Window treatment options abound. Shades are cost-friendly, no doubt. From vinyl to solar to honeycomb, they are fairly easy to install and offer up a clean, somewhat minimalist look. Blinds are available in nearly any color and in a number of finishes, to include simulated or real wood. Shutters offer a traditional look and feel and are often made of natural materials.
But the cozy appeal of actual fabric to adorn the fenestration cannot be overstated. Whether you choose valances, side panels or treatments that span the width of the window, draperies add color, texture and a sense of comfort that cannot be approached by any other option.
They also offer more complete protection against light and sound penetration, according to Christine St. Clair of The Drapery Lady in San Jose.
“If you’re trying to cut out light and cut out noise,” she says, “draperies are really good for that. You can’t black out as much light with blinds and shades.”
This makes draperies an especially good selection for the bedroom. According to St. Clair, you can enhance protection by choosing blackout lining against light intrusion, as well as interlining, which further insulates against sound. She even suggests mounting draperies on the ceiling to eliminate the light that would intrude over the top of a window-well installation.
Designwise, these days Bay Area homeowners are mixing it up when it comes to drapery treatments, according to St. Clair.
“Ikat prints and jacquards” are in demand, she says. “I’ve done silks for people. … A lot of my (international) clients … like the richness of the draperies, and they like bolder colors. It’s becoming like a status thing.”
Side panels are also popular, she notes.
Window-width “draperies take up a lot of stacking space,” St. Clair states. “Maybe (clients) want the effect of the drapery and the color, but they don’t want to have a (covering) that, when it’s all the way open, is going to take up a lot of space on the window and their wall.”
Homeowners are open to combining draperies with other treatments as well.
“We’ll do a combination of things,” St. Clair notes. She has, in recent months, for example, combined Silhouettes, also known as privacy blinds, with side panel drapes. Side panels and valances to accompany shades are another option, especially for homeowners who have just taken up residence.
Upon move-in, St. Clair advises against haste with drapery choices.
“Take your time,” she counsels. “Don’t try to rush into something and figure that you’re going to get it all done. An in-home drapery consultation usually takes about two hours,” in part because decisions need to be made for each room of the house.
St. Clair also suggests, for those on a budget, Roman shades which add texture to a window without the expense of drapes.
Still, she notes, draperies occupy a window treatment niche all their own.
“What sets draperies apart,” she says, “is the look, the feel. … It’s much more personal than a blind or a shade because you’re having to pick the fabric. And you’re picking it to go with your furniture” and other decor choices.
With so many window covering options to choose from, selecting which will be appropriate for each room is a challenge. Draperies offer design characteristics and personalization that cannot be approximated by any other choice.
