Author: Karen Steed

Karen is a professional curtain maker. She developed her skills originally through training at Cambridge Fine Furnishings. Karen has always loved fabric & colour, she has studied textile design as well as interior design.
Mrs Steed

Paint

by Karen SteedLeave a Comment on Paint

I’ve been delighted by the feedback from our clients about Fenwick & Tilbrook paint since becoming one of their Design Partners. Fenwick & Tilbrook are a boutique, family run, high quality paint manufacturer based in Norfolk & as they say “There are a number of manufacturers of premium paints and, with some, the price tag is not necessarily mirrored by the quality. At Fenwick & Tilbrook, quality and, therefore, durability are at the heart of our paints. That means you do not need to use as much paint, it will last longer and, most of all, it will simply look better. It’s great to apply too. We firmly believe you won’t find a better paint”.

Their paint is made to order using only the highest quality ingredients. The paint has great opacity which means less coats are required, excellent durability & high pigment levels for fantastic depth of colour. They offer a fabulous inspiration box of 150 of their colours which means you can easily try out a colour in your room without having to buy a tester pot, although you can do this if you prefer. I find this is a great tool to assist me when trying out paint colours with furnishings.

Mrs Steed

Sitting room refresh

by Karen SteedLeave a Comment on Sitting room refresh
Sitting room refresh

Having already made a few sets of curtains, voile privacy panels & a lampshade for this beautiful period house I was delighted to be invited back to make new curtains for the lovely beamed sitting room. My client wanted to lighten the room up & tone down the colour. We discussed various ways to achieve this,. Paint had already been selected & we established that the sofas which were made to order were a fixed feature. At this point in a consultation we usually brain storm fabric styles & colours & samples are supplied to review at different times of day(light) & evening in the room.

A soft taupe woven fabric with slight lustre to catch the light was chosen to tone with the freshly painted walls & taupe stripe in the sofas. A coordinating Harris Tweed with pretty colouring was selected for cushions. Privacy panels were made in a soft drapey voile with self stripe. The tiebacks were chosen for their scale & bullion fringe which echoes the bullion fringed tassels on the knole sofas. As the embrace was a little short for the curtains I extended them using complimentary rope cord.

It was good to see the lampshade still in use & looking as good as when it was made six years ago – now on a different base & in a different location.

Client’s feedback; “I’m delighted with it all”

    Mrs Steed

    The Finishing Touch

    by Karen SteedLeave a Comment on The Finishing Touch
    The Finishing Touch

    We have a great selection of metal or wooden poles in an array of beautiful finishes & standard colours. As a perfect compliment to your unique home we are delighted to also offer our Painted to order curtain poles…in any colour from Farrow & Ball, Little Greene or Sanderson…

     

    Mrs Steed

    Window seat

    by Karen SteedLeave a Comment on Window seat
    Window seat

    It was an absolute pleasure to be part of this stunning kitchen project. Thank you to our lovely client & to @kitchencraftuk for the beautiful showcase photos which include our Roman blinds & window seat.
    .
    This stunning kitchen features bespoke roman blinds for the bay window & a side window which we made up in ‘Gingko’ linen, created by British designer Jessica Hayman of Rosa and Clara. The linen was printed in Lancashire & a pleasure to work with. We made the large, shaped window seat in Susie Watson striped heavy cotton fabric. Our client chose Zoffany Prussian & Dove designer paint for the walls & kitchen which has oak dovetailed drawers. Gorgeous Mandarin Stone flooring runs throughout the kitchen & into the large light filled dining room over looking the garden.

    Soft furnishings, designer paint & flooring – Mrs Steed soft furnishings, Bespoke kitchen – Kitchencraft Design Studio



    News

    Grey

    by Karen SteedLeave a Comment on Grey
    Grey

    The first five months of this year have been proof that many of my customers are still in love with restful grey interiors.  Each one of these clients chose their own version of the perfect grey in whichever texture or grey tone they preferred.  Some are silvery, some with steel or lilac, aubergine or charcoal undertones.  There are a myriad of grey fabrics to chose from.

    Incredibly the human eye is able to distinguish over 50 shades of grey.

    Grey is often associated with sophistication, elegance, calm & can be the perfect neutral or accent.   Add a pop of bright colour or pastel shade & it changes the tone of the room.  Add some texture such as luxurious velvet or linen, or add metallics & the scheme is altered completely.

    PicMonkey Grey

    Don’t hesitate to ask if you would like me to help you find your perfect grey fabric!

    Mrs Steed

    Wallart

    by Karen SteedLeave a Comment on Wallart

     

    I’m thrilled to offer an exciting range of designer wallpaper.  These gorgeous hand painted art designs have been digitally printed onto heavy weight non woven wide width paper to really enhance the designs.

    This stylish collection co-ordinates beautifully with the gorgeous colour palette of fabrics that we already supply & is available in a great variety of designs whether you favour vibrant or muted colours, florals, country-chic, elegant, whimsical, contemporary or want to inject a bit of bling into your scheme…img_3991

    I have the collection available to show you & can of course supply wallpaper & fabric samples directly to you.

    wallart2

    • Width:  136cms
    • Wipeable
    • Paste the wall – hanging instructions are included with every order & can also be found here  https://vimeo.com/154839979
    • 147grms/sqm
    • Sold by the metre
    • Approx 2 week lead time (printed to order)

    N.B.  these wallpapers are bespoke, printed to order & therefore cannot be returned

    Ask me for more information, to see the collection or for samples

    img_3010-002

    Mrs Steed soft furnishings    T:01371 872697   enquiry@mrssteed.co.uk

     

     

     

    Mrs Steed

    Inspiration

    by Karen SteedLeave a Comment on Inspiration

    I’ve just treated myself to inspirational day out with a lovely group of soft furnishers at a Curtain Masterclass. The Masterclass was led by industry expert Rebecca Day of Merrick & Day who generously shared with us her huge knowledge, experience & tips for designing window treatments.  Rebecca brought some of her gorgeous samples with her which demonstrate just how beautifully a contrast binding, leading edge or trim can enhance a contemporary or traditional curtain. Rebecca’s own style has changed over the years & she now favours a more relaxed style of curtain & heading which I agree is very pretty.  I’m looking forward to using some of these enhancements on future projects. Thank you so much to our host Penny & her staff at Denton Drapes couture soft furnishings. My only complaint is that the day was over all too quickly! 

    PicMonkey DD Learn

    (Photos of Rebecca Day’s samples taken by me)

    Mrs Steed

    Case study: Country house style

    by Karen SteedLeave a Comment on Case study: Country house style

    IMG_8009My client, who loves the Laura Ashley, country house look wanted to up date her sitting room but maintain a traditional feel.    As the room is south facing & has large patio doors out to the garden the furnishings are liable to fade in the strong sunlight; my client chose these textured vertical blinds from my made to measure selection to protect the furnishings & maintain a cooler temperature on sunny days.  The room was newly wallpapered in elegant Colefax & Fowler Elwick Stripe.

    The client had a heavily shaped pelmet which we took apart & re-made into a straight more contemporary shape. The edge was highlighted with a two tone berry shade braid which also picks up on the colour of the stunning new sofa.  The same braid was used to embellish cushions.

    PicMonkey SC LA Gosford 1

    Although it was a long wait for the tie backs to arrive from the French, high end trimmings company, Houles, my client was truly delighted with her choice. These tie backs are made up of loops which are available individually in a choice of colours to create your own original tie backs in any length.

    Blog

    Silk

    by Karen SteedLeave a Comment on Silk

    IMG_8039-001

     

    I’ve had the pleasure of working with many different fabrics so far this year including a very glamorous Designers Guild Dupion. It’s incredible to believe that the source of this stunning natural silk thread was kept a secret for over a thousand years.  For soft furnishers Dupion silk is one of the most popular silk materials as its great to sew & drapes beautifully.  Its thread is stronger than cotton & rougher than other silk with lots of slubs as part of its texture & unique charm.

    These lustrous curtains with pelmets were made for a bedroom, in a stunning historic home, which had been designed around a vibrant rug in warm shades of orange from North Africa.

    I used an interlining recommended especially for use with silk & a thermal lining with good drape qualities.  The pelmets have a small piped edge for definition.  The silk changes shade depending on the light due to the structure of the silk fibres which makes it difficult to capture & do justice to it’s beautiful ‘Ginger’ colour in photos.

    I’m looking forward to working with more silk fabrics especially as I can offer such a gorgeous array of colours, textures & patterns…

    jh silk portfolio

    Just ask me for more details or to see more gorgeous silks ‘in the flesh’…..

    e: enquiry@mrssteed.co.uk    t: 01371 872697