DWC Home | Magazine | Back Issues | March 2005 | Design Solutions

More Articles by Sharon L. Anderson  More Design Solutions

DESIGN SOLUTIONS

Casual Elegance
Success in creating draperies with a free flowing, yet elegnt appeal most often depnds on the fabric chosen.

by Sharon L. Anderson

CHALLENGE: I recently toured a “Dream House 2005” designer showcase home with one of my current clients. I was very impressed with the draperies I saw in one of the rooms. They were very elegant, yet had a casual and free- flowing elegance about them. The home aspired to a period look, and I just cannot forget these ceiling-to-floor draperies. The treatment included tab tops and hung from the most elegant large-scale antique wood pole.

I know the fabric choice plays a big part in creating this elegant look. Yet, I was not sure what it was. Could you please offer some insight to the type of fabric to use for this formal-yet-casual look?

SOLUTION: I do know the type of drapery treatment you are referring to, and I recently found a similar style in the current issue of home interior design consumer magazine, so the look is indeed popular right now.

Let me give you some insight on fabric types and performance. I also can suggest styles of window treatments that work with these fabrics.

• Lightweight panne velvet: This velvet has its pile pressed down in one direction, appearing glossy. This is a great fabric for a free flowing, tab-topped, ceiling-to-floor drapery. It appears very elegant and rich.

• Shantung: This is a medium-weight silk that includes an irregular, elongated slub throughout the fabric. This fiber originally was made of Tussah silk, and now the texture has been imitated with yarns of various fibers. This fabric is an excellent choice for free-flowing draperies of any length.

• Transparent velvet: This velvet is elegant and reflects light. It tends to change color when viewed at different angles in different lighting and can appear almost iridescent. One of the nice qualities of this fabric is that it is given a crush-resistant finish and is excellent for draping.

• China silk: Made in China and Japan, this silk has been around for centuries and still is hand-made in some parts of the world. It is very soft and lustrous. Be sure to secure this type of treatment in all areas, as it tends to move around because it is so smooth and soft. It makes for an excellent choice for elegant, soft draperies.

• Damask: There are many faces to damask, either woven or printed. Either way, it is elegant and comes in a wide array of styles. Damask can be either light-, medium- or heavyweight. The best for window treatments is the light or medium weight. It is distinguished by a contrasting luster for the background and is woven on the Jacquard loom. It is simply elegant for window treatments.

As with all the fabrics listed above, the fabric you choose for your client’s free flowing draperies will have its own personality. Consider the window (its size, how much light will come through, etc.), as lining may be required. A lightweight lining or a self-lined window treatment may be needed for energyefficiency or privacy. If the windows are energy-efficient, or have been tinted or treated for sun exposure, then you should be fine and not need to line the window treatment.

I usually like to see these types of fabrics used for swags and cascades, bishop sleeves, pinch-pleated or simple tab-top draperies. Do not be afraid to include a synthetic fiber look-alike, as the performance of the synthetic fibers have great advantages. With today’s technological advances, a fabric may appear to be a silk, when it actually might included up to 50 percent synthetic fibers.

Large-scale wood or antique finished poles work great with the elegant-yet-casual treatments mentioned, as the decorative hardware adds lots of texture to the design. Casually hanging these draperies using tab tops and the not-too-perfect puddling of fabric on the floor is a great way to use these fabrics to their fullest potential.

By choosing from these types of fabrics, your treatment will appear elegant yet casual, and your clients will be pleased.