Right drapes create windows of opportunity

Welcome to 2014 - I hope everyone has had a festive Christmas and new year.

Fabric next to colour signifies comfort in our homes and sends the strongest message about the style and atmosphere we want to create, and I find there is nothing more rewarding than adding the finishing touches to windows or soft furnishings on completion of a renovation, a room or new home.

I have equal passion for fabric as colour, whether it is a simple fine texture of silk or cotton, a romantic voile, luscious velvet or taffy, rich brocade, plain, pattern or textured.

We are so spoilt for choice when it comes to fabrics that sometimes it takes a little time to find just the right fabric for that special job.

There has been a trend towards more simple window dressings, often due to budget but also the need for simplicity in our homes. Unfortunately, when new homes are built, the finishing details in dressing windows are all too often forgotten - at the stage of house plans, site meetings, concrete, mud, framing, roofing and so on, who wants to think about fabrics?

But it is in the early stages that some of those decisions should be addressed, especially if you need window treatments of some sort. On the odd occasion I have had a client where it has been virtually impossible to dress a window, so we have had to leave it bare rather than do something that wasn't going to suit the situation.

So, why do we dress our windows? Privacy, warmth, protection from UV rays, glare, light, filter light, hide the neighbours unsightly shed or house ... there are many reasons.

I have clients who have built a beautiful new home designed to maximise the view and they have decided not to dress their windows at all. They have them double glazed and tinted because of the fantastic view, day and night - and being miles from neighbours privacy isn't an issue.

But, they admit, that with the first dusting of snow this winter, there might be a psychological need to block out the dark and cold of the night, even if it is only in the bedrooms.

Most of us do not have the luxury of fantastic views with no neighbours for miles. In many of the newer subdivisions you can almost open your window and shake your neighbours hand, so privacy becomes probably the biggest issue.

And unfortunately our next one is blocking UV rays, to protect our treasured belongings. Eaves and tinted windows give more protection than homes without but often that is not enough. So the right window treatment should be a necessity in all cases, not an afterthought, and the end result thought through completely before starting.

It can be difficult when I am called to assist in choosing fabrics and looking at the best options available, if tracks have already been purchased. Not only when I am fitting the chosen window dressing (often drapes) but the tracks may not be suitable for the type of fabric or a blind may be more suited to the situation. It ends up being false economy if the process hasn't been thought through, or if my client decides they will work with the new tracks, they may find that on completion of the job they are not completely happy with the end result. So think carefully before buying if you haven't thought the options through. I may fit out a house completely in drapes because that suits the situation or individual rooms may have different treatments because of the style of the windows or the requirements of the room.

Think about the mood or atmosphere you want to create, the type of fabric or blind that will best suit and work for you and the room. Creating that special look can be fun, that's one of the things I love about my work.

Terry Lobb is an interior/kitchen designer and personal colour and style consultant who takes a holistic approach to living with colour, texture and style - email: terry@terrylobb.com; website: http:// terrylobb.com