The Cotswolds is a destination for those seeking exclusive luxury: The Soho Farmhouse, The Bull at Charlbury and Cowley Manor Experimental set the tone for the area. Our task was to provide the finishing window dressings and soft furnishings for Wood Farm House, a luxury holiday rental property designed to attract a similar clientele.
Millie’s renowned work is based on her ethos of making places comfortable, memorable, and homely—with a modern and playful twist on English traditionalism. In this case, the client trusted her to deliver the project down to the last detail. We’re grateful that Millie, in turn, trusted us to deliver those details concerning our areas of expertise: curtains, blinds, and soft furnishings.
As part of the initial measuring-up of our Cotswold Curtain Maker project, we spotted that the dining room had a wooden frame window line that could provide a natural line for the folds of the Roman Blinds – so that when they stack they fall to this line. Accuracy here would provide an immense difference to the end look. We couldn’t rely on guests adjusting them perfectly every time so we wanted them to fall that way without fail.
One way to elevate the look of a room that may need utilitarian items is to use an under-counter curtain. Using a café-curtain rod with curtain rings means the curtain can be pulled back easily when access is required. This lovely room now has a completely unified look without any jarring modern appliances spoiling the design. The fabric even had the perfect name: Cotswold Linen Check Grey.
The window dressings here were fitted on black metal poles with ball finials to provide a strong frame for the incredible views. As is often the case, the windows themselves, although beautiful, were not terribly tall, and by setting the pole as high as possible to the ceiling, it makes a feature of the window and makes the room feel taller.
We employed a blind and curtain combination here to give the window a fully finished, tailored look. A three-piece suit equivalent of window dressing!
Headboards are the ultimate trick to elevate a bedroom.
You can use the shape and fabric (colour and/or pattern) to evoke different feelings. Layering different textures and patterns using cushions, pillows and throws is a way to transform a room into an extraordinary experience.
In this case a simple cloud shape provides a calming backdrop to the bed and the fabric gives a more playful twist.
Whereas in the other bedroom, the headboard must work well with full-height paneling. The proportions needed to be exactly right to avoid the headboard feeling too small and uncomfortable.
Millie’s design here included a really clever use of wallpaper which wrapped around the room entirely including the ceiling – the blinds had to match precisely in this instance. Quite often, we use blinds to provide contrast and drama, but equally, using the same pattern makes the room feel wonderfully unified and saturated with patterns. This results in a smooth flow throughout without any stop/starts – a seamless and cosy experience.
From plain wooden beds, we were tasked with making headboards and upholstering the beds to provide a charming focal point which continued the look and feel of the room seamlessly as before.
First impressions count, so we created a finishing touch: a cushion shaped like a bench in the reception hall. This cushion was covered in a gorgeous Rapture & Wright fabric, which helped set the tone of the house from the start.
Whether or not you have a fabulous designer such as Millie Turner or simply want to get the look yourself, we can help.
Even with a team of experts big renovation projects can be daunting. Our aim is to take all that strain away and make the finishing of your project a time of delight and excitement rather than exhaustion and stress.
I’d love to hear about your project – so please get in touch today.
