The Beauty Of Custom Draperies
Big windows make for a beautiful space. We often want to upsize our windows, especially when we're building a new home, or renovating our current one. Large windows are the right idea for any space but always remember that you'll need to cover those windows with some form of window treatment. (Unless you're in the country and only share your view with the deer and the antelope).
There are oodles of ways to cover your large windows, whether you choose blinds or draperies (or both), there's usually always a solution for you. The issue that arises, however, is generally large windows need a little extra thought put into them. Standard blind sizes sometimes do not come large enough to cover the window in a seamless way, or you may run into obstructions with views, doorways, casings, etc. This is where opting for custom draperies can be highly valuable.
For this client in Airdrie, AB, they had built a beautiful walk out home and had a lovely oversized patio door that you saw right when you came into the house. The patio door was 8' tall x 8' w so it needed an extrodinary window covering. In addition to this, the door was north/west facing and allowed in a ton of bright light and heat! Trying to watch TV in that space was near impossible, the furniture would start to fade eventually, there was a definite "fish bowl" effect in the evenings, plus it was hot! This needed a creative and custom solution, and we did just that.
The solution was to do implement a double rod system so you could use two different fabrics and alternate which fabric you needed for which time of the day. On the first rod, we had selected a cream coloured sheer that could be closed for the majority of the day to help filter the heat and brightness, but still allow the light to come in. The second rod was the feature drapery that allowed us to introduce colour, pattern, and visual interest to this space, and would then fully darken the room and reduce the heat tremendously when closed.
The final result was gorgeous. This concept took a plain patio door and dressed it all the way up up up! It gives the space depth & texture, introduces a brilliant fabric, and is a practical and effective solution for reducing the light and heat that filters into this space.
Let's touch on the pros and cons of custom draperies:
Pros To Custom Drapery:
- Limitless fabric/style options (seriously, THOUSANDS!)
- Customizable heights/widths (they can be made fabricated to fit any window!)
- Pleat style selections (these are a #ripplefold pleat - modern and elegant - love em!)
- Hardware selections (rod systems, colours, finishes, finials, etc. all available to match your current decor)
Cons to Custom Drapery:
- Price (custom draperies come with a price tag. It's hard to quote the project prior to selecting the fabric but they are always more expensive then stock draperies. BUT ALWAYS WORTH IT). Nobody has custom draperies fabricated and regrets it. They are beautiful, original, and Pinterest worthy every time.
FYI Marianne Elizabeth Design offers in home drapery and window covering consultations for $150 CAD + GST, but this consultation fee will be credited back to you if you purchase the draperies that we quote for you. If you're interested in working with us and transforming your windows, reach out to us! You'll receive a window treatment questionnaire, and then we'll follow up with you at your house to learn more about your style and how the draperies are meant to function. Following that meeting, we will visit our fabric suppliers, choose some glamorous selections, review them with you, and provide you with a quote.
Please leave us a comment and let us know what you think, and share with anyone you think could benefit from custom window treatments.
Thanks for reading!
Sincerely,
Marianne Marcoff, Principal Designer
Marianne Elizabeth Design