Period window dressing

[Feltwell]

Miss Feltwell's new bedroom is nearing completion, building work is near enough finished and decoration is about to start, which brings to mind how to have a curtain or blinds.

It's an attic room, the only window being in a dormer - which gives a problem as the dormer ceiling slopes in on either side, giving very little flat ceiling above the window:-

I can't see any way of having curtains - the rail, if mounted high up, wouldn't be wide enough to allow them to draw back far enough. If the rail were mounted lower in order to make it wider then the top of the window would not be covered!

A roller blind is the only option I can see working - fixed to the flat part of the ceiling in front of the window, at the full width of that flat section. It's not ideal as it won't overlap the window frame by much at all - by the time you've allowed some width each end for the mechanism & mounting brackets it will only just cover the glass, so light will get round it - plus we're not that keen on roller blinds anyway.

Anyone got any better ideas?

By the way, the ceiling always cut across the top of the window architrave like that. Rather odd I think that they didn't just build the dormer with the ceiling joists a little higher - I suspect the problem was found late on!

 

[LadyArowana]

If you had a pellet with the lower mounted rail it would cover the gap at the top of the window, although it seems a shame to spoil the shape of it.

 

[JoceAndChris]

That is such a difficult window, though a very pretty one! Is there space for arch top shutters either side?
Jim Lawrence do nice fittings for dormer windows with side rods but I can't see them working with that shape.
I think I'd go for a cloud blind but it will compromise light at the top.

 

[Feltwell]

Thank you both for your thoughts. I had no idea what a "cloud blind" was, so with the aid of Google I've learnt something new today.

Pelmet isn't really an option, it would look odd I reckon. I hadn't thought of shutters, but they would block access to the eaves cupboards both sides of the window (which I've yet to make the doors for). I think a roller blind fixed to the ceiling it will have to be, it's not a room with the greatest amount of daylight so whatever it is needs to leave as much glass exposed as possible during the day. It's a nice view out of the window as well, through the tree at least, it's a long way up!

 

[Flyfisher]

Is a curtain absolutely necessary? The window doesn't seem to be overlooked, although it's hard to tell from the camera position.

 

[FamilyWiggs]

How about:

a) shutters - although they might obscure the pixie doors either side;

b) curtains which are permanently fixed to a pole at the very top, and then "hooked" back over a knobby thing poking out at about the level that the arch starts either side. To close, just unhook them and let them fall to the middle. I'm think soft, rufflety material here. You will spot from this idea that soft-furnishings technical terms are not my forte!

c) externally fixed/hung curtains? 8)

 

[FamilyWiggs]

Great work by the way!

 

[Feltwell]

A curtain/blind here is really just to keep the daylight out, and stop my daughter waking up too early in summer - the window isn't overlooked at all (even in winter when the tree has no leaves) as my house is a lot taller than the ones opposite us.

Shutters are a nice idea but are a no, as they would obscure the cupboards either side, even if 2 bi-fold shutters were used. Curtains being hooked back behind a knobbly thing are an interesting idea that I shall ponder further. FW, you're a man, not knowing soft furnishing technical terms is fine!

External curtains are an interesting idea. Not sure I fancy getting the ladders out every night to close them though......

 

[JoceAndChris]

Feltwell - roller blinds are the work of the devil. I know you want the light and view but a bit of light would come through a soft colour, like pink, or a small patterned white.

These London blinds are so much more attractive- or even a Roman blind.

http://www.alternative-windows.com/london-blind.htm

FW - rufflety is a great word and should be made a technical term immediately!

 

[JoceAndChris]

PS The trees ought to be pruned too. :wink:

 

[Flyfisher]

External curtains are an interesting idea. Not sure I fancy getting the ladders out every night to close them though......

Do I detect a lack of imagination here? Surely a couple of small holes and a suitable pulley arrangement would allow external curtains to be operated perfectly easily from inside the bedroom. :wink:

 

[Nigel Watts]

This would be too grand I think:

Because the window is small and the space constricted, how about a single curtain fixed to a pole and a tie-back on one side only, fairly high up so as not to block too much light?

 

[Feltwell]

Feltwell - roller blinds are the work of the devil. I know you want the light and view but a bit of light would come through a soft colour, like pink, or a small patterned white.

I had wondered why Beelzebub Blinds was such a cheap supplier! Satanic soft furnishings - whatever next? :wink:

I can assure you that I have no control at all over the colour. Miss F has very firm ideas on that, and very firm ideas that Dad hasn't got a clue when it comes to choosing colours. Trouble is, she's spot on!

FF, you're quite right, I'm just being too reserved. I shall get the kids Wallace & Gromit DVD's out for some home automation inspiration.... in fact, I've just found this on t'interweb which looks ideal:-

http://www.aardstore.com/Wallace-Gr...anual/109YM01AZ04Z?back=Wallace-Gromit/Books/

Nigel, yes much too grand. But the single curtain idea is a good & obvious one which hadn't occured to me - and I know a great blacksmith who could knock a bespoke pole up easily enough. I shall give it some thought, thank you..........

 

[FamilyWiggs]

This would be too grand I think:

Oi Wattsy - that was my idea first!

 

[Penners]

Here's an idea (from someone who knows as much about curtains as he does about protonucleotides).

If you had a three-part rail made - either as one shaped piece or as three separate rails, you could arrange them as shown (very crudely!) in my picture below. The critical thing is to have fixing brackets at points A and B, to attach the "uphill" ends of the fixed side curtains to (plus, of course, fixing brackets at the very ends).

You then have two fixed curtains, with angled tops as shown, plus two drawing curtains on the level rail in the middle. Whether these are short curtains, as shown, or full length is entirely up to you.

No doubt the curtain experts will now shoot the idea down in flames!