“Windows are the eyes of our house,” wrote the great Dorothy Draper, grande dame of 20th century American interiors, in Decorating is Fun! She went on to emphasise the importance of choosing the right curtains for those widows – though there is scant related advice on hanging them. “Curtain poles are one of those things that no one tells you about,” says Sophie Dahl. And it’s true: there exist endless articles on the merits of pinch pleats and bump interlining – not to mention reveries over tails and swags and other elaborate treatments for drapery - that yet leave the enthusiastic amateur almost entirely in the dark about the vital last stage. And that might involve a curtain pole, or it might necessitate tracks (and no one tells you about those, either.) But it’s not complicated, and being aware of the ins and outs opens up possibilities: a room might be refreshed by a new curtain pole, or the addition of a pelmet, and existing curtains can be altered so that they’re corded rather than hand-drawn.
There are ways you can find out about it all. One involves forensic examination of every set of curtains you encounter (though beware: there’s a story involving Roger Banks-Pye trying to work out how John Fowler – who was famous for his curtains - had arranged some at the Hunting Lodge, and the whole lot falling down on him.) Another would be to invest in The Encyclopaedia of Curtains by Catherine Merrick. The third option is to refer our guide.
Where to start: tracks or pole?
As with every decorating decision, form follows function. Nicky Mudie of Violet & George, an interior design studio with an in-house soft furnishings workshop, suggests first establishing whether you need “corded, or hand drawn” – which refers to whether or not you want to be able to open and close the curtains via a cord hanging on one side (a bit like you’d put a blind up and down – though you can also get electric corded curtains that can be controlled via a button) or whether you want to draw the curtains yourself. There are different ways of cording curtains incidentally; ‘Italian strung’, where the top is fixed but cords behind the drapery pull the fabric up in a diagonal, can be very attractive.
The answer to corded, or not, might depend on your mobility, the height of your ceilings, the curtains being for a bay window with trickily positioned furniture, and the delicacy of the curtain fabric. Know that if you do want corded – but not Italian-strung (the machinations for this method are attached to the curtains, rather like blinds) - then you are probably looking for tracks, for, as Wendy Nicholls, Chairman of Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler points out, “a pole is not always easy to cord.” At the same time, know that you can have uncorded tracks; some people prefer tracks as they tend to make for an especially easy opening and closing manoeuvre, and there are more tracks in existence than you might think, for they tend to be hidden (of which more, later.)
“Tracks can also work better with certain types of architecture, including new builds, and if you’ve got floor to ceiling windows with glass right up to the ceiling,” says Nicky – explaining they can be very discreet. If, however, you are dead set on a pole - despite the curtains being difficult to draw manually for all the reasons listed above, “you can have ‘draw rods’ fitted on the leading edges,” advise both Nicky and Wendy – which could be covered in the same fabric as the curtains, or the trim that you’ve used on the leading edge.
Preparation
Regardless of whether you are choosing tracks or a pole, you need to “consider the nature of the building. Is it a newbuild that is likely to have cavity walls? Are they solid Victorian brick walls?” Asks curtain expert Chris Tebay, who is often called in by interior designers to solve their window dressing conundrums. Heavier curtains will need support, and the wall has got to be able to take it. “If the walls are lath and plaster, we quite often have to install ‘pattressing’ – which is a timber board, which can take the weight,” says Nicky. “Do consider the fact that children like to play in and around curtains so they might occasionally have to carry more weight than you expect,” points out Chris. (Also see cats – though they’re usually lighter than a child.)
Using tracks
Tracks are fitted with gliders, and the curtains are attached to those using curtain hooks, “ideally you want 10 gliders per metre of heading,” says Nicky. The tracks themselves come in PVC or aluminium, and you need to select the appropriate type for your curtain weight (your curtain maker can advise.) Aluminium is generally stronger, and there are variants that can be bent by hand, which is ideal for a bay window. And, if the curtains are being corded, that Encyclopaedia of Curtains says the tracks must be aluminium.
Tracks can either be mounted to the window frame, the wall above the window (also known as ‘the deadlight’ in professional terms) or to the ceiling, using brackets. They can also be recessed into a ceiling or fixed to a pelmet board – the varied ways of use being a major benefit. There exist double tracks, which allow you to have two sets of curtains (for example, you may desire voiles for daytime, and something more substantial at night.)
If you haven’t recessed the tracks into a ceiling, you probably want to disguise them, as they don’t have the elegance of a pole. There are, again, different methods. There’s a pelmet – which is quite straightforward (though it comes in different shapes and styles, and can be hard or soft) - or swags and tails; “which I love in a country house, but they aren’t for everyone,” says Lucy Hammond Giles, Associate Director of Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler. Both are arranged in front of the curtain, thus hiding the curtain heading. The other option – which can look elegantly minimal - is to attach the track to a fabric-covered ‘lath’, made of board and “like a mini pelmet,” says Nicky (this is also known as a ‘lath and fascia’). The curtain heading is kept on the outside, so the lath is invisible when the curtains are closed.
Using poles
Poles are accessorized with curtain rings, and the curtains are attached to those using hooks. As with tracks, “you want 10 rings per meter of curtain heading,” says Nicky. A heavier curtain might necessitate the pole being supported with extra brackets, and if it’s a bay window you’ll have brackets at the angles as well as at the ends, and in these instances you need C-shaped curtain rings, “also known as ‘passing rings,’” explains Nicky. Then there are finials – which are fitted to the tips of the pole and come in a variety of shapes ,sizes, and styles.
If there is little wall either side of the window, and yet you want to keep the curtains off the windows as much as possible when they’re open, know that there exist ‘French poles’, also known as ‘French return rods’, which, explains Wendy, “stack forwards rather than extending beyond the frame,” because the poles don’t have finials, but return to the wall. This also makes them good for draft excluding, and “they can look really lovely,” says Lucinda Griffith.
You can absolutely still combine a pelmet and a pole, incidentally, or swags and tails and a pole (you just won’t see the pole); Emma Burns, joint Managing Director of Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler, compares adding a pelmet to putting on mascara, and we all know what a difference that can make. You can also have double poles, for two sets of curtains (or fit two poles.)
What sort of pole?
But if you’re not having a pelmet, or swags and tails, then aesthetics are important: “plastic coated poles are horrible – real brass or iron or steel or wood, please. Match the supporting brackets and rings to the pole,” advises Wendy Nicholls. Proving, however, that there’s not one definite answer, Nina Campbell has used Perspex curtain poles in her London house.
Lucy Hammond Giles explains that she loves using antique poles and oversized rings “for their rich patina and sense of found,” but that if you don’t have time for antique hunting, “you could choose poles and rings in different metal finishes.” Lucy also, on occasion, does mix materials: “for a softer and less formal look, painted wooden poles can be lovely – particularly in a bedroom. But I always use metal rings, even with wooden poles, as wooden rings can be so hard to pull if the ceilings are high, or the windows wide and curtains heavy. That said, you can always spray a bit of silicone along the top of the pole if the rings start to snag and you are brave up a ladder!”
Proportion matters: “as a broad principle, the lower the ceiling and the narrower the window, the slimmer the pole. Anyway, slimmer looks best!” Says Wendy. But, “try to avoid anything too skinny!” says Sarah Vanrenen, who says that she likes to use antique brass poles wherever possible, “as they work just as well in a modern scheme as they do in a country house.” Lucy reckons that “if the room is enormous and has a lot of original plaster work, the poles can afford to be proportionally thicker rather than whip thin – horses for courses as they say.”
Tori Murphy, of the eponymous homeware company, suggests that “living rooms and bedrooms can often take a more substantial wooden pole that can help create an enveloping feel.” Though, for door curtains – which she sells ready to go – “my preference is slim, elegant metal poles as the curtain needs to do the majority of the work in a busy part of the house. And lace curtains [her latest launch] again need a slim, sleek pole that lets the lace shine; we recommend slim brass or slick dark metal poles and brackets for a reimagined, traditional look.”
Incidentally, Nina’s curtain poles are Perspex because she wanted them “to disappear,” which – against her glass doors, they do. Lucy Hammond Giles and Tiffany Duggan of Studio Duggan both advocate for, on occasion, painting the pole the same colour as the walls or window architraves (depending on where it’s attached) for the same reason; “sometimes it’s best to let the curtains do the talking,” says Tiffany. But, regarding colour, a word of warning from Wendy: “white poles are undesirable unless carrying thin unlined white curtains, otherwise rather like white stilettos – somewhat naff.” (Perhaps also unless you’re matching them to a white wall? Personal preference, we reckon.)
Where to go
When it comes to where to spend and where to save, most interior designers will suggest that curtain poles are something you don’t scrimp on. Lucinda Griffith famously furnished her cottage in Wales for under £7000 but explains that while “it can be tempting to get a cheap pole from the high street, it’s a poor investment in the long run; for the right pole will last for years.” The good news, if you are watching the pennies, is that “if you get the poles right, you can get away with cheaper curtains,” she says. And, while it is certainly possible to spend a great deal, there are also good, more affordable options – most of the companies listed below do off-the-shelf as well as bespoke (though know that for a bay window, you’re going to need to go bespoke) - so onwards.
Lucy Hammond Giles recommends Collier Webb for “fantastic poles and finials”, along with Robert Kime for poles with “a wonderful, antiqued brass finish - which apparently is achieved by burying the poles in manure.” Tiffany Duggan, who also loves antiqued brass, names Tilly’s, which is seconded by Nicky Mudie, and Sarah Vanrenen favours McKinney & Co, and “Broughtons, who supply perfectly good brass poles for those with a tighter budget.” Ruth Sleightholme, House & Garden’s Style Director, suggests Black Country Metalworks.
Slim black poles “can be very striking and contemporary,” says Tiffany, recommending the Bradley Collection. Ruth names Jim Lawrence “for their 12mm curtain pole,” adding that Tinsmiths do very good curtain hardware and are good for French poles too. Then, Nicky suggests wrought iron poles from Made by the Forge, saying “they are a cheaper option and look great,” and Hunter & Hyland. Ruth recommends Closs & Hamblin for the same. For wooden poles, Lucinda goes to “Merrick & Day – they’ve got a really good range with proper architrave brackets, and they’ve got French poles, too.” Last but not least, Nicky says that recently, when in a rush, she bought “some great poles from John Lewis on a ridiculously short lead time and at a great price point.”
Oh – and tracks? Those Nicky buys from Silent Gliss.
