Draperies and Curtains
Sunday, October 21st, 2007
Draperies
Whether your look is formal or casual, contemporary or traditional, use draperies or curtains to accentuate your decorating scheme.
Normally lined, pleated, and floor-length, drapery panels often attach by hooks to a traverse rod. A cord mechanism that hangs behind either the left or right panel draws both of the panels open and closed.
Because of the way a traverse rod works, drapery panels don’t always retract as compactly as curtain panels do, so if a window has minimal wall space around it, you may want to consider curtains or another type of treatment.
Before you purchase draperies, check their stackback, the technical term for the width of a window treatment when fully retracted. Very wide windows require more fabric, resulting in a wider stackback. In this case you’ll need to increase the length of the traverse rod to keep the stacked fabric from covering the window glass when the drapes are fully open.
Because draperies are typically pleated and more tailored in appearance, they generally lend a more traditional look to a decorating scheme. However, newer pleating styles can offer a more updated and casual look for contemporary interiors. Look for fan pleats attached to simple rods with clips and rings.
Fabric selections can dress a drapery panel either up or down. Velvet, damask, and silk generally require a more traditional or formal room, while linen and cotton fabrics offer a more casual look.
Curtains
Curtains are typically lightweight, unlined, and suspended from a rod by simple tabs, rings, or a rod-pocket casing. Most can be drawn back by hand to create a simple, casual-looking window treatment.
Basic curtain panels are easy to make and install. They may cover the full length of the window or reach from ceiling to floor. Lining the panels and adding decorative accessories and top treatments can make curtains look as elegant as any drapery panel.
Cafe curtains cover only the lower portion of the window, allowing light and views through the top half of the window.
Panels shirred on rods at both the top and bottom are somewhat stationary and are good solutions for swinging doors and for casement windows that swing in.