Pyrford Court was reviewed by The Times and Country Life last week and it must be the largest and longest running project we have ever undertaken. It has been lovingly restored over the last 10 years and is now available for sale at a cost of 20 million pounds.  The house is steeped in history and every part of this home has been thoughtfully brought back to life with attention to every detail.  I just wish we could show you more pictures of the amazing interiors!   

We always like to think we are ahead of whats on trend at Julia Clare and now is official!  Pantone have announced the gorgeous luminous Turquoise tone 15-5519 as the colour of 2010. Reminisicent of tropical waters and escaping from the rigours of everyday life its the colour to use and we have incorporated it in a gorgeous Bang & Olufsen cinema installation we recently completed.  Look on our site for more in this colour - it works so well with browns and neutrals.

We know that trying to match colours on fabrics or wallpapers from a website can be difficult. Thats why we've launched the Colour-Match Service.

You can send us fabric or wallpaper cuttings, magazine cuttings... infact anything and we'll try to match it to a colourway of your chosen fabric or wallpaper.

So if you've a Sofa you want to make cushions for or you're looking to make curtains to match your carpet, simply send us a cutting and we'll do our best to match it!

Oh and it's absolutely free. We'll match it, send you samples absolutely free!

For more details : http://www.juliaclare.co.uk/colourmatch.aspx

Thanks,

Julia.

Well we've now added some of the new collections from Romo Fabrics.

These collections include : Samsara , Licia and Manderley

We have several more collections to add and are busy doing so. As soon as they are online we'll let you know. In the meantime if there is something specific you require then contact myself, Nicki or Charlotte direct on 01428 685030.

When making curtains with Goblet headings, use the cardboard roll the fabric came on and cut it into lengths of about 10cm. Once you have worked out your pleats and spaces on the heading tape, push the pieces of cardboard into the pleat allowance for a really professional looking Goblet heading. Nothing I have found works better!

Its been one of those weeks when everything has finally come together on Friday afternoon and what a sense of achievement!  I dont really get involved with commercial interiors so when we decided to instal a commercial size CVO Fire fireplace into a domestic games room, I guess there was a slight sense of the unknown. We got there in the end though - and what an effect. Technology by Bang & Olufsen, real copper leaf wallpaper, colour changing star lights and not one but two B & O screens with games consoles and lazy boys chairs ..........  I want one!

I am so excited by this new product I simply couldn't write this blog quick enough! There I was reeling from a quote I had received for a hand dyed silk rug (which I knew my client had already fallen in love with, but put simply, Obramavich would have struggled to afford) and as I was wondering just how upset they were going to be when they knew the price, I called a new contract to see if they had any ideas on how I could get around this problem. 

 "You could try having the rug made in bamboo" they said.......  Instantly I was thinking along the lines of rough 90's Crucial Trading style natural flooring and it took a while for them to persuade me to take a look at it. They sent me a sample and I could have fallen off my chair when i saw just how beautiful the sample was. I can honeslty say that I would not have known the difference between the silk and bamboo had they not told me AND it was less than half the price AND it is a sustainable source so everyone is happy.  I just had to share this one with you all as it is a real top secret trick and one I intend to use a lot in the future!

Many fabrics are now available in extra wide widths, and as most workrooms charge make-up by the width, an extra wide fabric can save you a lot of money. They are usually more expensive per metre to begin with which can put people off, but once you consider that the item can be completed much quicker, look better without joins and cost less to make it really is a good way of saving money.

Dont forget extra wide fabrics can also be used sideways (design permitting) so if you have a long drop of say 300cm - 340cm choose an extra wide fabric, turn on its side and then you only need to buy as much as the width of the curtain/blind you require!

I have just seen the Clarke and Clarke rep who showed me the new Modern Classics book - and what a great replacment for the Cath Kidston range!  Much better value at only £14.99 per metre it has all the design and style Cath kidston followers love on a high quality background fabric. What a find!

I have just finished fitting the most amazing Andrew Martin window dressings. We used Andrew Martin Pushkin velvet in the Amethyst colour as a top curtain with a dark amethyst silk curtain underneath. With a little help from some massive crystal tie backs, we pulled the top curtain up into big voluminous balloon, leaving the working silk curtain underneath just peeping through,  and the hem puddling down on the floor. They just look amazing and we are going to be able to photograph them next month so watch this space for some great images!