In Livingetc's Little Black Book, we ask one interior designer for their secrets for sourcing for an area of the home. This time, luxury London-based designer Pandora Taylor offers her hidden gems for shopping for window treatments.
From pelmets to panels that puddle on the floor, window dressing can make all the difference in crafting an impactful design scheme. But deciding how to frame your view can feel a bit intimidating, whether you opt for a sheer cafe-style lace panel or decide to incorporate rich velvets into your home with some perfectly pleated curtains.
To help guide you through curating a modern window treatments, we've recruited interior designer Pandora Taylor to give us some of her top tips and offer a glimpse into that all-important decorator's sourcebook.
1. LEWIS & WOOD
The Oaksey Linen from Lewis & Wood is Pandora's favorite.
"Whether it’s plains or a pattern, Lewis & Wood is my go-to when it comes to curtains," Pandora says. "The brand does lovely soft linens: my favorite is the Oaksey Linen – it has two colors in the weave, which gives it more depth. The patterned fabrics tend to be on the larger side, which works well with the proportions of larger windows."
"The patterns have a grounding in traditional design but still feel at home in a contemporary setting; mixed with the soft color palettes, they work really well as a statement or as more of a backdrop."
2. THORP OF LONDON
Intricate designs read fantastically over a large expanse of textile such as a curtain.
"Thorp of London (previously Bernard Thorp) is a fantastic supplier for when you're struggling to find exactly the right thing," Pandora recommends. "It has a wide range of styles that are always made to order so you can customize colors and the ground fabric."
"One of my favourites is the Stellar fabric, which I used at our Hampstead Penthouse project for the main bedroom curtains."
3. NEST DESIGN
To dress this large window, Pandora used these striking peach curtains.
"For something really special I go to Nest Design for the bespoke curtains." Pandora says. "The brand specializes in patchwork making, using different fabrics to create something unique. Often the designs reflect the interiors, whether reflecting an arch motif found in the property or continuing a line of tiles or marble in a bathroom."
Pandora used this company for a curtain idea for a large window in a London project. "I had followed Nest Design for a long time and first used them in our Bermondsey Penthouse project, where we had some incredible original demi-lune Crittall windows that we didn't want to hide with anything ordinary."
4. MADE BY THE FORGE
Made by the Forge craft beautifully detailed metal curtain rods.
"For regular curtain poles I always use Made by The Forge. A thin black metal pole is the smartest look for both traditional and contemporary spaces," Pandora suggests. "The brand’s handmade, wrought iron poles add character and have a subtle texture to them, so they are not modern or shiny in appearance."
5. MARK LEWIS INTERIOR DESIGN
"For cafe curtains I like to use poles by Mark Lewis Interior Design – they’re really well made, simple but smart. For the curtains themselves, if I am looking for something more traditional and frothy I get linen and broderie anglaise ones from Linen & Letters, and for something more decorative, my go-to is Soane's Scrolling Fern in Linen Lawn. It’s a lovely lightweight linen with a soft wavy pattern which works really well in the bathroom as privacy sheers."
6. GUY GOODFELLOW COLLECTION
Business up top, party at the bottom for these two tone curtains.
"I have a couple of favourite fabrics from Guy Goodfellow Collection that I keep going back to," Pandora says. "The first is the Fez Weave – lovely for curtains as it brings its own weight and makes curtains hang really well. It’s woven with multiple colors in a subtle but detailed design, and the depth of color is really useful for tying other colors together in the room."
The second fabric I am always drawn back to is the Olive Sacking fabric – a simple stripe but in lovely soft colorways, with a thick woven texture perfect as an accent fabric. I combined this with a Lewis & Wood plain Oaksey Linen as a wide border on some curtains at our Balham House project."
Whether you're looking for timeless design, or curtain trends that feel a little more of the moment, Pandora Taylor's picks deliver on a range of styles. Now you just have to decide on types of curtains you want.
And don't forget, curtains aren't just for windows, designers are using curtains in new and interesting ways, across the home, too.
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