The Brief

A burst pipe had caused significant water damage throughout the property. The curtains, blinds and soft furnishings across multiple rooms were ruined. Insurance assessors were involved, estimates were needed, and decisions had to be made under considerable pressure, while living out of a temporary home with no ability to walk through the rooms and take stock in the usual way. What our client needed was not simply a supplier, but someone who understood the full scope of what had been lost, who could produce accurate and detailed estimates for the insurance process, source replacement fabrics with care, and guide them through every decision with the patience the situation demanded.

Supporting the Insurance Process

Insurance assessors require precise, itemised estimates, not ballpark figures. We worked through each room methodically, measuring, specifying, and producing detailed written estimates that documented every element requiring replacement, curtains, pelmets, Roman blinds, each room treated individually, with accurate fabric quantities and costs set out clearly. Throughout, our client was managing everything from rented accommodation, so communication happened remotely, kept as straightforward as possible so one part of an overwhelming situation didn't become an additional source of stress.

Fabric Sourcing & Design

The original window treatments had been good quality and the client wanted to replicate that elegance. The client wanted mix of plains and pattern, something with character and warmth to give the rooms a fresh, considered identity. Several rooms called for full-length interlined curtains dressed with hand-sewn pelmets, giving each curtain a proper architectural frame. Other rooms, where a softer, cleaner line was called for, received bespoke Roman blinds, flat and precise when lowered, neatly stacked when raised.

The Making & Installation

With a multi-room project of this scale, sequencing mattered. Our client was living in rented accommodation during the remediation work, which gave us a clear window to work within, but also meant every measurement, fabric order and making instruction had to be right first time. We measured carefully before the remediation work concluded, confirmed dimensions as the rooms were reinstated, and scheduled installation so the window treatments arrived in finished rooms, not spaces still being dried out or replastered.

The Result

The rooms our client came home to were not the rooms the burst pipe had damaged, they were more considered, more personal, more alive. The value of this project wasn't only in what was made, it was in having someone manage the window treatment element of a stressful situation calmly and thoroughly. Because every room was addressed as part of a single project, the house has a consistent palette and mood from room to room, and feels designed rather than assembled incrementally.

Closing:

Sometimes a client comes to us because something has gone wrong, and what they need most is someone who will take the practical complexity off their hands and find, somewhere within the difficulty, a genuine opportunity. This client came home to something they had not quite dared to hope for: a house that felt like a fresh start. If you are dealing with an insurance claim that includes curtains, blinds or soft furnishings, get in touch, we are experienced in providing insurance estimates and supporting clients through the full process from assessment to installation.