It’s been a while since we did a “Tuesday Design Tip” post! I’ve been on the hunt recently for some ready-made drapery panel options for a client. I have been working on a couple of projects where clients choose to go the ready-made route over the custom window treatment route. At some point, we’ll get around to comparing pros and cons of ready-made drapery vs. custom drapery, but today I thought I’d share a few tips that I feel are important when selecting ready-made drapery.
Just to clarify, the term “Ready-Made” equates to store bought. You measure your own windows and purchase panels already made in standard sizes {which typically range from 48″ wide to 54″ wide.} “Custom” is when you have a design professional help design the best treatment for your personal needs and style, choose the most appropriate fabric both in material and design, have a professional drapery workroom measure and install and select custom hardware.
The first thing to consider:
Do you need privacy or light control?
If you do, then you’ll need them to be able to move easily, and a grommet style or a panel with rings would be your best option. Just keep in mind that if you have little ones or animals, the rings with the clips might not be as sturdy. They are just little clips that clip on to the top of the drapery panel. You may need to have someone sew the rings into place to give them more strength.
Grommet
{you can see a bit of a “puddle” which I mention a bit later in this post}
Rings on a rod
If you don’t need them to move for light control or privacy, but only to add another layer to your room and finish off the window with softness and interest, you could use any style: Grommet, rings, a pole pocket or rod pocket, smocked, tab top or tie top.
Pole Pocket or Rod Pocket
You’ll need to measure the width of your window if you’ll want them to cover the entire window. You will want a bit of fullness when they are closed, and not lie flat against your window, or they’ll look like you just hung a sheet! You can sew multiple panels together to give a more finished look and function a bit better.
In my own guest room, I didn’t want to go the custom route, at least not yet. I used the Ikea Merete grommet drapery panels in white. I have a large window which I have a Silhouette from Hunter Douglas as the main treatment and the panels are used just to frame the window.
On the slider, I used two panels on each side to be able to cover the entire door for privacy when company is visiting. Jill sewed two panels together for each side and hemmed all 6 of them for a bit more “custom” look.
{Don’t look too closely-more trim painting needs to be done in here!}
If you are doing stationary panels on each side of the window, it will depend on how much wall space you have and how much window you’re willing to take up. Typically if the panel is 54″wide, you would only need one on each side unless you have a very large window and a lot of wall space and you need to make the window and treatments appear proportional.
Once you determine how many panels, the next question is:
What length should my panels be?
When doing custom, the length of the drapery is measured in multiple spots to ensure that it hits the floor correctly. Typically, walls, ceilings and floors are not perfectly level and when you’re aiming to just skim the floor with your drapery, you’ll need all those measurements to make sure you have the perfect length in all spots.
When you’re working with ready-mades, they usually are longer than what you need. {*TIP: Always purchase the longer panels!!! Nothing screams “READY MADE” like a drapery that is too short! It’s like wearing pants that are just an inch or so too short! And being tall, I know all too well how silly that looks!!!*} So get the longer ones and have them hemmed if needed. You could also have them “puddle” on the floor {the first picture in this post shows an example of puddling.} But again, if you have little ones or pets, you might want to not go with too lengthy of a puddle. An inch or two longer is great. That way it will hide the fact that most likely something in the room is not level and won’t make it too difficult to hang.
Last, but certainly not least:
What to use for Drapery Hardware?
The drapery hardware you use will be almost as important as the drapery panel itself! I’m a firm believer in using a drapery rod no smaller than 1″ in diameter, and preferably at least 1 1/2″ in diameter. Some designers love a skinnier drapery pole, but I’ve never been one of them! The larger you go, the larger the window and room will appear. And the beefier the rod, the less it will bow in the center.
There are typically two styles of drapery rods: Smooth and Fluted. A smooth rod tends to be more modern or casual and a fluted rod definitely gives a more traditional feel to your windows and your overall look.
Fluted
You’ll most likely need 3 brackets to support the rod: One on each end and one in the middle. If it’s a small window and you’re not moving the drapery, 2 will be sufficient. The bracket in the center will help alleviate any bowing.
As for finials, choose what you like! Something more angular, such as a square, tends to be a bit more modern and a ball finial has a more casual and transitional feel to it. If you are looking for something more traditional, going with a curvier finial can dress up the window.
You can always add tie backs to the wall to pull back the drapery panels both for function and for aesthetics.
Tie Backs
And a drapery wand can help immensely with helping to draw drapery panels that need to move.
{All images besides my own photographs can be found on my window treatment board on pinterest}
If you have a unique window and you need some kind of treatment on it for privacy and/or light control, you may need to have a professional help you with it. Some windows {and I’ve dealt with my fair share!} can be very tricky and a ready made treatment just won’t cut it!
No matter what you choose, any kind of window treatment will add dimension, function and beauty to your room!
Great! very very nice for decorating your home interior. Nowadays computerized expert system is available for providing interior design by allowing a homeowner to enter interior design requirements and selecting interior designs.
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