Production Stories : Springbank Studio cafe curtain
Springbank Studio is our new studio space in SE London for those of you new to the GBS studio journal. For a bit more context, head over to the renovation post to read all about the transformation from a derelict taxi office to a sparkling design studio.
The new studio is on a high street in Hither Green, and one of the great draws of the space is that it has a shopfront accessible to the public. It is a window into our practice and a way to showcase new ideas between big projects. However, sometimes you need a bit of privacy, so part of the renovation plan was always to add a curtain to the window.
I leant towards a curtain rather than a vinyl or more fixed structure like shutters or screens as it means it can be easily removed if it doesn’t work for an exhibition and allows us full height shading from the intense early morning sun that shines through the front window.
One of the key briefs was to create something that shielded us from street view when seated but still allowed unfiltered light through at the top. For inspiration, we looked towards traditional cafe and net curtains, exploring how to incorporate this concept into a full-length curtain.
Below is a rundown of some of the behind-the-scenes work from the project, as well as a snapshot of the completed design. You can find out more about this project here.
Like all things in the studio, the process started with a day of drawing and looking back through sketchbooks to see if there were any overlooked gems that could be extrapolated into a design for the opaque section of the curtain.
A series of drawings of the rooftops of Olhao, Portugal, captured my eye, and I began to play with tying several drawings together to create the 7 metre x 90cm panel that would be needed to create a full curtain for the window.
A few ideas in and around my sketchbook
The final three designs (I went for number 3) and the fabrics.
I wanted the fabrics for the curtain to feel light and breezy, so I steered towards a Kvadrat range called Blow, which mimics ripstop nylon (most commonly used in sails making) but with a lightweight handle and an incredible range of colours. The colours were chosen to compliment the Springbank Studio branding whilst not feeling too matchy-matchy. I chose Aerio for the top section, a fabric I have worked with for numerous projects, and I love the graphic nature of the sharp grid in the cloth, which is an interesting alternative to a voile. Finally, I decided to add in a heavier-weight wool mix fabric to add texture to the base panel.
I created a paper pattern which generated the twenty-seven pattern pieces that would be needed to finish the bottom of the curtain, slightly regretting my choice to include so many seams on the bias I got cutting.
Paper pattern pieces on the cutting/ print table.
The seams on the curtain have been flat-felled which means that all of the raw edges are tucked away and the curtains are completely double-sided. The curtain has been finished with a wave heading tape to ensure a beautifully even drape which has the added bonus of making the stack back as small as possible when the curtains are open.
