FABRIC FINESSE
When deciding on the fabric for your curtains, it is first necessary to establish its purpose. Is it for privacy, for blocking out sunlight, or for adding softness and a finishing touch to the living space? It is important to take into consideration the texture, the way it gathers and how it falls. A plain weave cotton fabric is often chosen for the way it drapes beautifully and its soft-to-the-touch feel. Sheer curtains are usually 100 per cent cotton and add an elegant aesthetic, delicately filtering sunlight into the room, while voiles are a type of sheer which can be either cotton or lightweight polyester. However, if you need to block-out light and cold air, black-out curtains are heavier and are experts at the job. If you want to aim for glamour, then satin, silk, brocade or velvet is an obvious option as they are higher quality fabrics that hang well with a lustrous sheen. Less expensive fabrics using polyester or nylon can offer the same properties of higher quality materials as they are strong and hang well, but if not treated they can be highly flammable – which could be a serious issue, especially in a kitchen, for example. Here are some ideas for your curtains this summer…
Karma is a new collection from Pierre Frey’s Panoramique range. It adds a fresh, artistic splash of colour to a living space that is bold but delicate in its aesthetic. Pierre Frey is available through GC Studio in Centro Comercial Camoján Corner in Marbella (www.gc-studio.es) and Acoola in Polígono Industrial San Pedro de Alcántara (www.acoola.eu) .
The new Neofelis collection from Casamance features an eye-catching, contemporary and el egant design on soft cotton satin. The collection comes in three rich colour palettes, with an intrigu ing pattern depicting the Neofelis leopard sitting on a chequered pathway amongst lush vegetation. Available from Cortidea on the Mijas Road and in Urb. Marbella Real (www.cortidea.es) , Arte del Lusso in San Pedro de Alcántara (www.artedellusso.es) , GC Studio in Centro Comercial Camoján Corner in Mar bella (www.gc-studio.es) and Alison Bethell-Collins Interior Design in Avda. del Mediterráneo, San Pedro de Alcántara (www.alisonbethellcollins.com) .
The new Polino Prosa from Création Baumann is a dense curtain fabric featuring an ab stract, contemporary print with floral motifs. Avail able from Cortidea on the Mijas Road and in Urb. Marbella Real (www.cortidea.es) and Arte del Lusso in San Pedro de Alcántara (www.artedellusso.es).
The velvet Trebah design from Osborne & Lit tle depicts a charming Cornish valley garden and surrounding landscape bursting with echinacea flowers, wild grasses, daisies and poppies. Osborne & Little is available from Cortidea on the Mijas Road and in Urb. Marbella Real (www.cortidea.es).
These delicate sheers from Pagunette show how you can combine colours to create a more interesting aesthetic effect with plains. Pa gunette is available from Cortidea on the Mijas Road and in Urb. Marbella Real (www.cortidea.es) .
From Black Edition’s Zafaro collection, Inaya Indium evokes a sense of mystery in a pure linen print that alludes to an abstract land scape in a soft sway of calming colours. Black Edition is available from Cortidea on the Mijas Road and in Urb. Marbella Real (www.cortidea.es) and Alison Bethell-Collins Interior Design in Avda. del Mediterráneo, San Pedro de Alcántara (www.alisonbethellcollins.com) .
The wide-width embroidered Leona sheer from Villa Nova, in their Noa Cornhusk version, features eye-catching and intricate embroidery in an abstract linear pattern inspired by the constellation star chart. Villa Nova is available from Cortidea on the Mijas Road and in Urbanización Marbella Real (www.cortidea.es) , and Arte del Lusso in Calle Lagasca (www.artedellusso.es) and Alison Bethell-Collins Interior Design in Avda. del Mediterráneo (www.alisonbethellcollins.com) , both in San Pedro de Alcántara.
The new Siembra collection from Alhambra is a beautiful range of net and double-width curtains. Just as the wind moves the ears of corn, these net curtains sway in the gentle Levante breeze. Alhambra is available from Casasola Décor near Torre Real (www.casasoladecor.com) , Cortidea on the Mijas Road and in Urb. Marbella Real ( www.cortidea.es) , Alison Bethell-Collins Interior Design in Avda. del Mediterráneo in San Pe dro de Alcántara (www.alisonbethellcollins.com) and Darch & Co Design Studio in CC Sotomarket in Sotogrande (www.darchandco.com) .
The beautiful L’autan collection from Misia Paris is woven using the jacquard technique “L’autan”, which is an Italian-made open-work refined voile. The warp and weft are both dyed for the “Alabaster” colourway and the “Natural” colour has weft yarns that retain their original shade to create a delicate two-tone crisscross effect. This very delicate voile receives a finishing treat ment to soften the linen fibre and give it this soft touch. Misia is available from GC Studio in CC Camoján Corner in Marbella (www.gc-studio.es) and Alison Bethell-Col lins Interior Design in Avda. del Mediterráneo, San Pedro de Alcántara (www.alisonbethellcollins.com).
Zinc’s Meon, shown here in their ochre colour pal ette, is a washable wide-width pure linen with a shad ed ombre that gently graduates in colour as it moves down the cloth. This watercolour wash-effect fabric can be used as a sheer when unlined to diffuse the light or as a lined curtain to create drama. Zinc is available from Heidi Gubbins in Urb. Marbella Real on the Golden Mile (www.heidigubbins.com) and Alison Bethell-Collins Interior Design (www.alisonbethellcollins.com) and Arte del Lusso (www.artedellusso.es) , both in San Pedro de Alcántara.
