoceAndChris]

Fantastic fireplace irina! I also agree with you that it becomes impossible to know how such features looked originally, what's been moved, added, or changed.

For this reason I get a bit confused when people start airing conservationist concerns about how it's wrong to incorporate a lot of salvage stuff or architectural antiques into your decor, as if what's there now is somehow more authentic than what you might put in - when that ain't necessarily so.

@Lime - Thanks for your concern, I did mention that my wallpaper is a plain stripe* so the point that you helpfully raise about pattern repeat is not an issue in this case.

* Thinking of this, makes me want to stroll round Brighton in a boater with a hamper full of champers

 

[ilona73]

If we are talking about wallpaper, lincrusta etc from the skirtingboard to the dado (chair) rail and the space to cover is 70cm (700mm) long then there are other considerations that appear to have been overlooked so far.
It isn't as simple as it has been made out.

What is the length of the pattern?

If you find the pattern length is, for sake of example, 120cm long then for each drop of 70cms there will be 50cm of waste/excess that will not be able to be used on the same project.
Or the drop may be greater than the pattern so that two lengths of pattern will be required for each drop... that will create a lot of waste.

Lincrusta is great but can work out incredible expensive.. at around £100 a roll minimum.... some up to £200

 

[AMc]

@Lime - Thanks for your concern, I did mention that my wallpaper is a plain stripe* so the point that you helpfully raise about pattern repeat is not an issue in this case.

The horizontal repeat needs to be taken into consideration with all those doorways breaking up the drops but keeping the pattern correct so it looks right from a distance. It could look terrible if you just started a whole width at the edge of each frame - I'm sure you've thought of that though

At £200 a roll I would buy a couple of rolls of lining paper, cut them to szie and 'hang' with blutack to be sure I got the right anount

FWIW we bought 3 rolls of something £50 a roll expensive from John Lewis - they sent 2 batch N and one batch M. I got in touch and they send another batch N but didn't ask for the M back I'll probably eBay it at some point.

 

[JoceAndChris]

The horizontal repeat needs to be taken into consideration with all those doorways breaking up the drops but keeping the pattern correct so it looks right from a distance. It could look terrible if you just started a whole width at the edge of each frame - I'm sure you've thought of that though

At £200 a roll I would buy a couple of rolls of lining paper, cut them to szie and 'hang' with blutack to be sure I got the right anount

FWIW we bought 3 rolls of something £50 a roll expensive from John Lewis - they sent 2 batch N and one batch M. I got in touch and they send another batch N but didn't ask for the M back I'll probably eBay it at some point.

Thanks AMc I hadn't thought of that. I can't ever imagine how I'll do a job until I'm in the midst of it, and then I usually get it wrong, so thanks for the pointers. F & B, who make that stripey one I like, will only sell a minimum of 3 rolls so I'll have plenty spare - I might need it!

 

[ilona73]

The horizontal repeat needs to be taken into consideration with all those doorways breaking up the drops but keeping the pattern correct so it looks right from a distance. It could look terrible if you just started a whole width at the edge of each frame - I'm sure you've thought of that though

At £200 a roll I would buy a couple of rolls of lining paper, cut them to szie and 'hang' with blutack to be sure I got the right anount

FWIW we bought 3 rolls of something £50 a roll expensive from John Lewis - they sent 2 batch N and one batch M. I got in touch and they send another batch N but didn't ask for the M back I'll probably eBay it at some point.

Thanks AMc I hadn't thought of that. I can't ever imagine how I'll do a job until I'm in the midst of it, and then I usually get it wrong, so thanks for the pointers. F & B, who make that stripey one I like, will only sell a minimum of 3 rolls so I'll have plenty spare - I might need it!

Have you tried wallpaper direct?
They can probably get you the paper a tad cheaper and generally dont have a minimum order number
If its not on their website they can generally still get it for you
I know on the little green companies cranford i ordered a while back for my sister they were almost £10 a roll cheaper!!!

www.wallpaperdirect.co.uk

 

[JoceAndChris]

Thanks ilona- Farrow and Ball are extremely mean. You can't get their products on that website.

 

[ilona73]

I just found this one too by osbourne and little very similar colours!

http://www.wallpaperdirect.co.uk/products/osborne-little/milles-raies/27325

 

[ilona73]

Thanks ilona- Farrow and Ball are extremely mean. You can't get their products on that website.

you can
but you have to do some digging!
If you click on
find an item quick
then stripe
then the last search box farrow and ball their wallpapers come up
But if you know the exact name of it or the code give them a call they will always do you a good deal!

http://www.wallpaperdirect.co.uk/search-results.php?colour=0&style=0&design=0&manufacturer=Farrow+%26+Ball&producttype=both&pattern=

 

[JoceAndChris]

Gosh, that's interesting - think I'd better give them a call before I place my order. Thanks!

 

[ilona73]

Gosh, that's interesting - think I'd better give them a call before I place my order. Thanks!

give them a call i always check with them before i place ANY order for wallcovering plus .. the have like a loyalty scheme too and are always really friendly.They stock anyone and everyone from cole & Son to Zoffany and beyond.

 

[Moo]

I'd hesitate to use a geometric (stripes or checks) pattern in an old building. Even in a new build they show up anything that's out of true.

 

[Lime]

I'd hesitate to use a geometric (stripes or checks) pattern in an old building. Even in a new build they show up anything that's out of true.

That's my feeling too.
Wherever the paper ends on a horizontal or sides upto a vertical any variation from true screams out at you.
Most houses, particularly older ones, never ever have any true parallel surfaces, either on the vertical or horizontal, so it is almost impossible to disguise the errors when papering. On the contrary, where before no one noticed the errors they are hard to miss with striped papers.
Hang the paper vertically/accurately and almost everything will be shown to be out of true.
Corners are almost always out of true as well.

To top all that, the paper will be flexible when soaked so can stretch in all sorts of directions when hung.
A professional would normally make use of that fact to hide the more glaring discrepancies.

 

[ilona73]

I'd hesitate to use a geometric (stripes or checks) pattern in an old building. Even in a new build they show up anything that's out of true.

That can hold true in part but if hung correctly with the paper measured beforehand so the centre of the stripe is central to a corner it makes little difference and a true stripe will draw your eye up and not accentuate the problem too much.
Its like most things if done by a professional with a decent lining paper hung in the correct manor you should encounter very little problems.

 

[Gareth Hughes]

I'd hesitate to use a geometric (stripes or checks) pattern in an old building. Even in a new build they show up anything that's out of true.

My mantlepiece is level. My ceiling is level. Hanging above the mantlepiece is a large rectangular mirror, the bottom of which is parallel with the mantlepiece. The top leaves a tapering bit of wall between the mirror and the ceiling. :? Fortunately the wall is painted, not papered in stripes etc.

 

[JoceAndChris]

Either the mantelpiece or ceiling are tricking you Gareth or you have bought a wonky mirror.

I'd hesitate to use a geometric (stripes or checks) pattern in an old building. Even in a new build they show up anything that's out of true.

That can hold true in part but if hung correctly with the paper measured beforehand so the centre of the stripe is central to a corner it makes little difference and a true stripe will draw your eye up and not accentuate the problem too much.
Its like most things if done by a professional with a decent lining paper hung in the correct manor you should encounter very little problems.

I completely agree. There is a stripe in the hallway currently which is unattractive purely by virtue of the colours and the cheap quality, nothing to do with its intrinsic stripiness. If you really examine it you can see touches of wonky stripes on the corners, but it's barely noticeable. The Georgians loved geometric designs, and you wouldn't think anything odd about a striped dress on a curvy female form - what's the problem?

Fortunately Chris is a brilliant paper hanger, amongst other things, so I'm sure will get it perfect - as he has on all the many other walls he's papered.

 

[Nigel Watts]

Ladies these days seem to have little fear in venturing into traditional male territory, so why do we chaps feel so reticent to make forays into girly things? I for one think we should have a bit more courage so here goes with a curtain question:

How do you make striped curtains look neat?

I have some striped curtains in my bedroom, which were the drawing room curtains in our last house. The fabric is cotton from G & P Baker:

My mother made the curtains some 15 years ago in her normal style, with a machine sewn gathering tape at the top:

I think this relatively informal heading combined with the stripes causes makes them look rather scruffy, both open and closed:

Ignore the furniture which is completely uncoordinated and overdue for sorting out. The white things are radiators.

Now that I understand a bit more about such things I am wondering if they can be improved. What about a more formal pleated style (french, goblets or some other) in synch with the stripe repeat? I am also not too keen on the pole colour. I like the idea of a shaped pelmet, but I have no more fabric.

Any ideas girls (or chaps, for that matter, if you dare)?

 

[Lime]

OK here goes.
I've striped curtains in my frontroom bay window.
They run on ordinary curtain rail suspended on a wooden pelmet with a matching fabric pelmet covering it all.
From what I see of your curtains Nigel Watts, the part that draws my eye is the pole area.
The gathering on the ruflette is too much and I'd take all the gathering out if possible.
That is how I have my curtains and they hang better for it.
You are also very confined in area when they are drawn open.
They appear squashed and spoil the nice fabric's appearance.
You never see the pattern clearly.
On my bay window I allowed aprox. a yard or more for them to go around the corner off the bay so that they hang well.
I agree about the pole.
If you are going to stick to using poles then I'd use long ones to give as much room as possible to hang off the window.
This means moving the brackets over and I might be tempted to try to use one continuous pole and a single bracket (in the middle) so that the curtains have no gap between each pair.
I will now put the lid on my sewing box and retire.

 

[JoceAndChris]

Oh, but it's very sweet you chaps taking an interest in soft furnishings!

I don't really see too much the matter with the way your curtains hang Nigel, but I agree the pole is currently taking centre stage and needs either replacing with something dark and unobtrusive or covering up. (sorry!)

If they were mine, I'd wait until other things were done, like the hallway and maybe the exterior work you'd like to tackle this year and completely re-do with new fabric. That way you'd get to hone your new found skills and have great fun with a whole new project, choosing contrasting fabrics for swags and tails- maybe silk?

I know what you mean about not liking the curtain style where the heading tape is right at the top- it's a less formal and rather draughty style. But you don't have enough length on them to shift a heading tape downwards. Some of those goblet pleat tapes etc require 2 and 1/2 to 3 times fullness as well so you would need to measure the width and see if there's enough there too.

If you're determined on changing their appearance you could take a plain, matching blue cotton fabric and use that to cover your pelmet, and use it again for matching tie-backs. Pelmets can be covered in mini-curtains if you'd like more frilliness at the top. You could even use it to make banded borders on the sides that meet in the middle.

 

[Nigel Watts]

Thanks Joce

As usual my planning is running way ahead of my execution. I am currently working on the second set of yellow silk curtains for my living room but am finding all the hand stitching rather a bore. I have sewn all the seams, fitted the interlining to one and hemmed it. I am now fixing the lining with lock stitches (yawn!) after which I can do the french pleated heading.

The problem I have with the bedroom curtains is that, for a formal room, they dont look formal enough. In particular the way the stripe manifests itself is rather arbitrary; sometimes you get a white one, sometimes a blue. If they could be hung in such a way that the stripes look even I think it will be much better. The heavy cotton fabric is of high quality and in good condition. The poles are from our previous house.

There should be plenty of width as the old windows were wider. There is also some leeway on the length, although I have already dropped the hem once.

 

[JoceAndChris]

Well, I think you deserve a medal for all that hand sewing! I don't do any hand-sewing on my curtains!

If you think there's sufficient width on your bedroom curtains you could unpick the current heading tape and repalce it with pinch pleat heading tape. You could spray them with that starch spray stuff and give them a good iron - that would create a much firmer texture and sharper folds.