Interior Designer Alex Meachen with Katherine Brown

The perfect partnership – working with a leading interior designer to create joy and make a Chiswick house into a home.

Bringing colour, comfort and interest – the final stage of this inspiring home renovation.

If you’ve ever done a significant home renovation project, you may well have experienced that almost paralysing ‘decision fatigue’ that can happen at the all-important final stage. Just when it gets to the bit that really adds the magic, your energy is at its lowest.

This project was a family house in Chiswick, which is where Katherine lives and where a good deal of our work happens. You can see ten completed Chiswick curtain and blind projects, and what each one cost, on our Chiswick page.

To make matters worse, the homeowners here had conducted a long and stressful home renovation at the height of Covid.

By the time it came to the all-important finishing touches, they were impatient to get into their new home, unsure of how to proceed, and perhaps lacking the energy to make yet more decisions.

The homeowners called us up about curtains and blinds, but I could see that this house would benefit from the more holistic approach that an interior designer would bring. It seemed like the perfect project for Alex Meachen at Alex Interior Design.

This doesn’t happen often, but when it does, our experience of working with a number of excellent interior designers means we can match clients with perfect partners.

The first stage of working in partnership – building the team.

Like us, the homeowners decided that Alex’s bold approach to colour and unique eye for fabric and pattern were perfect for their project.

Next, we work together to build the brief.

The house was beautifully renovated but had been painted the same colour throughout. Therefore, it lacked any surprise, any change of pace and tone that would spark delight.

Our brief was to turn a fairly neutral background into a warm, stylish and surprising family home. For Alex and us, this was a gift of a brief, which meant the look could be built without compromise.

Curtains, blinds, a statement headboard and a scattering of cushions would bring the house to life with colour and drama.

The Hallway sets the tone.

Often overlooked, the hallway of a home sets the tone for the rest of the house. We often hear: ‘We don’t need anything in the hall and landings’, but these are the rooms that you’re looking at all the time – as are your guests.

In this case, a beautiful Roman Blind and matching tub chair make a cosy nook in this gorgeous hallway.

Top Tip: Look for opportunities for joy where you may not have thought they were possible.

Furniture placement is often overlooked as a design element.

‘Furniture placement is often overlooked as part of the overall final look of a home. As important as colour, soft furnishings, joinery, and all sorts of other things, furniture placement can make a huge difference. I could see that this would play a big part in this property. I particularly loved what Alex did with the guest bedroom – the beds are easy to access, and the chairs change the whole room – it’s suddenly much more than a necessary, utilitarian room for guests. You’d want to spend time in there – almost a boutique hotel rather than an attic room.’ Katherine Brown.

Alex’s vision gave us the foundation of a good layout to then work from.

Living room curtains with trims

The living room was a perfect example of creating depth by layering paint colour, fabrics, and textures. We added subtle pattern with exquisite trim to the edge of the curtains.

Master bedroom – headboard and cushions.

Headboards are an excellent way to bring drama into a bedroom because once in bed, you don’t see them, so it remains a calm, restful sanctuary for sleep.

Restoring a treasured heirloom sofa.

At Katherine Brown Curtains and Blinds, we’re all about moments of joy. When we delivered this re-covered sofa – a treasured heirloom that had been in the family for generations – the client was delighted with its whole new lease on life and gave it pride of place in their guest bedroom.

Cushions – a great way to add personality and joy to a room.

Cushions bring the fun to any project! Unlike window dressings, which are more permanent, cushions can be changed, so this is the time to let loose and be as bold as you want. There’s no limit to how creative you can be.

Are you an Interior Designer looking for a Curtain, Blind, or Soft Furnishings partner to bring your vision to life?

We love working with interior designers. We find it inspiring and challenging, and the results we see are stunning, and only a true team can create them.

Their creativity sparks our own, and our know-how and craft bring their vision to life in a way that surprises and delights them. It is a wonderful and satisfying process, and the end result is always beyond all our expectations.

We work with our interior design clients in different ways. Typically, we are there for our technical expertise, and in that instance, our job is to bring their vision to life without compromise.

In some cases, the designer shares a broad vision and our job is to show them ideas, fabrics and patterns from our huge base of independent boutique providers.

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