Why Buy Bespoke Soft Furnishing?
There is nothing like the luxury of fabric to bring your home to life and give it the character and comfort that reflects your personality and the way you want to feel.
Debbie Buchanan of Auburn Furnishingss talks to us about why you’ll benefit from paying that little bit extra for bespoke.
Why Buy Bespoke Soft Furnishing?
by Debbie Buchanan.
Over the years I’ve been asked ‘why pay extra for bespoke curtains! Well…the obvious answer would be ‘to get the right size curtains’ but beyond that, I’ve never really argued my case.
What does bespoke mean?
Made to measure. What does that entail? Well… I’ve always loved visiting clients houses for a chat about what makes them happy in their home. Talking about interiors is my passion. But enough about me… what does the client get out of it?
An expert opinion on what would work in the window or door that not only blocks the outside but functions efficiently. Buying ‘off the peg’ curtains can solve a problem short term but does it actually work and do you love it? Hanging something at a window/door can solve a problem of privacy and light but does it make the room somewhere you like to spend? Does it make you want to return home to enjoy the space you live in?
How to keep Your House Warm in Winter
10 ways to give the fuel companies as little as possible. Homeowners everywhere are doing everything they can to keep their homes warm this winter. Nobody should have to choose between food and fuel, but families all over the UK have to do that. Fortunately, this...
Top 10 Tips For Buying a Conservatory
Choosing the Wrong Conservatory can Have Consequences A conservatory is a great way to add extra living space to your home and bring the outdoors in. With the right design and materials, a conservatory can be a beautiful and functional addition to any property....
Choice.
Choice! Does choosing a curtain fabric feel like buying vegetables for that week? ‘Oh yes that would work’ or ‘that’s the size we need, let’s go with that’.
Designing your room around fabric or wallpaper you actually love can be so much more pleasurable and easier to live with. Ok, so when people are wrapped up with their work or children they forget about their surroundings; understandable! But wouldn’t it be nice to love your space you spend so much time in? Uplifting your interior and making your space work for you, can improve your lifestyle so that you can enjoy life at home. After all, we spend a lot of time at home.
Fitting & hanging.
Fixing a curtain pole or track may be simple but have you wondered where you should fit it or what you are fixing to?
- Will the track/pole work with the window?
- Will it run okay?
- Is it in the correct position?
I know, you may say ‘well that depends on the drop of the curtain’. Saving money on making curtains and fixing the track/pole to suit may well be an option but what if the drops or widths don’t always work?
Yes, you could have them altered I suppose, but why pay someone to alter when that expense could go towards a fabric you have chosen rather than a fabric you have settled on?
Positioning and advice on which track/pole to use can be fundamental to the workings of the curtain. How the curtain runs and the function of the curtain can be either satisfactory or it can really work for you; getting the right advice on which track/pole to use, which lining and maybe interlining you use, where to fix the curtain and how to accessorise can really change the function and purpose of the window dressing.
Workmanship.
‘The workmanship involved in making handmade curtains can never really be appreciated until they are hung’!
Buying ‘off the peg’ curtains are what we would call ‘bagged in’ which means hems are machine sewn with a blind machine. Lining is attached using a basic machine stitch and then the tape is added. No consideration is made for different styles of fabrics used; whether the fabric will stretch, whether the fabric will work against the lining or whether the pattern is matching on leading edges.
Commissioned curtains made by a professional curtain maker considers all these plus more!
- The hems are hand sewn with pattern considered. Lining is attached using hand-sewn locking stitch so the fabric works with the lining, not against it.
- The drop is measured by hand and again the pattern considered.
- The heading can be hand sewn for a desired uniform pleat which trains the curtain to hang into the desired folds.
After all, why would you want a sheet of fabric at the window instead of an elegantly dressed curtain?!
Quality.
In the 90’s everyone wanted everything now and cheap! Workmanship, unfortunately, started losing its appreciation; preferring to buy as cheap as possible and dispose of without thought. It seems we are beginning to understand nowadays the importance of keeping age-old craftsmanship going. Hopefully, the next generation will strive to learn these beautiful techniques and manufacturing in Britain may blossom again.
Find out more about Debbie Buchanan and her team at Auburn Furnishings in West Sussex.
Trending Now
Hot