VIDEO - Draperies and What You Need to Know!
Hey everyone! Thanks so much for clicking on this week’s video. Today we are diving deep into the world of draperies.
Now I have met a lot of people in my time who say they are just not drapery people. But I often think that’s only because they have never had the right draperies in their life.
When you have the right window treatments for your space, they should do the following.
1. Control light and glare.
There is nothing worse than having friends or family over for a meal and your guest having to dodge sunlight hitting them right in their eyes while they are trying to eat or join in on the conversation. The flexibility that the proper window treatment to let lots or little sunlight in as it suits the situation is really important. This is even more important for bedrooms where light control can greatly affect the quality and length of your sleep.
2. Help with echos by creating some sound absorption.
Everyone has experienced this before – you walk into a space with only hard surfaces and every noise bounces off the walls. Not a pleasant feeling for a space you are in every day. This can be amplified if you have small children or pets who like to make lots of noise throughout the day. By adding some softness with fabrics to your space, you will greatly eliminate the echos and bouncing noise in your home.
3. Colour and texture.
In my opinion, it is a rare space that does not benefit from the addition of the layering of colour and texture. Now, colours can be neutral and still create real interest – so don’t think you have to always be bold with colour. The style and feel you are after will determine the best way to go. But you want some variety in the colour tones, patterns and textures to create interest and personality.
4. Enhance your view.
Now, this is where I find I get the most push back from clients. They are often worried about covering any of their windows because they don’t want to obstruct their views or lose any light. When, in fact, a carefully placed drapery can draw your eyes to your view and make your windows look even bigger than they are. Using your draperies in the right way, you can enhance the beauty of your outside foliage or create a real outdoor indoor feel to your space. Nothing does your view justice quite like a beautiful window treatment.
5. Add some coziness.
For those of us who live a cold climate most of the year, this is even more important. Having a space that feels warm and cozy can add another level of comfort to our homes. Bare walls and windows might work well in some climates or look stunning on my Instagram feed but in real life here in Canada, most of us need to feel the warmth and security of something other than empty windows and bare walls.
6. And lastly, style.
The perfect drapery treatment is a fantastic way to add some style and personality to your space. In just the same way you select the perfect sofa for the either modern, French country, or industrial style you are working to create, your drapery treatment can help you achieve that look at the next level.
Now before I let you go, I do want to address one more common question about draperies. Do you need to go with custom or can you purchase ready made draperies?
This all depends on your budget. In my experience, it is very difficult to find nice quality ready made draperies that will hang nicely. But I have lucked out in the past when I needed a standard size for a simple treatment. But if you have really tall windows or high ceilings or a very specific design style, you will most likely need to go with custom made. Your fabric choices will have the biggest impact on the cost of your custom treatments, but your designer should be able to best direct you to keep you on budget.
Ok – that’s it! I hope you feel like you learned a thing or two about why you should have draperies in your home.
Keep your design questions coming via Instagram or just hit reply on one of our weekly newsletters and we will do our best to get your questions answered on an upcoming video. Thanks everyone and see you in the next video.
