Design Dilemma

After many years of saving, searching and agonising over crazy mortgage repayments I finally bought my house almost 3 years ago. After viewing so many houses and apartments for what seemed like forever I knew immediately that the house was for me - love at first sight so to speak! It's a 1940's corporation house and really hadn't been modernised so it retains a certain charm.

I underestimated how much work was needed but it was structurally sound so the work required was mainly cosmetic as well as rewiring, new windows and peeling off the (in some cases) 5 layers of wallpaper and replastering and painting. I've come to the conclusion that a house is never finished. For that reason I'm glad it's small.

There have been a couple of quick wins which were easy to implement and which overcame a design problem and saved me money that I'd like to share.

In the bedroom was an alcove which housed the gas cylinder. It was a perfect spot for shelving and storage as I don't have a hot press so I had a couple of shelves put in however this was an eyesore to say the least.

One option would have been to put in a door which would have been costly and not a great solution as it wouldn't have had enough space for the door swing due to the proximity of the chest of drawers.
A one or two panel fabric covering would have been an option but this would have to be custom made and I'm not sure if anyone else has noticed this but Dublin isn't great for fabric choice. After some internet research I found the ideal solution - a fringed curtain, also known as a string curtain, no relation to the string vest!!
I found a supplier in the UK. Unfortunately there didn't seem to be anyone in Ireland who stocked them Although the ready-made one was too wide for the space (150cm when I only needed 80cm)  it actually worked out really well as I had a dressmaker double over the width which then resulted in 24 strings per inch instead of the standard 12 so this made the curtain fuller and was more successful in hiding the mess behind it. The beauty of these curtains is that the length can be trimmed but don't trim them too short as they look better left a little longer and will hang better. 

My handyman brother got a metal pole and brackets from the hardware shop and fitted it for me which wasn't too difficult. The curtains already have an opening through which a pole will fit.

I think the overall effect looks great.These curtains are a great idea and they come in a number of colours. The fact that they can be cut and won't fray means that you can customise a unique design.They make a great room divider and are quite glamorous for the bedroom as they have a touch of shine through them. Total cost for the curtain was £39 including postage and approx. €20 for the pole and fittings. Job done!