How Window Treatments, Textiles & Textures Make Your House Feel Like Home
In the 1990s, you would have found me in my Atlanta home using my laundry room as a drapery workroom. I would meet with clients about their drapery needs and then head home with a bolt of fabric, draft the pattern, then cut and sew the treatments. Then, after the drapes were completed in the early days, I would install them with my ladder and drill.
My home-based business continued to grow as I designed and sewed custom drapery, bedding, and upholstery. I also worked as a sales rep for a national window company that sold blinds, shades, shutters, and other treatments not made of fabric.
As my experience grew, so did my deep understanding of all kinds of custom treatments. Even though I’ve since expanded my work to interior design and remodeling, finding the right window treatments and textiles is still a large part of what I do — and honestly, is what makes a newly renovated house feel like home.
Today, I want to pass on some of that knowledge to you. Specifically, how to use window treatments, textiles, soft treatments, and textures to make your home personal, beautiful, and comfortable. Come take a look…
Why is Texture Important?
First, the big question: Does texture matter? Oh, yes. Textures make a room interesting and inviting by adding a new dimension to the space. They appeal to our senses, both visual and tactile.
Fabrics are a great source of texture, from smooth faux leathers to warm velvety chenille that you just have to touch. When adding fabrics to your home, window treatments are an excellent place to do so, but you can also incorporate textured fabrics with throw pillows or upholstered seating, like an ottoman or a full-sized sofa.
Pro Tip: In general, contrasting textures create the most impact. Think about a smooth leather chair with a plush rug on the floor and a rich wall color, then add in some linen drapery, and you have a room with interest and depth. It feels inviting, cozy, and elevated.
How do you choose the right fabrics?
Choosing the right fabric is like going to a boutique clothing store. You go because you have a special occasion and you want just the right outfit… but you need some personalized help, too. The consultant might bring out items that you would never have considered trying on or putting together, but the result is delightful. You feel fabulous. That’s the experience I love to provide to our clients.
At the beginning of my process, I spend a good deal of time learning what you want to accomplish with your textiles. For example, I want to know if you want fabrics for light control, decor, insulation, comfort, or all of the above.
We’ll also chat about the other items in the room. What are the colors of the art, the rugs, or your plans for wall colors? Designers have access to a much wider variety of fabrics than in retail stores, so we can often make suggestions that are very special and unique to your room. This applies to both fabric and drapery hardware.
Pro Tip: I am a firm believer that the fabrics must be chosen in your home, in the room that they are going to be used. This will save you from making the wrong choice. You may think showroom lighting is better, but it isn’t a fair comparison because the lighting in your home is different.
Window treatments help soften rooms, like kitchens, where there are predominantly hard surfaces. This softly folding fabric provides color, texture, and elegance.
Retail or Custom?
Choosing to buy retail vs. custom comes down to a couple of factors. The first requires you to look at the dimensions of the window you are dressing. Ready-made drapery comes in set lengths. If you have expansive windows, finding ready-made drapery that is more than one width wide is difficult. In addition, using ready-made drapes will leave you with slim, poor-proportioned drapes.
Another factor is that most ready-made drapery fabrics are mainstream, so if you want to move ahead of the current market-saturated color scheme, you may want to go custom. Of course, this applies to fabric stores, too. They are going to stock what they believe will sell, which appeals to the masses.
Retail drapery hardware is much the same. Hardware on the shelf is usually lightweight and isn’t custom cut to your window. Meanwhile, telescoping drapery rods are a nightmare if you want to slide rings over the rod to open and close the drapery.
Finally, a good lining can make even an average fabric look like a million bucks. Unfortunately, ready-made drapery usually has a thin, economical lining doing a disservice to the material because it has less body once it’s hanging in the window. These are all dilemmas that a custom solution solves beautifully — and custom treatments last longer, too!
I want to wrap this up by saying that custom window treatments aren’t for everyone. They are an investment. But if there are a few rooms in your home, or even just one room, that you could start with and splurge a bit, you will quickly realize it is well worth the investment.
Ready for that textured, welcoming feeling inside your own home? We can help you with that. Contact us here and let’s see if we’re the right fit for you.
Warmly,
Sarah