Using Curtains To Make Small Rooms Appear Bigger

With interior design, both big and small rooms come with their own specific set of challenges, but there are tricks to employ to make the most of the space.

Revealed! Curtain Trends For 2025!

There are lots of curtain trends coming to the fore this year so here are just a couple that we’re certain will help you bring your homes to life in 2025.

3 Spring Colours To Embrace At Home This Season!

As the season of rebirth and renewal, springtime is the perfect opportunity to breathe new life into your home. Here are three popular interior shades for 2025.

How To Dress Large Windows At Home

As showstopping as large windows most certainly are, they can pose something of an issue when it comes to which drapes, curtains and blinds to choose.

4 Of The Cosiest Textiles For Your Home

Fabric choice is something to give serious consideration when embarking on any home improvement project. Find out more about cosy fabrics on the blog now.

Using Colour Psychology To Design Your Dream Home

It’s important to think about what kind of mood and atmosphere you want to create in the various rooms at home. Colour psychology can easily help with this.

How To Play With Texture In Interior Design

To start, focus on using different materials throughout your space. Use your curtains as a focal point, something that you can base other decisions around.

Can You Hang Curtains In The Bathroom?

Of course it’s entirely possible to have longer drapes hung over your bathroom windows, depending on the layout of the space. Find out more on the blog.

How To Use Curtains To Keep Your Home Warm This Winter

One of your best lines of defence where interior design is concerned is to invest in beautifully thick and luxurious sets of curtains, boosting thermal control.

Christmas Decorating: 4 Top Tips

Festive home decor isn’t just about the baubles, the tinsel and the tree. Here are four ways to create a cosy atmosphere at home this Christmas time. Enjoy!

Organza Voile Curtains: Perfect For Airy Interiors

Sheer voile curtains are becoming more popular because of the light and airy feel they help create at home. See the blog to find out more about this fabric.

4 FAQs About Bifold Door Curtains

Here are some frequently asked questions about curtains for bifold doors to help point you in the right direction. Get in touch with us today to find out more.

Hygge Season: 7 Top Tips For Cosy Interiors

The hygge look is minimalistic, so it’s actually relatively easy to embrace it at home – which means you can get all cosy without having to break the bank.

Transforming Traditional Pelmets Into Contemporary Features

You can easily bring pelmets in to frame your curtains and hide fixtures and fittings without affecting the modern feel of your property. See more here.

Heavy Linens: Ideal For Autumnal Decorating

As well as being an incredibly stylish addition to your home, what is it about linen that makes it perfect as a curtain choice for autumn? Find out on the blog.

3 Colour Trends For 2025

There are lots of new colours coming to the fore over the next 12 months and if you research now, you’ll be ready for some decorating fun come January.

Free Video Consultations With Pret A Vivre!

Get in touch with the Pret A Vivre team and we can arrange for you to have a free video consultation with one of our inhouse expert designers!

6 Benefits Of Roller Blinds

We’ve put together a very handy guide on roller blinds so that you can check that these products meet your requirements. Take a look and see what you think!

5 Seasonal Decorating Tips In Time For Autumn

Autumn is a wonderful time of year, filled with beautiful colours and stunning natural light, so get your decorating hats on and see what switches you can make.

4 FAQs About Roman Blinds

Here are four frequently asked questions about Roman blinds that might help you decide whether they’re appropriate for the windows you have in mind. Enjoy!

Knightsbridge curtains - summer curtains

4 Of The Best Summer Colours For Curtains

Because temperatures increase in summer, it can be helpful to switch out thicker, darker fabrics like velvet for lighter-coloured ones in less heavy materials.

5 FAQs About Pelmets

One of the most popular window treatments of 2024 is the pelmet, a wooden frame or fabric border that’s used to hide the fixtures and fittings of your curtains.

Ready made curtain shops near me - earthy tones

Create A Calm & Cosy Home With Earthy Colours

Look to nature for inspiration when wondering what tones to go for and you’ll find a plethora of beautiful colours that all work perfectly throughout the house.

3 Creative Uses For Curtains

Curtains can be used in myriad different ways throughout the house. Here’s how to inject a sense of unique style into your home using nothing but drapes!

What Are Smart Home Curtains?

Smart home curtains bring with them a raft of associated benefits beyond the level of privacy you’ve come to expect from traditional window treatments.

5 FAQs About Bedroom Curtains

Good bedroom design typically involves ensuring that you’re able to get a good night’s sleep each and every night… and bedroom curtains are vital for this!

Our Top Tips For Matching Curtains To Carpets

Carpets and curtains make up a big proportion of your rooms and they can work together really well, bringing other design decisions together quickly and easily.

What Are Cafe Curtains & Are They Right For Your Home?

Popularised in 19th century Vienna, these half-size kitchen curtains were seen in restaurants to ensure privacy levels without compromising on natural light.

Curtains For Bifold Doors: Our Top Tips

Curtains will always look incredibly stylish when hung over bifold doors, helping to bring the rest of your interior design choices together. See more here.

5 FAQs About Automated Blinds

Home automation is big news these days and there are all sorts of technological innovations you can bring in… including smart blinds! See more on the blog.

4 FAQs About Bottom Up Blinds

One popular choice of window treatment these days is bottom up blinds, which allow you to enjoy both privacy and natural light at the same time. See more here.

How Long Should Curtains Be?

A common mistake that many people make when choosing curtains for their home is not measuring them appropriately for the size of window they’re dealing with.

A Quick Guide To Curtain Care

The various techniques you’ll need to employ will largely be dictated by the type of fabric and material you’ve gone for, as well as curtain construction.

4 Top Tips For Making Curtains Look Even More Luxurious

Here are a few tricks of the trade that will help give your curtains an instant lift, allowing you to make them look more luxurious, without breaking the bank.

Which Curtains Are Best For Bay Windows?

Something to consider is which kind of window treatment is most appropriate for your beautiful bay fronted home. Here are the best curtain options for you.

4 Curtain Trends To Watch In 2024

You might well be surprised at just what a difference bringing in new curtains and blinds can make to your rooms, giving them a whole new look and feel.

Motorisation: Smart Window Dressings for a Smart Home

Motorisation is fast becoming the biggest trend in interiors. More and more people have smart home systems and want their window dressings to be incorporated into their home system

The How-To Guide For Curtains And Blinds

A key to success in interior design is to consider every detail of the ending in the beginning. To design a successful electrical scheme for example, you need to know where furniture will ultimately be positioned.

How To Keep Your Home Warmer With Your Window Dressings

There are multiple ways of helping to keep out the cold with various window dressings and to suite every budget.

Design Journeys Through Unique Times

Design Journeys Through Unique Times Video consultations were something completely new to us at Pret a Vivre at the start of the lockdown BUT have been completely revolutionary and we like many others have opened our eyes to a new way of working. If we are being honest we were a little uncertain as to […]

Working Remotely

Documenting the journey of a chiswick project & working from home. Working Remotely Working remotely was something new to us (like many others) at the start of last year. We have actually found the process has worked very well for us and have discovered new ways of working such as our fantastic free video design […]

Good Blackout Equals A Good Night Sleep

Good Blackout = Good Night Sleep Now the clocks have changed and that sunlight is creeping in earlier, you may find you’re struggling to sleep the whole night through. We know how important a good night’s sleep is and have listed below some of our great solutions for you. 1. Lath & Fascia or Pelmets […]

Herringbone linen for a natural Notting Hill home

Location: Victorian Villa in Notting Hill, W11

Before & After

Location: Ravenscourt Park, W6

Old School House

Location: Northamptonshire

New Development

Location: North London

Muswell Hill

Location: Muswell Hill, North London

Victorian Terrace Home

Location: Victorian terrace home in Balham, SW12

Reconverted Hospital Development

Location: Reconverted Hospital Development outside Wimbledon Village, SW20

Period Flat Project

Location: A period flat in the W2 area

Riverside Flat

Location: Riverside

Project Knightsbridge

Location: Knightsbridge Mansion

Reconverted Police Station Project

Location: Reconverted police station, in the W9 area

Wimbledon Wide Windows

Location: Wimbledon Village, SW19

Double height voiles and a view over St Paul’s

Location: Over 30 stories above the Thames, SE1

Finishing touches to a West London home

Location: Elegant family home in Notting Hill, W11

Before & After in the stylish TV Centre flat

Location: Contemporary London flat in the BBC Television Centre, White City, W12

Pret A Vivre’s FREE Video Consultations

Here’s our Founder, Joanne Cassabois, detailing the steps our experienced designers will happily run through in our FREE video consultations. You can learn more about this service and the design advice by getting in touch with our team today.

Curtains for Basement Windows

Curtains for Basement Windows – Window Treatment Ideas For Basement Windows Lower ground floor flats or basement rooms in London can greatly benefit from careful consideration when choosing window treatments. London basements can be quite large rooms with very often a big bay window at the front (street side) and French windows or bi-fold doors […]

Luxurious Silk Curtains, Hampstead London

Luxurious Silk Curtains, Hampstead London Silk is a very special fabric, both for curtains as well as for Roman blinds. It is fabulously multi-dimensional and can certainly never be described as a flat fabric. It is soft, sumptuous and always luxurious. This home in Hampstead London opted for silk curtains in the main bedroom as […]

Modern London Living – Contemporary Curtains for Large Windows

Modern London Living Contemporary Curtains for Large Windows This is a beautifully simple window dressing solution for a contemporary apartment in London N1 with large floor to ceiling windows. Large windows are increasingly becoming an endemic part of the London skyline yet we find that not everybody realises just how elegant voile curtains can be […]

Battersea Power Station Project

Battersea Power Station Project Personal Service On line, over the telephone, by video consultation or in one of our 3 showrooms you will be looked after and guided through the whole process by one of our designers whether you are buying 1 roller blind or a fully integrated home automation system. Price Match Promise We […]

Hampstead Project

Hampstead Project Personal Service On line, over the telephone, by video consultation or in one of our 3 showrooms you will be looked after and guided through the whole process by one of our designers whether you are buying 1 roller blind or a fully integrated home automation system. Price Match Promise We offer you […]

Fulham Project

Fulham Project Personal Service On line, over the telephone, by video consultation or in one of our 3 showrooms you will be looked after and guided through the whole process by one of our designers whether you are buying 1 roller blind or a fully integrated home automation system. Price Match Promise We offer you […]

Holland Park Project

Holland Park Project Personal Service On line, over the telephone, by video consultation or in one of our 3 showrooms you will be looked after and guided through the whole process by one of our designers whether you are buying 1 roller blind or a fully integrated home automation system. Price Match Promise We offer […]

Modern Home, Wimbledon

Location: Modern home organised around a central courtyard, SW19

Clapham Project

Clapham Project Personal Service On line, over the telephone, by video consultation or in one of our 3 showrooms you will be looked after and guided through the whole process by one of our designers whether you are buying 1 roller blind or a fully integrated home automation system. Price Match Promise We offer you […]

St Edward, Kensington Project

St Edward, Kensington Project Personal Service On line, over the telephone, by video consultation or in one of our 3 showrooms you will be looked after and guided through the whole process by one of our designers whether you are buying 1 roller blind or a fully integrated home automation system. Price Match Promise We […]

Kingston Project

Kingston Project Personal Service On line, over the telephone, by video consultation or in one of our 3 showrooms you will be looked after and guided through the whole process by one of our designers whether you are buying 1 roller blind or a fully integrated home automation system. Price Match Promise We offer you […]

Barnes Project

Barnes Project Personal Service On line, over the telephone, by video consultation or in one of our 3 showrooms you will be looked after and guided through the whole process by one of our designers whether you are buying 1 roller blind or a fully integrated home automation system. Price Match Promise We offer you […]

Velvet Curtains for 21st Century!

Everyone is thinking velvet for their interiors and why not? It is such a timeless, elegant fabric and always looks good in any room. However before you get carried away – you need to understand the various pit falls in choosing the best velvet for your home out of the huge range of velvets available […]

Top tips for surviving light morning during lockdown

With the COVID-19 lockdown and the recent clock change, it’s a challenge to get a good night’s sleep for many. There are, however, plenty of ways to exclude the light from the 6am sunrise! If you are finding it hard to adjust to adapt to British Summer Time (BST) or struggling to get proper sleep during this […]

New Year Sale Now On

New Year Sale Now On This year our sale is bigger than ever! We’re clearing stock of the ends of rolls of our bestselling fabrics and colours by offering it as FREE fabric when ordering made to measure roman blinds. When making curtains we use continuous meterage, leaving us with a number of ends of […]

Join us at Decorex!

Decorex International is Europe’s leading event for interior design professionals and Pret A Vivre will be offering interior design advice and information at stand F121 on our full range of services – from measure to fit! The event also offers the perfect opportunity for interior designers and architects to liaise with our home automation project […]

Window treatments for wide windows, bifold or sliding doors

Our London Showrooms Fulham Islington Notting Hill Recent Projects Reviews Blog Contact Our Service Our Journey Design Ideas Bay Windows Bi Fold Doors & Glazed Areas Challenging Windows Contemporary Apartments Skylights The London Look Fabrics Cottons Lugano Modena Narlay Poligny Poligny II Cotton Mix Anais Auckland Darbella Evora Lausanne Montpellier Cavallo Vernazza Linens Annecy Avignon […]

Prêt à Vivre makes Design News in The House Directory June 2019 newsletter

The benefits of smart blinds

How to use curtains to add texture your room

Nursery Window Treatment Dos and Don’ts

Prêt à Vivre wins ‘Best of Houzz’ for the 3rd year running!

We are excited to let you all know that we’ve won this year’s Best of Houzz award for excellent customer service in supplying bespoke curtains and blinds. For the third year running Prêt à Vivre has been chosen by the Houzz community of over 40 million monthly users amongst 2.1 million interiors industry professionals for […]

January Sale 2019

Our January Sale 2019 is now on! With prices starting at just £1 per metre there’s no reason to put off your redecorating projects! Feel free to browse our roll ends, with lengths up to 5m, perfect for a single door curtain, roman blinds, upholstery projects or cushions! You can view or download our full […]

Christmas Curtains 2018

Decorex 2018 – The House of the Future

Come see Prêt à Vivre on stand B52 at Decorex 2018!

What happens on a measure visit?

The English Home August 2018

Summer Sale 2018

Bringing Technology Into the Home

Is interlining declining?

When choosing curtains or blinds for a bedroom or cinema room many naturally opt for blackout lining. However, what should one choose for the rest of the home? The majority of curtains and roman blinds will be lined with a second fabric to protect the fabric chosen, the face fabric, as well as hide all […]

Orders & Workroom Co-ordinators

Roller Blind Production Team

Quality Control Team

Prêt à Vivre – Christmas Opening Hours

Our Christmas Opening Hours over the festive period are as follows: Our showrooms in Fulham, Islington, Muswell Hill and Notting Hill will all close at 5:30 pm on Thursday 21st December until 9:30 on Tuesday, 3rd January 2017 for the start of the Winter Sale. Let the GREAT WINTER SALE begin! Over the Christmas break, […]

Small Business Saturday – Free in-store Design Consultations, Free Festive Refreshments and a Fab Cushion for all orders placed with deposit paid on the day

Join us in store Saturday December 3rd 2016 to celebrate Small Business Saturday 2016. A UK-wide initiative, Small Business Saturday encourages UK shoppers to support British independent shops and businesses, just like Prêt à Vivre, where you can be sure the emphasis is on great products and super service. We are offering Free Design Consultations throughout […]

Do you need curtains and / or blinds in time for Christmas?

Here is a friendly reminder to all our customers that we are fast are approaching the final weeks for placing orders for made to measure curtains and blinds to be fitted in time for Christmas. This is one of our busiest times of the year as Londoners are keen to get their homes ready for the […]

Modern London Living – Contemporary Curtains for Large Windows

This is a beautifully simple window dressing solution for a contemporary apartment in London N1 with large floor to ceiling windows. Large windows are increasingly becoming an endemic part of the London skyline yet we find that not everybody realises just how elegant voile curtains can be in contemporary high-rise homes. Not only do voile […]

Floor to ceiling Curtains with a WOW factor for Contemporary Apartment in Clerkenwell EC1

Eagle Point is a prestigious new development just off City Road in East London’s Shoreditch. It is known for its fantastic views over London and as you would expect, the apartments have large floor to ceiling windows, all the better to enjoy the wonderful views. But, as many Londoners already know, large windows can be […]

Made to Measure Curtains North London with Anais, our random dyed yarn

Having previously provided made to measure curtains for the living room, we were asked back to consult on made to measure curtains for the master bedroom. In this North London home in Highbury N5, the master bedroom is painted in Farrow and Ball Oval Room Blue and has two windows close together. The brief was […]

A Creative Solution – Roman Panel Blinds for a Large Window, Maida Vale London W9

The living room of this apartment has a lovely big window with views out onto pretty Maida Vale. It is a big window in 3 panels. It lets in lots of light and is in fact a central feature of the room. Usually, we would recommend curtains for a window this big. But this particular […]

Toiles de Mayenne – Striped Fabric for Curtains and Roman Blinds in London home

It’s hard to believe we are already celebrating the first anniversary of our partnership with Toiles de Mayenne. The beautiful Toiles de Mayenne fabrics have been woven in France since 1806. Striped fabrics are a particular speciality. Given the context, this is the perfect opportunity to share with you a recent design example using the […]

HURRAH – it’s sale time again at Prêt à Vivre, London’s Curtains & Blinds Specialists

Great news for Londoners! The Prêt à Vivre Fabric Sale London 2016 is now on and offers genuine opportunities to create really fabulous curtains and blinds for your home at knock down prices. And we won’t be cutting back on our super-personalised service either!! With the advice of our expert staff, always on hand to […]

Bottom Up Blinds for a room with a view!

We recently made and installed these very elegant bottom up blinds for a London client in North Kensington W10. Our client wanted privacy in the room but at the same time wanted to retain as much light in the room as possible. She was also keen to hold onto that beautiful sky view! In this […]

Get reduced price tickets with the Prêt à Vivre Spirit of Summer discount code 2016!

From now until 21st of June 2016, you can use the Prêt à Vivre discount code to get a discount on tickets to this year’s Spirit of Summer interior design fair at London’s Olympia. The discount code is SS10 and is valid for all tickets purchased online. You can buy your online tickets here. Curated […]

Electric roller blinds for bifold doors, Richmond London

When this project was completed, both the architect and our Richmond-based client were very proud of the end result. Our client specifically wanted electric roller blinds for her bifold doors which lead to the garden from the living area. We do not generally recommend using roller blinds on bifold doors. Here’s why: Roller blinds tend […]

What a difference elegantly dressed windows make to this NW London flat!

Take a look at these revealing Before and After pics! They really illustrate just how much a window dressing revamp can transform a room. This was a renovation project for a two-room west London flat. You can clearly see from the Before pics just how domineering the existing wooden blinds are, in both rooms. They […]

Calling North West Londoners! Free curtains and blinds Home Consultation

This summer, the Prêt à Vivre team is offering free curtains and blinds Home Consultation Sessions with one of our interior designers to residents of NW6 and NW10. This offer from our All Saints Road showroom extends to the Queen’s Park, Kilburn, Brondesbury and Kensal Rise areas. Home Visits from our interior designers normally cost […]

Grand Designs – privacy curtains for swimming pools

Remember this incredible moveable swimming pool from the recent Grand Designs programme? The swimming pool belongs to a beautiful house superbly situated on a hill overlooking London! Prêt à Vivre made the curtains that dress French windows leading from the living room to the swimming pool! Photos courtesy of Aqua Platinum Projects, the swimming pool […]

House Fair 2016 Ticket Offers courtesy of Prêt à Vivre – 2 for 1 ticket offer

House Fair 2016 Ticket Offers – For one week only, use our unique promocode to get 2 for 1 tickets to London’s top home & interiors event – the House Fair 2016 at London Olympia. The House Fair takes place over 4 days from June 22nd to June 25th. The 2 for 1 Ticket Offer […]

Cassette Blinds and Zip Blinds – when a regular blackout blind is not enough!

At this time of the year, many people are experiencing issues with excessive sunlight in various rooms in the home. Last week we talked about blackout blinds for sunny bedrooms to alleviate problems with waking up too early. In most cases this solution is more than sufficient. However, there are situations where a regular blackout […]

Waking up too early? Blackout Blinds mean lighter brighter mornings don’t have to keep you and the kids awake

Having a bedroom that gets the morning sun can be a little annoying for sensitive sleepers at this time of the year as the dawn breaks ever earlier. We get lots of enquiries from light sleepers and from parents with young children. Very early morning sun streaming in through windows can keep the kids awake […]

Introducing Anais – a random dyed yarn and just one of our many exciting new fabrics

We have recently added as many as 17 exciting new fabrics to our fabric range. Many of these are already available to view in our 4 London showrooms, where you can see them actually made up as curtains or blinds. Over the coming weeks, we look forward to showcasing our new fabrics on the website. […]

North West London Blinds – Diffusing the light in NW10 and NW6

We cover an increasing number of curtains and blinds projects for customers in North West London, particularly around NW10 and NW6 – the Kilburn, Kensal Green and Queens Park areas. One very common question that comes up is what type of blinds should be used in specific situations. Windows are generally a focal point in […]

For Curtains and Blinds North West London, visit our Prêt à Vivre Showroom on All Saints Road

Did you know that from our curtains and blinds showroom at number 20, All Saints Road in London W11, we cover most West London postcodes? The West London and North West London postcodes we cover include: NW6 – Kilburn and Queen’s Park, NW10 – Willesden, W2 – Hyde Park, Bayswater, Paddington, W6 Hammersmith, W9 Maida […]

Curtains for French Windows London SW13

This recent project involved dressing two sets of French windows in the living / dining room of a London SW13 home. The French windows open out into the garden and terrace and would therefore need to remain freely accessible. Our brief was as follows: our client wanted to integrate the two wall-hanging radiators which are […]

Window Treatments? Where ever you are in London, Prêt à Vivre can help!

North, South, East or West, we have London covered with four London curtains and blinds show rooms. We like to make the process of Window Treatments as easy as possible for our customers. With an emphasis on personal service, we take care of the entire process from the initial design to final fitting of the […]

Blinds for your Kitchen Window

Even though kitchen windows can be a challenge, getting the right blinds especially when you have a kitchen window over the sink, can make all the difference. In this case, a Roman blind with twin inset borders positively lifts the entire kitchen space. Let’s take you through the design detail behind our thinking! As you […]

Curtains for Basement Windows – window treatment ideas for basement windows

Lower ground floor flats or basement rooms in London can greatly benefit from careful consideration when choosing window treatments. London basements can be quite large rooms with very often a big bay window at the front (street side) and French windows or bi-fold doors at the back (garden side). This large London basement in Notting […]

Curtains for two windows close together

We get a lot of queries from our customers on choosing curtains for two windows close together or side by side on the same wall. It is not always obvious how to dress two windows in the same room. The task becomes even more challenging when one of the windows is a bay window and […]

Need to Revamp your Windows? We can help!

At Prêt à Vivre, we are happy to share our interior design ideas and to help you transform your windows and your home with bespoke curtains and blinds that are made to measure your windows. And all this without costing the earth. To make it as easy as possible for our clients, we carry the […]

Curtains and Blinds W14 for a contemporary London Apartment

We thought we should share these lovely pics of a recent curtains and blinds project we did for customers in W14. For the open plan living area with the large floor to ceiling windows, we used Layla. Layla is a textured stable voile fabric with a linen look. The shade is Layla White. In this […]

Prêt à Vivre – proudly making curtains and blinds for Londoners

It has always been our concept to offer a superior product coupled with an excellent and personalised service at sensible prices. Choosing the right curtains and blinds can make an enormous difference to your London home. Our team of experts will work with you to develop the best ideas for dressing your windows, whether you […]

Never a better time to choose strong colours for curtains and blinds with 50% off our Como fabric

As we already announced, the price per metre of Como, one of our most popular fabrics, has been reduced by a massive 50%, due to being discontinued by the mill. Yes, it’s hard to believe that Como is now selling for only £13 per square metre, a fabulous price offering unbeatable value for money. Como […]

Linen Curtain Fabric Discount Offer from Prêt à Vivre

From our Linen range, Linen Paisley is a top quality pure Linen fabric with beautiful paisley effect detailing in the fabric. This is an excellent linen fabric which can be used for curtains, Roman blinds or soft furnishings. As part of our Winter Sale 2016, we are offering 18% off this fabric which is reduced […]

Curtain Fabric Sale: Como, 50% off top performing Italian Cotton fabric

Strictly while stocks last, we have slashed the price per metre on Como, one of our top selling fabrics by a massive 50%! Sadly, Como is being discontinued by the mill, so we are reducing the price from £26 per metre to an amazing £13 per metre! Como is a sumptuous brush cotton textile with […]

Our 2016 Curtains & Blinds Winter Sale has begun! Treat yourself to ticking at bargain prices and lots more!

Celebrate the New Year by landing yourself a curtains or blinds bargain to jazz up your home! As always, we have lots of great value offers in our 2016 Curtains & Blinds Winter Sale and something for every budget and every style. So, whether you’re in search of trendy ticking or elegant stripes, visit us […]

Prêt à Vivre – Christmas Opening Hours

Our Christmas Opening Hours over the festive period are as follows: Head office and our London showrooms will all close at 5:30 pm on Tuesday 22 December 2015. New Year Opening Times & the Start of our Winter Sale: Head Office will reopen at 8:30 am on Monday 4th January 2016. Our showrooms in Fulham, […]

Dressing Bifold Doors – why curtains are a practical and elegant solution

We get many enquires in our showrooms on dressing bifold doors. Customers often request roller blinds, as there is a perception that roller blinds on bifold doors can keep everything looking very clean and minimal. At Prêt à Vivre however, we tend to advise against roller blinds as a treatment for dressing bifold doors as […]

Curtains for large patio windows – How to Best Dress Wide Glazed Areas

It seems wherever possible in our contemporary homes, we like to incorporate a large glazed area which can be anything from large patio windows, sliding doors, bi-fold doors or floor-to-ceiling windows. This approach wonderfully maximizes the light flow throughout the room and connects us visually to our immediate surroundings outside. However, privacy and / or […]

Contemporary Interior Design Fulham SW6 – BoConcept & Prêt à Vivre furnish a penthouse apartment in Fulham Riverside

For this Fulham riverside penthouse, interior design house BoConcept created a stunning, contemporary interior while the Prêt à Vivre Fulham team took care of dressing the many windows. With an abundance of floor to ceiling windows and other large glazed areas as well as bi-fold doors leading to the terrace, this urban penthouse certainly makes […]

London Projects – Made to Measure Curtains W14 Mansion flat in Holland Park

Recently teaming up with interior design house BoConcept, the Notting Hill showroom of Prêt à Vivre took charge of the made to measure curtains for this stylish, mansion flat in Holland Park, London W14. We thought we would share the results. The property is a 3 bedroom Mansion flat in Holland Park W14. One of […]

Prêt à Vivre is awarded Safe Contractor Accreditation!

Health and Safety is a priority for all of us, both for our team and for our clients. We are delighted to have received the sought-after Safe Contractor Accreditation – this is a real plus for our staff, our trade partners and of course our customers. Our Safe Contractor Certificate (number HN9189) demonstrates […]

Curtains for Stylish Apartment in Wimbledon complete with Man Cave

Our Wimbledon-based client wanted curtains for their stylish basement apartment to fit in with the varying styles of the key rooms, while retaining a cohesive look. The Man Cave Starting with the Man Cave, where apart from the super guitar collection, one of the main stand-out features are the large bi-fold doors. Bi-fold doors are […]

Blinds for Contemporary Apartments – Battersea Reach, Wandsworth, London SW18

Our client is based in the beautiful waterside residences of Battersea Reach, Wandsworth SW18. Being a contemporary London apartment that allows in lots of glorious light during the day, our challenge was how to create that warm, cosy feeing in the living room as winter draws in with its dark nights. We wanted to achieve […]

Free Interior Design Home Visits (normally £125) to all NW6 postcodes

Do you live in NW6? Are your windows in need of some TLC? Take advantage of our Interior Design Home Visits which we are now offering to all NW6 residents for the entire month of October FREE OF CHARGE! Home Consultancy service – NO CHARGE! We are waiving our usual consulting fee of £125 to […]

Spirit of Christmas 2015 Discount Code 15% OFF

Now that October has arrived, all of a sudden it feels quite autumnal. It’s hard to believe that its only 4 weeks now until the Annual Spirit of Christmas Fair, which takes place as usual, at London Olympia for one action-packed week from November 2 to 8. With all sorts of gift ideas, design and […]

Inspiration for Made to Measure Roman Blinds using 3 tones

We simply had to share this wonderful combination for made to measure Roman blinds. Using three tones, we combined Bruges Oyster with double side borders in shades of Bruges Platinum and Bruges Sand. The result is timeless – the soft Bruges Sand warms the cooler tones of the Platinum. Our 100% Linen Bruges fabric is […]

Toiles de Mayenne fabric

Here at Prêt à Vivre, we are delighted to have added the beautiful Toiles de Mayenne fabric to our existing fabric range. You can pick up fabric swatches from any of our 3 London showrooms. And, while you are there, don’t forget our summer sale continues until the end of August– with great bargains to […]

Toiles de Mayenne – Patterned Fabrics

A few weeks back we introduced you to the elegant striped Toiles de Mayenne fabrics. Let’s take a look at a few highlights from the patterned Toiles de Mayenne fabrics collection. The exquisite fabric collection of Toiles de Mayenne is made at the company’s mill in France. These quality fabrics are now available in the […]

PRET A VIVRE CURTAINS AND BLINDS SALE SUMMER 2015 NOW ON!

The Prêt à Vivre SUMMER SALE is NOW ON! FABRICS BY THE METRE! For this year’s Curtains and Blinds sale, we have selected fabrics by the metre, greatly reduced in price with discounts of up to 75% off available. Purchase online, over the phone or from any of our three central London showrooms. Aylesbury 280 cm wide […]

Introducing a selection of Toiles de Mayenne striped curtain fabric

Now that these beautiful Toiles de Mayenne fabrics are available in the UK via our Prêt à Vivre showrooms, we’ll be taking the opportunity to tell you a little bit more about the individual fabrics over the summer months. In this introduction, we take a look at the various styles of striped curtain fabric available […]

House Event & Spirit of Summer 2015 Free Tickets – courtesy of Prêt à Vivre

Prêt à Vivre is delighted to offer free tickets for Spirit of Summer 2015 to members of the public. This year the Spirit of Summer Fair 2015 promises to be the best yet –now incorporating House Event 2015, in sponsorship with House & Garden, this is the biggest interiors event of the Summer and will […]

It’s Launch Week for iconic French fabrics Toiles de Mayenne AND its Spirit of Summer Fair!

This promises to be an exciting week indeed. We are launching our new fabric partnership with Toiles de Mayenne. As of now, Toiles de Mayenne fabrics are available in our 3 London showrooms. Don’t forget L’Appel de 18 Juin – our Toiles de Mayenne launch party on 18th June at our Wandsworth Bridge Road showrooms […]

L’Appel du 18 juin

Nous, Grégoire Denis, Président de Toiles de Mayenne et Joanne Cassabois, Founder & Director Prêt à Vivre, actuellement à Londres, invitons les français qui se trouvent en territoire britannique ou qui viendraient à s’y trouver, avec leurs amis et voisins chez Prêt à Vivre, 160 Wandsworth Bridge Road, London SW6. La flamme du […]

Exciting News – Prêt à Vivre has teamed up with French Company Toiles de Mayenne to supply their beautiful Fabrics throughout the UK

Calling all Francophiles & Fabric Enthusiasts to celebrate with Prêt à Vivre and Toiles de Mayenne at the launch party in Fulham London on what we feel is a most appropriate date – June 18th 2015 Read more about our Toiles de Mayenne fabric, including the elegant Toiles de Mayenne Striped fabrics and the Toile de […]

Prêt à Vivre in the Press & Introducing Adele by Toiles de Mayenne

Evening Standard ‘Make an Impression’ Prêt à Vivre is in the Press once again, this time as part of the Evening Standard’s and the Independent’s makeover feature ‘Make an Impression’. Our role in the home makeover process is to Tie in the Curtains. We offer lots of choice for customers with our extensive range of […]

Curtains and Blinds Stoke Newington, London N16

A Stoke Newington based customer came to our Islington showroom seeking help, inspiration and a personalised service for curtains and blinds for his home in Stoke Newington N16. Catia from our Islington showroom loves a challenge and was delighted to help him follow a slightly different approach to the bay window and side window configuration. […]

Spirit of Summer 2015 London Olympia – Use the Prêt à Vivre Promo code to get 2 for 1 tickets

Prêt à Vivre is delighted to offer our customers 2 tickets for the price of 1 for 1 week only until May 12th 2015! Take advantage of this 2 for 1 tickets offer to invite & delight a friend or relative by treating them to an inspirational day out this summer at London’s newest Home […]

Use the Prêt à Vivre Promo Code to get 15% Discount Tickets for the HOUSE Fair 2015 London Olympia

Prêt à Vivre is delighted to be exhibiting at House 2015 this summer! From 17th to 20th June 2015, our team will be exhibiting at Stand C15 at the HOUSE Fair at London Olympia. Incorporating the Spirit of Summer fair, HOUSE is London’s newest Interiors fair and will be a top event for all the […]

Curtains for a rather elegant Bay window in London SW18

For our customer in London SW18, we suggested this great, cost effective way to dress a bay window. The hollow, wrought iron bay pole is a neat but effective hanging solution for a bay window. Passing brackets in the corner allow special rings shaped like big C’s to easily pass over the brackets. Note that we […]

Roller blinds & Voile Curtains for French Doors in London SW13

Our customer from Barnes, SW13 has a beautiful, south-facing open plan kitchen / dining area with direct access to the garden via charming double French doors. Lots of additional light floods into the room via a pair of large windows flanking either side of the French doors, thus creating a large glazed area! While it’s […]

Fantastic April Offers from Prêt à Vivre, including Roman Blinds Special Offers

British Summer is here again. Lovely light mornings are great but not if you want a lie in! Take advantage of this offer to update your and your family’s bedroom with some blackout-lined Roman or roller blinds! Roman Blind Special Offers for only £195 in any sale fabric including Como! To make it easier for […]

Design Ideas – in the spirit of Spring Make-Overs

If you are seeking inspiration or looking for ideas to give your home a bit of a spring makeover, don’t forget to browse the Design Ideas Curtains and Blinds Section of our website. In our picture gallery, you will find lots of contemporary styles and looks to help you choose what would best suit your […]

Curtains for Bifold Doors London SW15

We are delighted to have been able to help our client who lives in Putney SW15. She had wide sliding doors installed for more than one year before finding Prêt à Vivre at the Spirit of Christmas fair. Finding curtains for bifold doors is not always easy as specific criteria need to be met. In […]

Spring is in the Air – Inspiring us all to add a little colour to our homes!

Our London showrooms have just received a new spring make-over! Our Spring Windows are our way of welcoming the new season! As Curtain & Blind Specialists, we always have a keen eye on design and we take our inspiration from the world around us. The fresh, crisp colour scheme is inspired from a vintage biscuit […]

Curtains and Blinds North London – keeping it local!

Our Islington Showrooms has joined the PixieMe network. We like to see this as an additional platform for showcasing our Curtains and Blinds North London services to even more members of our lovely North London Community. Always an avid supporter of independent local businesses, we really liked the idea of PixieMe from the start – […]

Made to Measure Curtains Battersea, SW11

We recently helped a French client, who while in France, always uses the very well-known French-based fabric house Toiles de Mayenne. Now in London, for her beautifully furnished family home in Battersea SW11, she was seeking a more local made to measure curtain service who could offer similar high standards of fabrics with a wide […]

Made to Measure Curtains for a Contemporary Flat in N1

For this lovely, new build apartment in Islington N1, our clients were looking for made to measure curtains and came to see us in Cross Street. The flat is for their daughter and originally, they were thinking lots of florals in bright colours. The highly experienced Gillian of our Islington team, suggested staying with the […]

Take a look at these lovely Roman Blinds, just fitted in Clapham SW4

Our Clapham-based client came to us for advice on her daughter’s bedroom. She wanted something that would work well with the room’s Farrow & Ball Pelt feature wall. Nathalie from our Fulham Showroom put the colours and textures together to create a beautiful, timeless Roman blind. The Roman Blinds are made using our Lugano Flint as […]

Roman Blinds SW5, Earls Court

Roman Blinds can go a long way to adding a touch of sophisticated elegance to any room. Our happy customers, based in Earls Court SW5 sent us these pics of their newly hung Roman Blinds. We felt we had to share – especially given our Roman Blind Offer! Our Roman Blind Offer Get a made […]

Our Super Roman Blinds Sale gets even better!

Our annual Roman Blinds sale is proving quite a hit this year, which comes as no surprise to us of course, as this is a genuinely great offer where you can get top quality, made to measure Roman Blinds at the irresistible all-in price of £195! This all-in price extends all Roman blinds made with our […]

Our made to measure Roman Blind Offers continue – from only £195!

As part of our Winter Sale 2015, get made to measure Roman Blinds from as little as £195! After the runaway success of our Roman Blind Offers this time last year, we are delighted to see so many customers taking advantage of this year’s offer. Roman Blinds from as little as £195! All made to […]

Our Curtains, Fabrics and Blinds Sale Is Now On!

Our winter sale is now on – fabulous offers on curtains, fabrics and blinds! Visit our Fulham and Islington showrooms to bag some of the fantastic bargains we have in store for you. Our fabric sale will continue throughout the month of January and here’s a sneak snippet of what we have in store. Curtains […]

Wishing All our Customers a merry Christmas & hope to see you at our winter sale – Jan 2nd 2015

The Prêt à Vivre showrooms are now closed for the holidays. Our post Christmas opening times are as follows: Fulham Showroom 9:30 AM on Friday 2nd January 2015 for the start of our winter sale! Islington Showroom Friday 2nd January 2015 for the start of our winter sale! Notting Hill Showroom 9:30 am on Monday, […]

Festive Fabrics – cushions and table linens at our Fulham showroom

Get your tables and chairs ready for Christmas with a mini festive makeover that won’t cost the earth, is quick and easy to do and will have your Christmas table looking irresistible! Cushions We have lots of sumptuous, ready made cushions in our Fulham showroom in a whole range of festive colours and styles. With […]

Festive Windows – the countdown begins!

Thanks to one and all for your lovely comments on our festive windows, as our London showrooms embrace the festive spirit and the Christmas countdown begins! Small Business Saturday with us – December 6th 2014. Join us this Saturday to celebrate Small Business Saturday, a UK-wide initiative (which originated in the USA) to encourage UK shoppers […]

Curtains W8

We thought we would share another recently completed project for a Kensington flat in London W8. These made to measure curtains are made with our Modena fabric, in a lovely natural Flint colour. We used an ivory blackout lining as this W8 bedroom really catches the morning sunlight. The curtains have a twin pleat heading […]

Introducing the Cecile Voile, a linen mix voile fabric with a perfect drape

This is a linen voile fabric we recently launched at the Decorex fair. The Pret a Vivre Cecile Voile stands out due to its perfect soft drape, its subtle colours and beautiful fine linen texture. This is a voile that does not need embellishment – use it in the most simple way possible, for example hang […]

Note to our Interior Designer clients: Our fabric swatch rings have arrived!

Simple, portable, adaptable, practical, our fabric swatch rings are perfect for customer visits, allowing interior designers to bring larger swatches of all our beautiful fabrics directly on site. Our fabric swatch rings are so easy to update: simply open the ring and remove discontinued colours and add the new! Prices start from £10 + VAT for […]

Our Nepal Silk Curtains completed the set for ITV’s This Morning show with Linda Barker

Our Islington Curtains & Blinds showroom supplied the Nepal Silk curtains in Silver for a recent shooting of This Morning for ITV with Linda Barker. Linda, we are delighted to learn, is a fan of our Prêt à Vivre brand. The ITV show was aired on 30th October 2014 and we understand Linda was very […]

Visit us this week at the Spirit of Christmas Fair – we are at Stand A47!

A short reminder to everyone to come and see the Prêt à Vivre team at Spirit of Christmas 2014. Find us at Stand A47! The 2014 Spirit of Christmas Fair takes place over 6 days from Tuesday 4th to Sunday 9th November at London Olympia. We look forward to seeing you!

Get Cosy this November with our Free Cushion Offer – Free cushions on orders over £750!

Between now and Christmas, we are offering our customers free scatter cushions with all orders for curtains & blinds over £750 and paid for by either direct debit or bank transfer (e.g. this offer is not valid for payments by credit card). The more you spend the more free scatter cushions you will get as […]

Winter is coming & it’s almost time for the Spirit of Christmas Fair 2014! Get 15% OFF tickets…

The Spirit of Christmas Fair 2014 takes place over 6 days from Tuesday November 4th to Sunday November 9th 2014 at London Olympia, Earls Court. Once again, we are delighted to offer our customers a special 15% discount on advance ticket purchases to Spirit of Christmas 2014. This offer includes a copy of the Fair […]

Lugano – Italian Style & a comprehensive colour palette!

One of our best sellers, Italian-made Lugano is a 100% textured cotton fabric that is fine, soft & yet very hard wearing and durable. The fabric is exquisitely dyed with a subtle brushed effect, giving it a ‘contemporary vintage’ look. Being a textured fabric, Lugano gives a similar effect to Linen but avoids the inevitable creasing, […]

Interior Shopping? Notting Hill has all you need, right here on the doorstep & our new local Interiors map shows you where!

Did you know that there is an entire community of Interior Shops in Notting Hill? Pop in to our Prêt à Vivre store on All Saints Road & pick up a free ‘Interiors Destination Notting Hill’ map. This is your local shopping guide to all things ‘interiors’ in W11 from kitchens to bathrooms to flooring to artworks. […]

Great News – Prêt à Vivre’s Islington showroom is now open on Sundays!

We are delighted to announce that our Islington showroom is now open every Sunday from 11.00 AM to 5.00 PM so you can come down to Cross Street and browse our fabrics, consult our paint cards to easily match up paints with fabrics. You can also speak to our curtains & blinds experts to help […]

Prêt à Vivre Curtains & Blinds is at Decorex International 2014

Decorex 2014 is in full swing! You are invited to visit our stand E81 – Prêt à Vivre Curtains & Blinds! Prêt à Vivre is at Decorex International 2014

Visit Prêt à Vivre at Decorex 2014 in West London’s Syon Park

The Decorex 2014 Fair takes place over four days from 21st to 24th of September. The venue this year is the spectacular Syon Park. Once again the Prêt à Vivre team look forward to meeting you all at the Decorex 2014 Fair. We have been very busy with the preparations and are now getting very […]

London W8 – Curtains and Blinds for French windows opening onto the garden

On a recent project in London W8, our Kensington client had a large glazed area (French Windows) in a much occupied family room, leading directly onto the garden. The room itself is multi-purpose and used for dining, entertaining and relaxing. The solution would need to offer some shade from bright sunlight at appropriate times of […]

Prét à Vivre & Wandsworth Bridge Road on PixieMe – the online community with a local focus

We are delighted to have our Wandsworth Bridge Road showroom featured on the PixieMe website. Check out the full feature here and explore the Wandsworth Bridge Road community. PixieMe is an online network all about local communities, at the centre of which are small independent businesses such as Prét à Vivre. In telling our story, the […]

Voile Curtains – an elegant companion for bifold doors, French windows and other large glazed areas

If you have bifold doors, French windows or any lager glazed area, consider using voile curtains to soften the look and provide privacy or shade without compromising the flow of natural light into the room. You will find that voile curtains work very well in these situations, particularly in a large open family living area or […]

SUMMER FABRIC SALE 2014 – lots of bargains, including made to measure ROMAN BLINDS from £195!

Revamp your interior this Summer with our fabulous fabric sale! This July & August, we have lots of amazing bargains for you. Get Roman Blinds from £195, ex-display curtains at fantastically low prices or rummage through our incredible range of fabrics by the metre from as little as £5! Roman Blinds Special Offer We are […]

Roman Blinds SW7, South Kensington, London

We recently completed a project in SW7 for a property management client. This project involved renovating a flat for the rental market. In this situation, to dress the windows, we opted for Roman Blinds, a cost effective solution that looks good and is ideal for rental properties. As the flat is intended for the rental […]

London N4 – made to measure curtains for a bay window

We are pleased to share these pictures from a recent project for made to measure curtains in leafy N4, North London. Our special mission on this occasion was to inject a splash of colour into the room without detracting in any way from the stunning coving surrounding the bay window. We achieved this by using a […]

Pastel Silk Stripes – 20% Summer Discount on our beautiful Pastel Curtain Fabric until July 31

Let these mood boards using gorgeous pastel colours help inspire you to revamp your windows and bring the sunshine into your home this summer. Prêt à Vivre’s Silk Stripe fabric range in pretty pastel shades is perfect for a spring-summer window make-over. Take shades such as dusky pink, soft rose, baby blue, ivory, amethyst and cream, […]

Prêt à Vivre in action at the Spirit of Summer Fair 2014

Prêt à Vivre founder Jo Cassabois in action during this year’s Spirit of Summer Fair at London Olympia, hosting a window dressing workshop. Catch Jo’s Presentation at 3.30 PM Friday 16th and Saturday 17th at the Spirit of Summer Fair 2014. Jo is sharing her expertise on window dressing for bifold doors & large glazed […]

Colour schemes in pinks & greens – Spring Greens with a dash of pink!

SPRING HAS ARRIVED! Time to explore new colours. Breathe life into your interiors by using fresh greens dappled with splashes of pink. We love to take inspiration from nature – think of a bunch of tulips in a vase and how pleasing this is on the eye. Think of the crisp green stem offset by […]

Spirit of Summer Fair Free Ticket Offer – Buy 1 Get 1 FREE!

Spirit of Summer Fair Free Ticket Offer – Buy 1 Get 1 FREE! Back by popular demand for one week only! Until April 13th 2014, Buy One Ticket Get One Free to the Spirit of Summer Fair this May in Kensington! Purchase your tickets online here and simply enter the code SE77 to claim your 2 […]

Offers this Month – AMAZING ROMAN BLINDS SALE and FABRIC SALE

ROMAN BLINDS SALE OFFER – up to 33% OFF! This month, we are offering quality, machine made, blackout Roman Blinds for an all-in price of only £175 each! Our Roman Blinds sale offer is for machine made, blackout Roman blinds up to 132 cm wide and with a 200 cm drop using any of our […]

For one week only! Prêt à Vivre is delighted to present our BUY 1 GET 1 FREE offer on tickets to the Spirit of Summer Fair 2014! Claim yours before April 13th!

Now that summer is well and truly on the way after such a long, wet winter, many of us are actively seeking inspiration to spruce up our homes and gardens for what we hope will be a glorious Summer 2014. Prêt à Vivre is delighted to announce FOR ONE WEEK ONLY our very special discount […]

Two tone curtains & blinds – exploring colour combinations that work well with pale blues!

Staying with our fabric of the month – Mirandela pale blues, we illustrate two tone colour combinations that work particularly well for curtains, blinds and / or upholstery. Our Mirandela fabric is a washable, pre-shrunk heavyweight textured linen cotton mix with a soft sheen that hangs beautifully. Don’t forget: as part pf our Fabric of […]

Voile Roller Blinds

Voile roller blinds are the perfect solution for letting natural light into a room while maintaining your privacy. Adding a luxurious touch, voile roller blinds look really good and are practical as well as cost-effective. Particularly our voiles Elise, Layla, Luna & Linen Stripe are ideal for laminating onto roller blinds. The laminating effect stiffens […]

Made to Measure Curtains London

If you are looking for made to measure curtains for your London home, you have come to the right place. We cover the entire area of London and have provided made to measure curtains for virtually every London postcode over the last 20 years. With 3 Prêt à Vivre showrooms across London, we encourage you […]

Decorating with Pale Blues & Fabric Offer of the Month!

Pale blues must be the most popular shade to decorate with after neutrals and – currently – greys. However many people are nervous about decorating with pale blues or using pale blues in a scheme as they are concerned that the room will look too cold and unwelcoming. We have put together four colour schemes […]

Spotlight on Sophia Velvet: our versatile, hardwearing durable velvet curtain fabric

Sophia Velvets is our velvet fabric of choice at Prêt à Vivre. Very popular with clients looking to have made to measure velvet curtains, yet it is also ideal for upholstery and soft furnishings. Sophia Velvet is cotton viscose velvet of superb quality with a lovely sheen and a subtle crushed velvet effect. Ideal for as […]

Made to Measure Roman Blinds for London, NW2

From our recent London Projects, this is a nice example of a pair of made to measure Roman blinds for a client in London NW2. Elegant and timeless, these Roman blinds are interlined and blackout lined in our beautiful Nepal Silk fabric. The colour is flint. Our Nepal Silk fabric is a very high-quality Chinese […]

Beautiful Made to Measure Wave Curtains for bifold doors, Clapham, London SW4

The challenge: made to measure curtains for bifold doors for a client in Clapham, SW4. The result: Wave headed curtains in Luxor Mid Blue hung on Silent Gliss Wave track on a bifold door. Luxor Mid Blue is a heavyweight mainly linen fabric with a lovely two-tone weave that is not prone to creasing. These […]

Recent London Projects: Curtains & Blinds Chelsea SW10

Curtains & Blinds Chelsea – more updates from our popular London Projects Series! We recently completed an interior design project to provide bespoke curtains & blinds for this house in Chelsea SW10. In the Kitchen: To complement the spacious, contemporary style kitchen, we used 65 mm Shutter Style Wood Venetian blinds in truffle. In the Living […]

Winter Sale Ready Made Curtains & Blinds and Fabrics – Starts 9:30 on Thursday 2nd January 2014

Here at Pret a Vivre we are busying ourselves with last minute Winter Sale preparation. The Winter Sale starts at 9:30 on Thursday 2nd January 2014 and will run to the end of January. Fabrics On Sale We have some fantastic offers on cut length fabrics available online and these can be paid for over the […]

Our London Projects – Curtains with an Informal Wave, London N1

We would like to share these images from one of our recent made to measure curtain projects in London N1 (Islington). For the living room, we used voile curtains in Matira White with an informal wave heading, hung on black wrought iron poles. For the bedroom, we used Whitby Clay (which is a Ticking in […]

Beautiful Roman Blinds in natural ‘Poligny’ fabric

Our Poligny line of fabrics is 100% cotton textured fabric in muted soft colours. As well as making striking curtains, this fabric can be used to great effect in roman blinds. Pictured here are bespoke roman blinds in Poligny Parchment with the borders in Poligny Slate. As you can see, these natural tones work extremely […]

You can still put curtains in place that are ready in time for Christmas but don’t cost the earth!

Staying with our theme of solutions for curtains ready for Christmas, take a look at this good looking pair of curtains we put together in our Fulham showroom. To give you an idea of what can be put in place in a short space of time without costing the earth, we used two end of […]

Missed the deadline for made to measure curtains and blinds for Christmas? We can help!

If you need curtains or blinds before Christmas, we can help! Option 1 – From as little as £35, create a temporarily dressed window including fabrics and clips! Option 2 – Match up your window measurements to our ready made ex-display curtains & you’re good to go! We all know the feeling. Christmas is fast approaching but you […]

We are now recruiting a sales professional!

Have you got what is takes to be an Interiors Advisor? Prêt à Vivre Curtains, Blinds and fabrics is looking for experienced sales people to join their dynamic London sales team. The role To manage all aspects of the order process effectively and efficiently for both retail and trade clients from initial enquiry; in person […]

Our Recent London Projects – made to measure Curtains for a lovely North London home.

We took these lovely photos after a recent fitting of our made to measure curtains for bay windows in North London. We thought we would share the end result, especially as our client is lucky enough to have two bay windows! Our wrought iron curtain rods can be bent to fit bay windows with up […]

Elegant window dressing to enhance your home

This is a very popular look from our collection of design ideas for the home. These sheer crossover curtains with a pencil pleat are hung on a wooden pole. The lightness of the ultra-fine Voile Plain Ecru is beautifully complemented by the rich dark finish of the wooden curtain pole and further complemented by the […]

Dupion Silk Fabric for Curtains – 20 Beautiful New Colours

Pret A Vivre are delighted to be exhibiting at this year’s Spirit of Christmas fair – with over 650 artisan and independent exhibitors we’re in great company. It’s been a hectic start, but the stand is ready, the doors have opened and the countdown to Christmas has definitely begun. This year we have chosen the […]

Dressing Bay Windows with Curtains and Blinds

Whether in the bedroom or the living room, a bay window is perhaps the ideal focal point of any room lucky enough to have one. Taking the time to consider how best to dress your bay window is well worth the effort and can create a truly stunning effect. Silk is often used to achieve a […]

The Spa Town range of curtain fabrics in cotton & linen.

Britain’s beautiful spa towns are the inspiration for the Spa Town collection of curtain fabrics now available at Prêt à Vivre. This classically elegant collection of curtain fabrics pays homage to Romanesque Bath, Buxton in the Peak district, North Yorkshire’s Harrogate and Malvern. This collection of four companion curtain fabrics in two colourways is made […]

Prêt à Vivre founder & Director Joanne Cassabois comments for InDesign Magazine on latest window dressing design trends!

Prêt à Vivre founder gives her advice on great ways to adapt your bi-fold doors to the cosiness of winter! In an article looking at what’s in vogue in contemporary window dressing, Joanne Cassabois gives her views on current design trends, including the popularity today of floor to ceiling glass walls and bi-fold doors. While […]

Bespoke Curtains & Blinds – our 3 London showrooms await!

Considering a home revamp? Let us inspire you at one of our 3 London showrooms! Even if you are not yet sure exactly what look or style you are after, a showroom visit can be the best way to get the process started. When you sit down in person with a member of our team […]

Prêt à Vivre founder Joanne Cassabois is featured in Covet Girl, a new book celebrating London’s female entrepreneurs.

We are excited! Tuesday October 15th 2013 sees the launch of Covet Girl, which tells the stories behind London’s inspirational women entrepreneurs and gives an insight into their business and their London. This edition features our very own Prêt à Vivre founder Joanne Cassabois. The launch party is Monday evening, October 14th at London’s BB Bakery! Joanne […]

Feeling Festive – Visit the Pret a Vivre team at the Spirit of Christmas Fair 2013

We are very excited here at Pret a Vivre about the upcoming Spirit of Christmas Fair at London’s Olympia. The Spirit of Christmas Fair takes place over 6 days from Tuesday November 5th to Sunday November 10th 2013. We are delighted to offer you a special 15% discount on advance ticket purchases. This offer includes […]

Now recruiting – Showroom Sales Associate

Prêt à Vivre Curtains, Blinds and fabrics is looking for an experienced sales person to join their dynamic London sales team. The role To manage all aspects of the order process effectively and efficiently for both retail and trade clients from initial enquiry; in person at the showroom, over the telephone or via email through […]

Interiors: bring a splash of summer to your decoration (Telegraph 30/06/2013)

“Change your outlook Out with the heavy interlined drapes, in with the floatier summer fabrics. “If you start with a good material, which has been woven well, then new curtains do not have to cost a fortune,” says Joanne Cassabois from Prêt à Vivre, a company specialising in English fabrics and wool linens from third-generation […]

Summer Sale Now On

Committed to offering the best quality product at an affordable price we have gone one step further – announcing the 1-2-3 sale! Kicking off on 1st July 2013 our Fulham store, located on Wandsworth Bridge Road, will be hosting an exclusive sale which will see top quality fabrics sold for as little as £1 per […]

Summer Sale Review: Sunday Times Style 23rd June 2013

Sunday Times Style 23rd June 2013

Clerkenwell Design Week 21st to 23rd May 2013

Prêt à Vivre are delighted to announce that they will be participating in Clerkenwell Design Week from 21st to 23rd May 2013. After 3 extremely successful years, Clerkenwell Design Week has established itself as the UK’s leading independent design festival and one of the most acclaimed trade events on the international design calendar, winning Best Festival […]

House & Garden Spirit of Summer Fair

EXTENDED 2 FOR 1 TICKET OFFER STARTS MONDAY 22nd APRIL ENDS MONDAY 29th APRIL! Prêt à Vivre are delighted to announce that they will be exhibiting at the House & Garden Magazine Spirit of Summer Fair 15-18 May 2013. Whether you are looking to refresh your summer style, find decorating ideas for your home or garden, […]

Country Living Spring Fair 2013

Prêt à Vivre are delighted to announce that they will be exhibiting at the Country Living Magazine Spring Fair 2013 at the Business Design Centre from 20th to 24th March 2013. The Country Living Magazine Spring Fair is the perfect place to find inspirational decorating ideas for your home or garden. Treat yourself to […]

House & Garden Spirit of Summer Fair 2013 – 2 for 1 ticket offer

Prêt à Vivre are delighted to announce that they will be exhibiting at the House & Garden Magazine Spirit of Summer Fair 15-18 May 2013. Whether you are looking to refresh your summer style, find decorating ideas for your home or garden, discover some delectable treats or simply relax with friends and dine in style – […]

Period Homes & Interiors

Period Homes & Interiors, October 2011

The Sunday Telegraph Magazine

The Sunday Telegraph Magazine, September 2011

Period Homes & Interiors

Period Homes & Interiors, July 2011 Prêt à Vivre – curtains and blinds specialist in the London area As curtains and blinds specialist in the London area, the Prêt à Vivre is pleased to be once again featured in Home & Interiors Press, this time for Period Homes and Interiors Summer Edition. We specialise in […]

Grand Designs

Grand Designs, June 2011 More press coverage for Prêt à Vivre! We are featured in Grand Designs Magazine, this time with a focus on bespoke blinds. As one of London’s premier provider of curtains and blinds in London, bespoke is what we do best. Take a look at what our customers have to say about […]

Homes & Gardens

Homes & Gardens, June 2011 Home Office in the attic? So many of our London clients have a home office in their attic conversion. On bright days, the Velux window can present a light problem. Now with our made to measure roller blinds, cool shade is available in an instant at any time and it […]

Essential Kitchen Bathroom Bedroom

Essential Kitchen Bathroom Bedroom, June 2011 Click images to enlarge.

Ideal Home

Ideal Home Magazine, June 2011 Click images to enlarge.

idfx

Inspiration For Interior Design Professionals, April 2011 Click image to enlarge.

Bridge For Design

Bridge for Design, Spring 2011 Click images to enlarge.

Elle Decoration

Elle Decoration, April 2011 Click images to enlarge.

Your Home

Your Home, April 2011 Prêt à Vivre is featured once again in the Interior Design Press. One of the many press articles featuring curtains and blinds design ideas from Prêt à Vivre, this one from Your Home. You will find lots more design ideas for dressing your windows in our Design Ideas galleries. Click images […]

Elle Decoration

Elle Decoration, March 2011 Prêt à Vivre Press Coverage – Elle Decoration likes our blackout bathroom blinds! Blissful bathrooms anyone? Prêt à Vivre’s recent Press Coverage in Elle Decoration highlights our blackout roller blinds that are damp resistant and perfect for bathrooms. With years of experience of dressing London’s windows with made to measure curtains […]

Good Homes

Good Homes, March 2011 Prêt à Vivre – bespoke curtains and blinds London As one of London’s top independent suppliers of bespoke curtains and blinds, the Prêt à Vivre team is often approached by the interior design press. The latest feature is for Good Homes Magazine and this article tells the story of how Prêt à […]

Homes & Interiors Scotland

Homes & Interiors Scotland, March/April Issue Click images to enlarge.

The Home

The Home Magazine, February 2011 Click images to enlarge.

Homes & Gardens

Homes & Gardens, February 2011 Click images to enlarge.

Daily Mail Online

MailOnline More Prêt à Vivre press articles, this time in the Daily Mail Online. Through our 4 London showrooms, we are helping Londoners find the most suitable curtains and blinds for their floor to ceiling windows, bi-fold doors and other large glazed areas. Click image to enlarge.

Channel 4 Homes

Channel 4 Homes Online Click image to enlarge.

Bridge For Design

Bridge For Design Magazine. Click images to enlarge.

Angel

Joanne is featured in Angel Magazine, February 2011 Click images to enlarge.

Your Home

Your Home Magazine, January 2011 Click images to enlarge.

25 Beautiful Homes

25 Beautiful Homes, December 2010 Click images to enlarge.

Ideal Home

Ideal Home Magazine, December 2010 Click images to enlarge.

Homes & Gardens

Homes & Gardens, December 2010

Love Home

Lovehome.co.uk Curtains are no longer boring says Love Home TV Network – in fact, they can be a design feature! Say Hello to Voiles! Voiles are the contemporary alternative to net curtains. The newest way to hang your voiles is in a crossover style. Create beautiful, elegant curves while maintaining privacy by hanging the voiles on […]

The Lady

Prêt à Vivre London as featured in The Lady, November 2010 Jo Cassabois, founder of London-based Prêt à Vivre fabrics, gives tips in The Lady Magazine on choosing the right fabrics for the job. This can make all the difference. She advises her customers to be clear about what they want to use the fabric […]

Daily Telegraph

We appeared in the Daily Telegraph. Great to get this coverage in the Daily Telegraph. We also hope this article will inspire other budding entrepreneurs. Sticking to our strategy to grow our business even though the financial crisis loomed as Northern Rock collapsed proved for us to be the right decision. Today we are delighted […]