Pencil Pleat curtains: the classic look

Here at Thomas Sanderson we have a team of experienced craftspeople - based in the UK - who dedicate themselves to creating beautiful curtains.

A pencil pleat header gives regular and even folds across the whole curtain, making it ideal for patterned or heavier fabric, such as this faux silk weave in Lucette - Brass.

Pencil pleats can give a very full look to your curtain, as they do here, where the curtains have only been drawn back to reveal the central bay window, while still obscuring the side windows. The jacquard Momentum 4 - Maze fabric adds to this fullness to great effect.

We combine premium materials with techniques and expertise that have been passed on through the years, ensuring that you only get the very best for your home.

We love the way this window dressing is working on several levels at the same time. Having a blind on the central window, the curtains act like a frame, drawing the eye. The greeny-blue shade of the Artisan Teal blind is echoed in the Ornella Teal curtain fabric, drawing out the pattern that ripples across the even pleats.

Horizontal stripes on curtains can be tricky to hang level but a pencil pleat header is the optimum pleat for this kind of pattern. The regular spacing of the folds distribute the pattern evenly, and our experienced craftspeople, experience and attention to detail will ensure your curtain is measured to the nearest millimetre for a perfect finish.

Classic and unfussy, the pencil pleats on these Rosabella Kiwi curtains complements this 'New England' colour-washed chic bedroom. The sprig pattern adds a little movement, and the tight pleating allows the curtains to be drawn right back to the extreme edges of the window frame for maximum light and view.

While being a classic style, a pencil pleat can still work well in a modern setting. In this contemporary dining room, the Chervo Charcoal fabric has a geometric print that doesn't distort across the folds thanks to the regular pleats.

Pairing a fabric from our Harlequin collection with its matching wallpaper counterpart creates a truly eye catching effect. Cadencia French Grey is a woven jacquard featuring interlocking circles in white and grey. The severe lines of the pattern are softened thanks to the pleats, and by the pooling length of the curtains, while still being readily recognisable as a match to the wall covering.

A bay window is an ideal way to showcase colour and this collection is a perfect example. The russet curtains may seem in contrast to the mink blind, but they're working with the room as a whole to bring everything together. Using a central blind in Calista Smoke, with cushions to match, the mid brown-grey links with the chairs, while the Artisan Terracotta curtains perfectly match the sofa and additionally frame the blind, the pencil pleats allowing the fabric to fall evenly to both sides for a symmetrical look.