When I visited Las Vegas as a teenager I woke up at 5am on my first night. The room was pitch black so I went back to sleep, but when I woke up again the room was still pitch black. Puzzled, I went to the window and lifted a corner of the curtain. It was midday, and a beam of sun shone hotly into the room. It was my first experience of real jetlag, and my first brush with real, superior quality thermal-lined drapery. Aside from double-glazing, heavy curtains are the best way to keep summer heat out and winter warmth in. All the curtains at The Curtain Exchange, a recycled soft furnishings concept store, have a minimum drop of 2300mm and most are made of designer fabrics