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More from the author of "The Curtain Bible"

One of Katrin Cargill's first pieces of advice is to "always look at the basic design and proportion of a house, a piece of furniture, or a floor plan. No amount of decoration, fabric, paint or money will make a room look wonderful if the basic architecture is wrong. A sofa with bad proportions will never look good even if you cover it with the best fabric money can buy. I would far rather spend money on getting the basics right, then adding simple pieces be they antique or new. I also love colour, am drawn to it instinctively. I love pattern, but used sparingly."

She suggests that the best way to begin sewing for your home is "to start with simple unlined curtains with a tape heading, or even a 'quick sew' roll-up blind. The instructions for these are clear and easy to follow, and will give you a tremendous sense of satisfaction to make." She also advises that novices might start with plain fabrics (rather than patterns), and to look for wider fabrics that won't require a lot of extra seams.

In determining what window treatments might be best for your window she says to "remember that curtains can be used not just to keep light in or out, or maintain privacy, but also to alter the visual proportions of a window. Thus, if a window is particularly low or squat, hang the curtains high to give the illusion of better proportions." Katrin says she also tries to match the window to the type of curtain that will go on it. She prefers "simple curtains that aren't too full, or heavily lined" using a cotton check, stripe, or a simple floral. As for color choices, Katrin advises that "if you already have several colours in a room, it is perhaps better to use a plain neutral colour on the windows, or maybe to pull out the dominant colour of the room to try and unify it. A busy wallpaper, for example, will look better with unpatterned curtains. A strongly patterned rug might be enhanced by pulling a colour from it and repeating it at the windows. Plain walls and neutral carpeting will give you a bit more room for pattern and colour."

She also advocates making your window treatments as attractive from the outside of the house as they are from the inside. "To me the exterior of a house is as important as the interior, and one of my pet hates is seeing a house from the outside with windows draped in ugly off-white lining fabric. Why not use a tiny check to line curtains, or a small floral pattern, to add a bit of life to the outside, when the curtains are drawn? Equally, line a roman blind in a colour or a stripe to add a bit of fun to the outside! I find this particularly apt in urban situations."

The Curtain Bible and Katrin's other titles can be purchased directly from online retailers, book stores, and comprehensive listings through mySimon.com.
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