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curtain poles Archive

01 June

Measuring a window for a curtain pole

Written by Juliet Fishenden

Measuring A Window For A Curtain Pole

It’s extraordinary how much gets done around the house when you are actively discouraged to leave it. What about that window you’ve been meaning to spruce up for ages? How difficult can measuring up for a Made by the Forge curtain pole be? Answer? Not at all… Just three simple steps… W. W. W. – Where, Width, Work out…

Where is the pole going to go? Stand back, look at the window and check there are no beams, light switches or fittings in the way of a straight mount above the window. Ideally the pole should be mounted 15cm above the top of the window. If you have a low ceiling, it should be mounted halfway between the ceiling and the top of the window.
Width of the window to be measured.
Work Out 10% of the width of the window for each side’s drawback (the area the curtain hangs in when not drawn). Remember to allow for the thickness of your curtains and add one of two centimetres if necessary.

Also remember to take into consideration the length of the decorative finial at both ends, the size of your choice can be found on the finial’s product page online. We suggest adding one curtain ring for every 10cm of pole. Be sure to order an even number for symmetry.

For a video of Richard showing you these points, please click here. As ever, any questions, give us a call on +44 (0)1473 487118.

curtain pole, curtain poles, handcrafted, handmade to order, how to measure up for a curtain pole, Interior ironwork, made in Suffolk, made to last From the Forge - News, Interiors, Lifestyle Leave a Comment

03 February

Ram’s Horn finial curtain pole

Written by Juliet Fishenden

Prior to the industrial revolution, the humble blacksmith was installed at his forge in every country village throughout the land. His bread and butter trade was practical ironwork producing horse tack, farm tools and ploughs and in the less enlightened ages, swords and armour.

People soon started to employ the local smithy to make decorative objects that would adorn any home, objects that would be passed down the generations. And where does a blacksmith derive his inspiration for such objects? Out of the window.

Mother Nature features a near infinite range of shapes and forms but the most pleasing to the eye become the classics whose design weathers the years just like the iron they are made of. One such classic is the Ram’s Horn.

The pleasing curves leading to the sharpened tip is one of Made by the Forge’s signature pieces and can be found as a curtain pole finial (above shown in beeswax), a curtain hold back (below shown in matt black finish).

It is also the decorative centre to Chris Eckersley’s Standard Floor Lamp. It is extraordinary how a still powerful and classic design can be forged to compliment contemporary lighting and as a fusion of both past and present, it creates its own unique identity.

beeswax, blacksmith, Chris Eckersley, Curtain hold backs, curtain pole, curtain poles, handcrafted, handmade, interior, Ironwork, Made by the Forge, matt black, Wrought iron From the Forge - News, Interiors, Lifestyle, Style tips Leave a Comment

24 September

Celebrating the beauty of simplicity

Written by Juliet Fishenden

Some of our clients send in images of their new ironwork and the image below is from a customer who wanted brackets for a wooden shelf he wanted to mount on the wall. His idea was simple and stylish and the handmade brackets bring a touch of individuality to his home with the added benefit of supporting us British Blacksmiths and helping keep our craft alive.

The testimonials below are from two satisfied customers and an image showing how artisanal touches can add to any room making it feel and look special:

Dear Richard
Many thanks for the curtain pole. All safely received and “aesthetically’ mounted on the living room wall. Really nicely made and looks great.
Loved the clear instruction leaflet..
Regards
Mark

September 2016

Morning Richard
Just to let you know that our order arrived yesterday, I am delighted with the curtain poles and ties backs.
The chap will fit them next week, and then the curtains soon after that.
Your company has been a pleasure to deal with, very approachable, reasonably priced, excellent service, and made in Great Britain which I am very passionate about.
I will have no hesitation in recommending you.
Many thanks and kind regards
Katrina

August 2016

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03 February

The Beauty of Silk

Written by Juliet Fishenden

There is something wonderfully decadent about silk. It is so beautiful to touch and always a delight to see framing a window or a cushion. It is a timeless, natural fabric which works well in soft furnishings for both contemporary and country home interiors.

Natalie Canning, a curtain and blind expert, generously shares her views on Dupion silk and the silk worm with us;

“Dupion silk is one of the most popular silk materials as it is easy to sew, drapes beautifully and is wrinkle resistant. It is created by two different silk worms spinning their cocoons closely together and their fibres tangling.

The thread created is rougher than other silk materials and the finished fabric contains bumps and irregularities called slubs which are part of its unique charm.

The humble silkworm is blissfully unaware of its importance to the natural fabric industry. It is said that a Chinese Empress discovered a silk worm’s white cocoon after it fell into her tea cup. The Empress was a keen weaver and after noticing a strand coming away from the fuzzy object she began to study it more closely. She unwound the cocoon into one long filament and the rest is history. The amazing silkworm caterpillar feeds on mulberry trees until it is ready to pupate and then uses huge silk producing glands to spin a cocoon. The clever caterpillar adds a protective gummy protein to the thread which makes the silk cocoon rigid.

The Chinese Empress had accidentally discovered a way to remove this hard coating and release the fine silk thread….immersion in hot water! Or in her case a cup of tea! The Chinese kept the source of this beautiful, natural silk thread secret for well over one thousand years. There were many speculations and theories but the penalty for sharing the secret was death!”

We love the contrast between dupion silk and our solid iron poles so if you would like some help combining the two we would love to hear from you.

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02 September

Express Poles

Written by Juliet Fishenden

If you are thinking of restyling a room and your window needs a curtain pole we can offer some poles immediately. For that desperate rush when one needs to get a pole fast we can now offer you a variety of express pole kits.

You can now order the same handcrafted quality in a pre-defined size, shipped to you to arrive within 48 hours if you are in the UK. This is ideal if you decide to do a quick make over for those short notice visitors!

The packs feature our popular Cannon Ball or Button finials in 1.2 metre, 1.5 metre or 1.8 metre lengths complete with all brackets, rings, fixings and a pictorial guide to help you put the pole up.

Please note that if you order at the weekend or on a Friday then your poles would be despatched on Monday to arrive with you on Tuesday.

Below is the Button finial curtain pole.

beeswax, black, blacksmith, curtain pole, curtain poles, curtains, handcrafted, handmade, solid iron, Wrought iron From the Forge - News, Interiors Leave a Comment

26 March

Contemporary style, keeping it simple

Written by Juliet Fishenden

We have been looking into how we can show off our classic wrought iron curtain poles to their best advantage. There are so many ways to dress a window space we have decided to go for a contemporary, subtle material to achieve a distinctive, luxurious look.

If big bold patterns are not your thing and you are looking for a cool understated look in your interior then you can’t go wrong with a good quality fabric with an interesting texture or pattern. For simplicity I love the Ishida collection from Designers Guild which has a large colour palette and a variety of textures, from a tweedy chenille weave to one with a lustrous sheen.

For something with a bit of fun there is a playful dotted design from Harlequin fabrics – Artisan Embroideries collection – Bobbin. Shown below in Toast/Linen and Eggshell but is also available in bright raspberry/lime and turquoise if you want to be bold, it would look great with strong paint colours! The artisan quality would go perfectly with our handmade iron curtain poles and a Cannon Ball or Button finial.

Layering your window fabrics can work well, we can make special brackets and poles to hold a light sheer curtain behind your main curtains. Harlequin fabrics has a range called Momentum Sheers and Structures II – Noa in graphite is particularly striking.
https://www.harlequin.uk.com/shop/fabric/momentum-sheers-and-structures-ii/noa/?code=HMOH131503

We are always pleased to see any photos of the fabrics you have used or are considering using. So please do share your images and thoughts.

beeswax, blacksmith, curtain pole, curtain poles, handcrafted, handmade, interior From the Forge - News, Interiors, Lifestyle, Style tips Leave a Comment

03 November

Bespoke Service

Written by Juliet Fishenden

At Made by the Forge we pride ourselves in offering a proper, old fashioned customer service. We have many products available in a standard size and we also offer a custom made service if you need it.

For example with our curtain poles we are able to make brackets at any projection to suit your needs. This is particularly helpful in old houses when the walls are not straight!

This is what one of our customers thought of our service:

“Made by the Forge makes a terrific handmade ironwork product and provides impeccable service. Richard is always available to provide advice and is very responsive to particular requirements. We were doing a major refurbishment project in Central London where each window needed poles and fittings adapted to particular tight fits and cornice situations, as so often happens in old converted buildings. Richard responded by making special fittings and finials; always quickly, efficiently, and at very reasonable prices. Plus this ironwork looks great with sophisticated fabrics. It would be a pleasure to use Made by the Forge again.” A.C. Chelsea, London

We are thrilled that AC is thrilled and look forward to seeing some photos.

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08 May

Express Pole Kits

Written by Juliet Fishenden

Made by the Forge has decided to offer a new, speedy curtain pole pack for anyone who wants a curtain pole or poles in a hurry. Coming soon we will be able to offer an Express Delivery Service so you can have your pole within 48 hours; allowing you to be creative and dress your windows quickly for when the Queen decides to visit at short notice!

The plan is to have a variety of standard lengths of poles, made, finished, with all the necessary brackets and rings, wrapped and ready to go. We will be offering our most popular Cannon Ball and Button finials. We felt it important that the iron quality is exactly the same as our bespoke made to measure service and you have the choice of both the matt black or beeswax finish. Below shows a cannon ball being hammer finished in the traditional way.

The Button finial works well in a small space but also offers a smart, understated end to any pole in any location.

Meanwhile if you need your poles in a hurry please do call Richard 07787 542860. We will always do our very best to get your order made up and couriered to you as fast as possible.

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