I have been working with Evangelos Pieri of Suki Group to help transform this 15th century, Grade 2 listed property, into a 21st-century family home.

My brief was the windows and soft furnishings – to reflect the heritage and history of the building, but with flashes of modernity and expressions of individual style that support the building’s new life.

The approach is to mix heritage inspired curtains and blinds, linked invisibly to modern technology, all underpinned by sophisticated placement and fitting that creates symmetry throughout a property full of odd angles and uneven lines.

The banqueting hall window is a perfect example, 3m x 2.5 m of glazed area, incorporating stained glass details, a window that should be framed not covered. The non-symmetrical position of the window and the shallowness of the fascia below the vaulted ceiling, both presented real challenges.

The solution was a made to order fabric in gold and red from Jim Dickens, the colours chosen to recreate the original colour scheme of the hall.

The pelmet was elevated into the vaulted ceiling to minimise intrusion into the glazed area and frame detail, whilst still maintaining sufficient proportion to support the 29 metres of fabric in the curtains.

This historically sympathetic design statement was subtly augmented by modern technology, a silent motorised mechanism integrated into a cutting-edge audio-visual system.