A Guide To Curtains, Sheers + Blinds For Every Space

A Guide To Curtains, Sheers + Blinds For Every Space

In heritage and traditional spaces, curtains are king! They add so much drama and character to a space,  and often also perform really useful functions including energy efficiency, great insulation and acoustic benefits.

A key distinguishing feature of curtains is the heading style – ie the way the curtains gather at the top. This feature alone can be either very traditional or more seamless and contemporary, depending on the style of the space and your preference.

A ‘pinch pleat’ style curtain is well suited to classic and heritage interiors. In this style of curtains, the bulk of the pleat is at the front of the heading, with two or three neatly pinched folds approximately 10cm down from the top of the curtain. This style of curtain can either be installed on a hidden track, or can hang on a curtain rods with rings.

A Sunny, Nostalgic Extension For A California Bungalow

A Sunny, Nostalgic Extension For A California Bungalow

The two-floor extension accounted for an extra bathroom, a work nook to support WFH and places to connect, cook, rest and play. Photo – Marnie Hawson. Editorial styling – Belle Bright Project

The second level houses the parents’ bedroom, connected to a set up a small sunny balcony. Photo – Marnie Hawson. Editorial styling – Belle Bright Project

How A New Zealand Architect Built His Home For $150,000 (With No Construction Experience!)

How A New Zealand Architect Built His Home For $150,000 (With No Construction Experience!)

When faced with buying in an unaffordable and overinflated housing market, architect William Samuels and his partner Hannah D’Arcy were forced to consider alternative paths to home ownership. ‘To address this, we looked at how to detach the house value from the land value,’ says William.

The answer: leased land. William and Hannah struck up a long-term agreement with a landowner in Nelson, located in New Zealand’s South Island, to rent the land required to host their future home. 

Built on a NZD$150,000 (about AUD$140,000) budget, William and Hannah’s resulting home, The Studio House, tackles the issues of housing affordability as well as sustainable design, the liveability of smaller spaces, and adaptable architecture.

Trees planted in Moorfields

Trees planted in Moorfields

It’s been a feat of engineering in itself to bring the trees into the podium area of 21 Moorfields in The City of London. This zone is in the public realm but to get the plants in required craning them from the street up over 5 storeys and back down into the beds. We have yet to construct the planters for further planting but already just a three trees shows what a difference even a small amount of green makes in an urban environment. We say small, but these trees were each over 6m tall and weighed well over two tonnes each. Hats off to the team who planted them.

The building here will be home to new Deutsche Bank HQ in the City of London and is designed by Wilkinson Eyre Architects. The entire scheme includes new public realm, raised walkways, bridges, and a new City Garden. Additionally there are six levels of private roof terraces which we have already planted. The building is huge with a footprint of approximately 100m x 60m and just to make things a bit more difficult it sits directly above the new Crossrail station. A genuine feat of engineering and an exciting  project for Andy Sturgeon Design to work on.