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How to make a no-sew Roman Blind

7/10/2019

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Hello Everyone! When I was working on a clients study space we were discussing window treatment for her guest bedroom/study. The layout that we came up with had a floating dropleaf desk that went out of the way when she had guests staying allowing it to also function as a headboard! Smart right? Well that meant that you cannot have any curtains unless they are short ones (this is a bit of a NoNo in my honest opinion). So I proposed a roman blind that still adds pattern and a focal point to the room but would help filter out the light. She loved this option  and after hunting for the right fabric we landed on this gorgeous pattern from IKEA. Its called SKUGGBRÄCKA (try saying that while chewing fudge!). They had another stunning fabric with more of a structured pattern but considering the width of the blind this pattern worked better. Read all the way to the bottom for the things I would do differently in future. 
Monochrome black and white bold pattern fabric from ikea
Our fabric final for the blind
Now I won't lie, I cannot sew! And despite watching numerous you-tube videos and hunting down my curtain makers, the numbers just didn't add up and we wanted this installed in a matter of days. So I decided to try a no-sew approach. I must say this hasn't been endorsed by IKEA but we did end up using everything from there. So if you are a no-sew kind of guy/gal and you want to create something similar, this is what you need.

Materials:
  • Fabric - Make sure your fabric is an extra 10cm wider and longer than the full blind (this allows you 5cm on either side to fold over)
  • Blind - We used the clever magnetic blind from IKEA called RINGBLOMMA.
  • Iron on hemming strip - SY (you could use a glue gun if you prefer
  • Iron (obviously)

This took me around an hour from start to finish. So a super quick and easy project. (After you navigated the isles of IKEA)
Step 1:
Iron the fabric to make sure all the creases are out. Its easier to do this at the start. 

Step 2:
Lay the blind down on a large area and centre the fabric above it. If you have any pattern or repeats make sure that they are perpendicular to the blind (which is why I chose an abstract pattern as these repeats are concealed)

Step 3: 
I started at the bottom of the blind but you can do it the other way around if you so wish. Roll back the fabric, lay down the SY strip, and carfeully replace the fabric over it. Double check that the SY iron-on hemming strip is positioned properly and sandwiched between the fabric and the blind before moving onto the next. 

Step 4:
Iron on the strip. Make sure the temperature is hot enough to melt the glue but wont burn the fabric (Keep it moving) and check that the SY tape is melting and adhering. ​​

making a no sew roman blind using ikea products
TOP TIP: Working you way up or down the blind. Keep the remaining fabric rolled so it doesn't crease or get in the way.
how to get the fabric to stick to the blind using SY iron on hemming strip
Align the SY tape to where you definitely want the fabric to be (as close to the edge in my case) and hold it in place while you sandwich it between the blind and the fabric. Proceed to iron it to activate the glue.
Step 5:
Work your way down the blind. I would suggest keeping the fabric (yet to be adhered), rolled up as it prevents it from getting creased or in your way. I applied a SY strip at every baton on the blind, This made sure that the fabric was definitely attached at these points. You could also consider using upholstery spray glue on the rest of the blind, but I was concerned regarding staining, and keeping the fabric supple so I avoided this. Make sure that your fabric is flat the way through before ironing on.

Step 6:
At the top of the blind there are little metal loops that the blind hangs from. To get the fabric over and around these, make little cuts in the fabric at the point where it would fold over and slide the head of the loop through. Make the cut as little as possible as you do not want the fabric to start fraying. 
top of the no sew roman bind hoop before
Keeping your fabric taught, make a small cut at the place where the base of the loop will be on the fabric.
top of the blind no sew roman blind hoop after
Pop the loop through. Remember to make a small hole as the base is narrower and you don't want the fabric to start fraying.
​Step 7:
Once you are done on the front of the blind, flip it over so the fabric is face down and the blind back is facing up. Now its time to hem the edges. I started with the sides as the fabric had a neat edge here and it was an easy win. Next move to the top and bottom. Fold the cut edge of the fabric so that the end was tucked in, then apply the SY strip and while holding the fabric in place iron it down. You will need to work on smaller sections at a time ensuring that the fabric is flat, neat and taught before ironing. 
how to make a neat hem on a no sew roman blind before
Folding the cut edge of fabric in and applying the SY strip you can work along to create a neat hem.
neat hem on a no-sew roman blind
The finished edge at the top should look neat like this.
Step 8:
Finally at the corners, by folding in the corners of the fabric and using the same way we did at the top and bottom, make a neat hem. 
making neat corner details on a no sew roman blind
TOP TIP: Creating a neat back of the blind is super important as any flaws will be highlighted when light shines through the blind, revealing all!
Step 9:
Making sure that all the SY has set, you are ready to hang you blind!
no sew roman blind in a study in london
detail of the no sew roman blind
no sew roman blind in a study in london
Some things I learned while on this no-sew roman blind project;
  • SY tape is basically dry glue so if you have a glue gun that could work just as well. 
  • Choose a light weight fabric as the magnets of the ringblomma that hold it up are not the strongest and any added weight in the fabric will compromise their strength. 
  • We used the widest blind as wanted it to sit in front of the window. The ringblomma blinds cannot be cut down to size if you wanted them to fit inside the window. 

So if you are also a no-sew kind of person, and want to create a beautiful, affordable blind for your space try this method out. Let me know how you get on by commenting below. Also if you want to keep up to date with any of my how-to's then subscribe to my newsletter at the bottom of the page and follow me on Instagram
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The Sapphire room

4/7/2019

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Hello Everyone! I am so excited to show you my latest room revamp! My client wanted a beautiful nesting space, and this south facing bedroom with a gorgeous woodland view was the perfect place to create such a retreat. I encouraged my client to go bold and dark, creating a beautiful intimate space that is cosy and feminine.
 
Our kick off inspiration image was the following. We loved the layered look, the inky walls and the softer pinks and colours that inject energy into the room with the brass and gold details. Lovely right!? I cant seem to find the original designer of this space, so if anyone knows who it is please let me know. They clearly deserve all the credit.
 
inspirational shot of a dark blue bedroom with gold and pink accents
Now you need to see how the room was before we started this process. So it was a very neutral magnolia with some mismatched furniture handed down from previous homes and spaces. As you can see we had already bought the tester pot and were checking the colour in the room to make sure we were happy. We checked it against the fabrics that we were thinking of using and it sat so beautifully. 
colour samples of dark blue, off white and pink velvet
a pre-renovation shot of a messy bedroom with colour swatches on the walls
Our mood board started off like this with a gradual evolution finding the correct pieces for the space and a few re-considerations. We moved on from the plain curtains to introduce some pattern. Also leapfrogged over the white sheets for something a little bolder. I am so happy that we went dark and bold, as is my client. She had always gone for pale colours and neutrals in her previous homes, out of fear of making a mistake, but as soon as this colour went on the tester sheet she was in love and with it all the way around the room it is like a big cosy hug. She says its so hard to get out of her favourite room in the morning as she just wants to stay there and linger just that little bit longer. 
Mood board for a dark blue bedroom with gold accessories and pink highlights
​Here are some snaps I took from the finished project. Let me know what you think.
Dark blue bedroom with floral bed sheets and gold accessories and details
Dark blue bedroom with floral bed sheets and gold accessories and details
Dark blue bedroom with floral bed sheets and gold accessories and details
Dark blue bedroom with floral bed sheets and gold accessories and details
Head here to see more of this fun filled apartment in London. If you would like some help creating your own retreat, get in touch via my contact page.
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How to create your ultimate Southern Italian retreat

15/6/2019

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​I am so inspired by my recent trip to Puglia, in what is known to most people as the heel of Italy (that is if you consider the shape of Italy to be that of a boot). This region is one of the most fertile and agricultural in Italy and is absolutely full of gorgeous olive groves and scented jasmine. Sunlight is intense here, almost blanching the landscape, allowing the natural colours of things to come through. The Puglian design is humble and simple. Bare stone walls revealing ancient stone, paired with flagstones on the floor. The Trullo is an iconic symbol of this region and is basically a conical roofed stone house. This method allowed the people here to create insulated spaces that protect them from the elements without needing to use cement. That's right! The stones were classically placed on top of each other in ever smaller concentric circles forming the well known cone that stood tall without the need for any binding agents such as concrete, cement or pointing. We were lucky enough to have stayed in one of these Trulli and it was very inspiring. 
Typical set of trulli in puglia, italy bathed in the setting sunlight
​Now I know that I love big bold colours, but there is something very beautiful about the elegant restrained palette in Puglia - it allows the infinite blue of the sky, the deep green of the jasmine leaves and the gorgeous gnarly wood of the olive trees to sing in the landscape. I will reveal my top tips for creating a Puglian inspired escape wherever you are based.
​Colour: A blend of different neutral colours will help balance off the space. Make sure that there are colour variations through the space and that it is not just all "brilliant white". It is important to introduce warmth though the colours by going for softer sandy toned whites. Despite it being a warm climate I would avoid any bluish whites or cool whites as they can seem quite flat and sterile. Carry your neutrals through all the elements of the design including wall colours, lighting and soft furnishings. You can consider adding one or two complimentary accent colours in the space, but remember that these will scream for attention against the neutrals. So be smart, use colours found in nature, deep blues, and greyed greens are excellent starting points. 
neutral decor inside a trullo in southern itay
neutral decor inside a typical trullo in southern italy
​Texture: This cannot be emphasised enough. Go big on texture. Exposed stone,  lightly oiled wood, linen and other woven fabrics are great here. The trulli have oodles of texture in their stone, in fact plastering only part of the wall up can help to highlight the more beautiful features and draw the eye up to the vaulted ceilings. The floors are usually bare stone, each slab with its own natural colouring and texture. 
Italian courtyard with large urns and plants with a white chair in the corner and an open staircase with a pointed gothic arch
Lighting: Its all about the mood lighting. The daylight in Italy is so intense that coming into these places is sometimes a refuge from the intense sunshine and heat, therefore creating a calming space with mood lighting is  important to help nourish ones spirit. Consider the amount of natural light you have in your space, and if its in a landscape with a lot of natural light then consider  filtering the light slightly to soften it. If you are based further afield and light is already a scarce resource, such as is the case in the UK, then be aware that you will need to be extra careful when layering your light to create the right mood for different times of year and day. Think of highlighting architectural elements,  low lighting and creating that glow essential for a calming space. 
the outside of a trullo resort in puglia, italy.
Art: The Puglian people are very humble and modest. Art is usually found in the form of ceramics (you can use ceramics also for your lighting), so get your hands on some gorgeous bowls, pots and urns. Trulli are quite simple places so that is usually all the decoration you might find in a typical Puglian space. The bigger Masserias (fortified farm buildings) were the properties of wealthier land owners. These were decorated in a more elaborate way and one can also find frescoes. Now, were not used to frescoes in the UK but basically it entails painting directly onto wet plaster, this can sounds like a bit of a faff, but  you can consider possibly adding a simple trompe-l'oeil on a bare wall to create a panelled look if you are that artistically inclined or using some gorgeous wallpaper murals such as those below.
typical pottery earthenware from puglia with a bunch of bright green fresh basil. Also black basil.
typical pugliese large yellow coloured urn with white geraniums planted inside
For help and advice on creating your own Puglian space, get in touch!
This large scale wallpaper design boasts exquisite detail - layers of texture in luminous colour evokes a beautiful imagining of a Venetian frescoed wall. Digitally printed onto a heavyweight non-woven ground for ease of hanging and in plaster like shades. This large scale wallpaper has an alternative scene, which can be used together or alone to stunning effect. This product is sold per panel set on a single roll comprising of 2 x 70cm wide drops each 3m high - coverage 4.2m2 but can be joined together in multiples according to your wall widths and trimmed in the height if required.
Foscari Fresco wallpaper by the Desginers Guild
hand painted ceramic plates in a typical pugliese style
Hand painted ceramics add personality to a neutral scheme.
PictureLayers of plaster-like textures evoke the spirit of 16th century Venetian palazzi in a contemporary new way. Digitally printed onto a heavyweight non-woven ground for ease of hanging and in serene colours. This large scale wallpaper has an alternative scene, which can be used together or alone to stunning effect. This product is sold per panel set on a single roll comprising of 2 x 70cm wide drops each 3m high - coverage 4.2m2 but can be joined together in multiples according to your wall widths and trimmed in the height if required.
La Rotonda wallpaper by the Designers Guild
Above all, I suggest you visit Puglia. Its incredible and stunning yet humble and unpretentious. We stayed at the Leonardo Trulli resort, most of my photos in this blog post are from there. The gardens were incredible as were the trulli. I wasn't asked to feature them but the space was so inspiring I couldn't not. 
courtyards in a trullo resort in italy
puglian garden scene with rosemary and geraniums and olive trees.
leonardo trulli resort at night
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The Polka headboard project

8/4/2019

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Our attic bedroom has become our own little hide away from the world. The walls in peignoir by Farrow and Ball and the wardrobes in Moles Breath - we still needed a solution for the bed. I wanted a headboard with a statement, but didn't have the budget to buy one from my favourite store. So I decided to make one, and when I saw this headboard by Bianca Hall aka frenchforpinapple I fell head over heels in love. 
I got in touch with Linwood fabrics who operate a family run fabric company based in Hampshire. I had heard and seen their fabrics before and knew there would be a perfect one for my project here. After selecting a few samples I decided on their Tango collection, specifically their polka design in midnight blue. The gorgeous pattern and its detail I thought would highlight the curves I wanted to get in my headboard beautifully yet still being practical and robust.


Bianca hall upholstered headboard in grey marbled fabric
linwood fabric polka midnight
After a speedy delivery from Linwood, I set about creating the headboard, for which I got in touch with my friend Jil at Upholstery bee. She was so gracious to help me out with this project and her skills were invaluable.


Here is a step by step process on the creation of the Polka Headboard. You will need someone to help with this process as each section rolls and  can be a bit unruly to control. 
Step 1 - Measure and calculate it all out.

​Here is a list of what we got:
  • 4 boards cut to our length of 195 cm (width of our bed)
  • 4 semi-circular foam pieces (we chose a 15 cm diameter)
  • Wadding in plenty supply
  • Fabric. We got 15 cm  extra length on each end to allow for the depth of the foam and the board it sits on.
  • You will also need a pneumatic nail gun and some sharp scissors. 
setting up for upholstery. Wooden boards, rolls of fabric and foam
Step 2 - Glue on the foam to the wood planks.  

​We used spray adhesive and then gently lowered the long piece of foam onto the plank of wood. Its useful to have two people when doing this to hold the foam up and you will need to work quickly as the spray adhesive dries quickly.
upholstery bee applying the foam to the backboard carefully
Step 3 - Apply the wadding and staple in place.  

​Try and place the staples in a straight line and make sure that the overlap isnt too large as you will need to cover the wadding with the fabric ideally. 
the wadding stapled in place ready for fabric
 ​Step 4 - Cut the fabric

​Cut into strips that will cover the foam and wadding with enough overlap to upholster comfortably. We managed to get 4 strips from our width of fabric. There is a rule in upholstery that fabric, even though your friend, too much of it can ruin a piece. So measure many times before you cut. 
Upholstery Bee cutting the upholstery fabric into strips ready to be fitted
Step 5 - Fix the fabric
​

Get the fabric orientation right and start fixing from the centre  outwards, keeping taught. The corners are particularly tricky due to the amount of fabric that gathers so getting a neat edge is crucial. This is why I got the fabulous Upholstery Bee to work her magic! It is quite a large piece and due to the semicircular front it rocks and rolls (obviously) so I was on hand to help keep things steady. 

You will need to repeat all of the above steps till all 4 of your pieces are upholstered and sit happily.  I transported the pieces individually home as  they wouldn't have fit in my car otherwise and then continued the process at home. 
upholstering carefully, upholstery bee is working from the centre outwards
Step 6 - Creating one headboard
​

Fix all 4 upholstered semi-circular pieces together using a bracket. I couldn't find a bracket long enough in my local hardware store so I got multiple shorter ones which I used to attach the boards together. 
brackets used to fit the headboards together
Step 7 - Hanging the headboard
​

Fix the headboard to the bed or to the wall. I initially used a French cleat but our walls are as soft as cheese so this couldn't take the weight so I ended up fixing it directly to the base bed using some back supports. 

french cleat used to hold the headboard up
Step 8 - Enjoy!
upholstered superking headboard in linwood fabric
finished headboard and the bedroom styled up
upholstered superking headboard in linwood fabric.
detail of upholstered fabric headborad by upholstery bee using linwood fabric
I would like to thank Linwood fabrics for giving me a gracious discount on the fabric and also to Upholstery bee whose magic created these headboards. 
side shot of the headboard made by upholstery bee using linwood fabrics
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Attic bedroom makeover

5/11/2018

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Hey folks, I realise its been way too long since I last posted but if you have been keeping up to date with my Instagram we have been working really hard at finishing off the attic bedroom which is now nearly complete. This is the biggest bedroom in the house and we stayed in it for the first few months and had it re-plastered over the summer which meant its been ready for a makeover for a while but we distracted by the staircase (see my previous post), but now we finally did it. 

My design process with this room is that I wanted to create something calming and serene at the top of the house, somewhere to escape to. We wanted this room to be versatile as a guest bedroom with two twin beds that can be joined up to make a super king sized bed. We also wanted the design to be warm and modern but still layered, characterful and cosy. It posed its own challenges which I shall discuss below but here are a few before photos. The first two are the estate agents photos, and the panorama shot is when we moved in.
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I think its safe to say that I absolutely hated this room. I hated the migraine inducing wallpaper in a velvety damask and bright pink/red. I hated the black high gloss wardrobe fronts and I hated the cracked plaster work. It was not a very relaxing room but we stayed in it as it had built in wardrobes and good storage. I'm still surprised that I didn't at least paint over that awful wallpaper which caused me such upset. Once we moved out of this room we got our revenge though. 
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Ripping off that wallpaper (and the 4 layers of paper below it) was so satisfying. From the pictures above you can already see how much more calming that room became without a wall screaming out at you. The other thing that struck me about this room is the lines. So many lines! The pitch of the ceiling, the joists, the chimney breasts, all at different slants to each other joined with a combination of sharp angles and soft curves. Our plasterer got to work on this room, and its fair to say that he did not enjoy it at all and one day once he finished I found him sat down looking particularly broken and said that he was going to retire as he didn't enjoy these complex projects any more!!!! oopsie!
Anyway with the walls plastered you can start appreciating the shapes in this room. I wanted to celebrate these shapes but still keep the room calm and not overwhelming. I was inspired by this picture of the unpainted walls and ceiling and thought, what if i just pained the whole thing including ceiling the same colour. t would create a cocooning effect and still allow the shapes of the room to be appreciated. This lead me down to choose the colours I eventually went for. Pegnoir by Farrow and Ball for the walls was a natural choice. Its slightly greyed pink colour was perfect for the modern vibe I wanted this room to have with a calming colour which would look warm despite the north facing aspect. In some lights it can almost seem lilac. I took the colour over the skirting boards to increase the sensation of height in this room despite it having 2.5m ceilings. 
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The next thing to tackle was the wardrobes. I debated ripping them out for all of 3 seconds, I just hated their colour and finish, but they were solidly built and did use the space very well, so I would only be replacing them with something very similar. The other alternative was to change the doors, but unfortunately these doors are a custom height which uses as much space as possible which is great from a storage point of view but not so great from ease of change. We did find some companies online that did offer custom doors but the cost was higher than I had budgeted for so we went for the simplest option. Paint!
So after removing the handles, I sanded the doors and the body of the wardrobes ready for painting in an all surface primer. I tinted the primer by adding some of the top colour paint to the original primer (I saw this online once and thought it was a good idea, but probably wouldn't do this again next time). Two coats of Moles breath later we had new wardrobes! I spray painted the handles matt black with this and the look was transformed. I used the same spray paint on the fireplace.
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Now that the painting was all finished we had to get down to dressing the room! I wanted to again create more drama in this room by creating an apex curtain across the whole wall where the window was. The idea behind this was to create a cosier feel in the room with texture and add to the insulation of the thin outer wall. To create the whole wall of curtain I fixed tracks as close to the ceiling along the whole end wall of the room. The centre portion have a draw string to allow them to be opened easily, and the two end diagonal tracks were fixed and would never really be opened or drawn (as you can see there is only wall behind them). I used dark grey Ikea curtains which are also black out and textured to compliment the look of the room. The end panels didn't really hang straight down as I had imagined they would, so I gathered the fabric in the end panels to fill out the space properly. I might live with it for a bit and see if it bothers me, in which case some inventive sewing will be in order (I have never sewn anything in my life, apart from a button, hence the fear).
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After an evening on my knees with Allen keys we got the beds and bedside tables up. The room came together super quickly after that with a few lamps I already had and some cosy throws and rugs we ended up with the nearly finished room below!
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I hope you like the room as I am super chuffed with it. The only thing left is to create a headboard that allows the beds to be used as a twins and also as a super king. I have been mega inspired by the fabulous headboard over at frenchforpinapple (insta) which is pretty epic and would be great in this space and would stretch the whole length of the wall behind the beds and bedside tables. So I just need to find the correct fabric now... watch this space. If you want to see the whole process in video format, have a look at my Attic Bedroom Highlight on my Instagram page.

Lots more projects coming your way soon so stay tuned. 

BTW I know there might be some comments about the fur throw in the bedroom, but this is farmed reindeer from Norway, they are farmed for their meat a cows are in this country, and skinned the same way sheep skins are used in this country (there is also a sheep skin in this room near the arm chair). I bought this when I was 16 and travelling in Scandinavia. 
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Peter Grech in Altrincham, Cheshire, UK on Houzz
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Peter Grech in Altrincham, Cheshire, UK on Houzz
Peter Grech in Altrincham, Cheshire, UK on Houzz
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