FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESIONS

Find the answers you need to create a beautiful home.

Creating bespoke curtains doesn’t have to be complicated. We’re here to make the process as simple as possible, so if you can’t find the answer to your query below then contact us and we’ll be happy to talk.

Measuring Guides

We have a range of easy-to-follow measuring guides to help you every step of the way.

Find our curtain and blind measuring guides here.

When measuring for curtains, the width needs to be the rail or pole size excluding the end finials. We will then calculate the curtain size for fullness and gather.

Your curtains should be as wide as your curtain pole/tracks. Therefore, when measuring for curtains, you should measure your pole/tracks, rather than the window.

Your curtain pole/tracks should be roughly 30-40cm wider than your window (15-20cm on either side of your window or door).

If you are looking to buy a new curtain pole or tracks, it should stretch roughly 15-20cm on either side of your window or door and should be 15-20cm above your window.

Therefore, if your window width is 200cm, you should look for a pole that is around 230 – 240cm as this accounts for the 15-20cm on each side of the window.

If your curtain pole is already in place, you will need to measure the width of the pole excluding the end finials. Then just measure from the top of the pole to your required length.

It is worth noting that if you have a radiator below the window, your curtains should finish approximately 3cm above this.

Curtain length is measured from the curtain pole or tracks to your desired length. This can be to the window sill, past the window sill or to the floor.

It is worth noting that if you have a radiator below the window, your curtains should finish approximately 3cm above this.

Absolutely, floor-length curtains can often make the room look larger. You may want your curtains to puddle on the floor in which case measure to the floor then add to this how far you would like your curtains to drape on the floor.

Tracks and Poles

Both are practical items designed to hang curtains, and allow you to draw them smoothly. Poles are a very common way to hang curtains, using rings, eyelets or fabric tabs. Tracks are systems that allow curtains to be drawn along a metal track, creating a gliding effect. They can be a more subtle option, with the option to hide installation with a curtain header.

Tracks are perhaps the most effective way to hang curtains for a bay window, but poles are also an option. As it can be tricky to get bay window installation right, we recommend discussing your options with our team. Our Couture Full Fit service can handle the whole thing for you, should you have any concerns.

We only stock metal tracks, which are sturdier than plastic but can still be easily cut to size. Curtain poles are more customisable, so you should choose a material based on your style and requirements. Wooden poles can look warmer, and more traditional, whereas metal poles can be more contemporary.

You can dress your curtain pole with a range of decorative finials, perfect for defining the look and feel of your room.

Pencil pleat, pinch pleat and goblet curtains can be used with curtain poles and rings, or with tracks using hooks and gliders. Eyelet and tab top curtains can be used with poles directly.

Our curtain poles come in a range of finishes and colours, ranging from a slightly brushed matte effect to shiny gloss. Popular finishes for modern decors include satin steel and chrome, whereas antique brass, vintage effect and painted finishes are also available for a more traditional look. You’ll also find a range of wood on offer, allowing the natural beauty of the material to shine through.

Choose a 28mm pole in whatever style suits your room.

Where space is needed, we can provide brackets to hand our tracks and poles from the ceiling. It’s important to check the structure of the ceiling, and ideally to attach the brackets to something like a ceiling joist that will hold the weight of the curtains. We always recommend hiring a professional installer for ceiling installations, or our Couture Full Fit service can help.

Allow 10% of your window width at both sides of the window, plus any space needed for your choice of finial.

We provide matching screws with our curtain poles. You will need to supply your own rawl plugs or fixings suitable for your wall. We always advise consulting a professional installer, or choosing the Couture Full Fit service.

With the correct type of fixings, our curtains and poles can be installed on any type of wall. If you’re unsure, or have a tricky installation, we recommend letting our expert fitters take care of it via the Couture Full Fit service.

Configurator

The minimum and maximum measurements for our curtain configurator are:
Minimum: 70cm width x 70cm drop
Maximum: 400cm width x 400cm drop

The minimum and maximum measurements for our blind configurator are:
Minimum: 70cm width x 70cm drop
Maximum: 250cm width x 250cm drop

Manufacturing

Our Roman Blinds are made with hand-made pockets for rods to pass through, which creates the “waterfall” effect. The blinds are fully hand sewn to give a perfect look by removing visible stitching on the face of the blind. The tops have a strip of Velcro which attaches the blind to its headrail.

Our curtains are hand finished, with weights in the hem and a great level of attention to detail which includes mitred corners. Seams are pressed flat and side seams are stitched in such a way that the curtain will hang and dress to the highest standard.

Dependent on the fabric you’ve chosen and the size of your order, it takes 2-3 weeks to create your curtains or blinds.

It’s important to us that you’re well-informed along the way, which means we’ll always keep you up to date at key stages of the process – from the minute you place your order, to the moment you receive your curtains by courier.

Fullness refers to the amount of flat fabric used to cover the width of your curtain pole or track to achieve the heading type and required finish.

If you choose a pencil pleat, you will get 2x fullness. If you decide to go ahead with a triple pinch pleat, goblet or eyelet curtain, you will get 2.5x fullness. Double pinch curtains will receive 2.2x fullness.

Yes, voiles come with weights in the hems to keep the shape of the curtain.

All our curtain and blind linings come in Ivory colour as standard.

The four choices for curtains are: Sateen, Blackout, Interlined - Sateen and Interlined - Blackout.

Our sateen lining is a cotton and polyester fabric. This lining gives an improved quality finish and reduces light seeping through the fabric.

The blackout lining we have chosen is certified '100% blackout'. This means that no light will pass through the fabric itself. A soft handle ideal for bedrooms, it can also help with the reduction of heat loss.

Interlining is available with both sateen and blackout lined curtains. Interlined curtains have an additional layer of fabric in between the lining and face fabric. Interlined curtains form more rounded, fuller pleats and have an opulent, sumptuous appearance. They also have added thermal qualities, blocking draughts and avoiding heat loss. As such, this lining type is the perfect solution for a door curtain. Interlined curtains hang best on a floor length drop.

The two choices for roman blinds are: Sateen and Blackout.

Sateen lining for our roman blinds is a sateen and interlining combination, helping your roman blind drape and appear more luxurious.

Blackout lining for our roman blinds is a blackout and interlining combination, offering 100% light exclusion, while also incorporating thermal properties. Our lining helps the drape and appearance of your roman blind for a more luxurious feel.

Not always, when you use our curtain visualiser, you can decide if you’d like a pair of curtains or alternatively one large one.

Our eyelets come in Brushed Nickel colour as standard however we can provide the following colours: Black, Gunmetal, Gold, Antique Brass, Nickel and Antique Copper.

Our eyelets come in 40mm as standard however we can also provide larger/smaller sizes for an additional cost.

Ordering

Made-to-measure curtains are just that; they are made with you and your home in mind.

We will always do our utmost to accommodate you, but we do start working on your curtains or blinds as soon as you’ve placed your order, therefore it is very difficult to alter certain elements of it.
However, if you contact us as soon as possible, we can advise regarding the best options available to you.

Payments

You can be 100% confident that we have invested in the most secure transaction methods available worldwide today. Couture Living use Stripe Payments which is a well-known and trusted company for processing online payments securely. Stripe has been audited by a PCI-certified auditor and is certified to PCI Service Provider Level 1. This is the most stringent level of certification available in the payments industry.

Delivery

All sample orders are sent by the Royal Mail.

Made to measure orders will be delivered by DPD or UPS courier service. We use a next working day delivery service as standard and a signature is required on delivery. We will notify you the day before your order is to be delivered. All made to measure orders are trackable via our courier. If you are not in when the delivery arrives, a card will be left giving you the option to arrange a suitable delivery.

Returns

All made to measure orders are handmade and quality checked before shipping, but if you feel like something is wrong, we’ll be happy to help.

Once you receive your curtains and blinds, make sure to check them immediately and let us know if you find any damage or defects.

We request that you await our confirmation before organising any returns. Please use our Contact Us page and provide us with your Order Number and details of the items you would like to return.

Wallpapers can be returned for up to 14 days after delivery as a complete order OR as part of an order with a minimum of 5 rolls being returned.

Wallpaper returns are subject to a 20% re-stocking charge.

We request that you await our confirmation before organising any returns. Please use our Contact Us page and provide us with your Order Number and details of the items you would like to return.

The cost of returning wallpaper is at your expense and is your responsibility until received by our warehouse. We recommend using a tracked delivery service which requires a signature to ensure that you have proof of return. We are not liable for lost or damaged goods. All wallpaper rolls must be returned undamaged and in the original packaging unopened.

We advise that all rolls are inspected prior to hanging as a refund cannot be issued once the product has been hung. We also advise booking decorators upon receipt of your wallpaper as we cannot be held responsible for a decorator’s revisit costs or when goods are not inspected prior to hanging.

We highly recommend ordering samples of wallpapers before placing an order.

Fabrics

Not a problem! Couture Living can source the fabric or pattern on your behalf; just let us know which design or brand you like, along with any other details you may have. Due to our relationship with all UK & international suppliers, it is likely we’ll be able to get hold of the fabric and add it to our range.

Yes, simply call us on 01924 457243 and we can check stock levels on any of our fabrics.

The measurement between any point in a fabric's pattern and the point at which that same point in the pattern is repeated.

Screen resolutions and quality vary and so there may be a variation but we’ve built our curtain and blind visualiser tool to try and show you as close as possible what your design will look like. We always recommend ordering samples first to get a much better idea of your chosen fabrics and the physical elements of how they feel and look.

Our ranges are updated or a regular basis, as releases in the textile industry tend to be seasonal. As far as updates to the technical side of the site are concerned, we are constantly working on ways to make things better and to simplify the process for our customers.

Cleaning & Care

We would not advice this. Each fabric listed on our website has recommended care instructions from the fabric manufacturers. We strongly recommend that this guidance is followed. Washing in a machine may cause the fabric to shrink, and colours may run.
Curtains can be dry cleaned but please note, they can shrink by up to 3% during the process. The best way to keep your curtains clean is to regularly vacuum them whilst hanging.

It is a good idea to clean your blinds regularly to ensure they are kept in the best possible condition. Cleaning your blinds can vary depending on the fabric. Check out our blog post on how to clean your blinds for more information.

General

Roman blinds can be an effective way of keeping heat in your home. Our roman blinds are interlined as standard making your blinds more energy efficient in the long run.

Curtains can help insulate your home and stop the cold draught from windows and doors getting in.

You can find out more in our how to keep your house warm blog post.

If you have a radiator below the window, we recommend finishing your curtains approximately 3cm above it. This is so that the heat from the radiator does not get trapped behind the curtain and mix with the cold air from the window. If radiators get too hot, they could also damage the fabric in the long term.

It is very unlikely that your curtains will catch fire from a centrally heated radiator (one that circulates hot water). However, it is highly recommended to not let your curtains get in contact with an electric heater.

Not sure which one to choose? Find out how to choose in our curtains or blinds blog post.

Absolutely, floor-length curtains can often make the room look larger. You may want your curtains to puddle on the floor in which case measure to the floor then add to this how far you would like your curtains to drape on the floor.