Another week, and another installation at Canary Wharf – this time at Belgrave Court, Westferry Circus. Quite an interesting one as it draws together a few different products from the world of soft furnishings – that work so well in apartments.

Silhouette Shades for the Closet and Study: I’m going to be honest and say that I haven’t always been a fan of these blinds – I suppose because, when they’re lowered, the double mesh layer that they’re constructed of  can make the room feel a little claustrophobic. But the huge advantage of venetians (which category Silhouettes fall into) is the versatility – of angling the shades to prevent prying eyes from outside (or the sun etc) whilst not impeding the view from within.

The Silhouette is a uber modern take on the classic venetian. Instead of slats, Luxaflex have formulated shades – strips of fabric that sit inside of a double layer of thin mesh. Like venetians, the shades can be angled by pulling on a chain that is located at the side of the blind. And credit where credit’s due – they fit in effortlessly into the stylish, contemporary Canary Wharf living space.

Click here to download the Silhouette pdf catalogue for further info and visuals.  Note: their design means they’re great for sun protection and privacy, but if you’re after bedroom blackout, you’ll need to combine your silhouettes with another application in front (eg curtains, roller or roman blinds).

Silk curtains and sheers in the Master Bedroom – the bedroom called for a slightly different approach. We needed to ensure near blackout whilst preserving privacy during the day. The answer – embroidered sheer curtains on a ceiling mounted track, with blackout lined and interlined silk curtains (Romo Rosario to be precise) on a further ceiling mounted track in front.

Points to note:

Think draw rods for hand drawn tracks: whilst cord operated tracks are a sensible option for high ceiling rooms, our client opted for the simplicity of hand operated tracks. So we suggested draw rods for both the sheers and the curtains – so as to protect the curtains during operation. This is particularly important where, like here, the curtains are made from a near white fabric that could easily get marked with regular hand contact when the curtains are being opened and closed.

Choose a curtain heading that economises on space: we suggested double pinch pleats for this application. Less traditional than triple pleats, they also take up relatively little space on the track when the curtains are drawn back – which is quite important where, like here, the curtains are overslung (ie sit in front of the track rather than underneath it) to maximise the blackout effect.

Lutron blinds in the Sitting Room: watch this space as we’ll be updating this blog following installation of the Lutron blinds in the Sitting Room, early in the New Year.