Want to spice up your room without swapping out all your furniture? The answer is decorating with custom draperies that can put a cherry on top of an already beautiful space or completely transform any room that needs a refresh.

Continue reading to learn some best practices and design tricks to help you get exactly what you want when it comes to selecting and decorating with custom window treatments.

Custom Drapery: Yay or Nay

There are thousands of drapery options that you can choose from without having to customize your own, so why go through the trouble of personalizing your window treatments? Great question! While existing draperies are beautiful, going the customization route can ensure you receive the absolute best measurements, colors, fabrics and styles designed specifically for your house alone.

Each room in your home has different sizes of windows, meaning there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution that will work for every space. By working with an interior designer on your drapery, you can achieve a flawless finish, no matter the window you’re attempting to decorate.

Match your drapery with your hardware for a consecutive look.

Tips for Choosing Your Window Coverings

Fitting your windows with updated drapery is an exciting endeavor, but there are some ways you can make this process even better. When it comes to custom window treatments, you want to ensure they’re spot on, which means you need a keen eye for detail.

Here are some tips for choosing your draperies:

Get the Appropriate Fabric

You can make draperies out of just about any type of fabric, but that doesn’t mean every textile is meant to be hung above your windows. Natural options like linen, silk and cotton are all rich in texture and generally hang very well. Linen and cotton draperies are very simple, providing the perfect solution to homeowners looking for a no-fuss solution. For a more upscale or formal look, silk is definitely the way to go.

When selecting the fabric for your custom drapery, it’s important to pay attention to the weight of each piece. Test out the strength of your drapery rods by placing the fabric over each side to see if it will hold up well. This is also a great way to experiment with different textiles to ensure they’ll look the way you want them to without appearing too bulky or stiff.

Mount the Drapery High

Whether your home was blessed with tall ceilings and wide windows or you’ve been given a smaller space to work with, the best way to get a great custom drapery result is to hang your window treatments close to the ceiling. This elongates the height of your room and prevents the drapery from dragging or puddling on the floor. The best place for the coverings to fall is about half an inch from the floor.

Match Your Drapery With Your Hardware

There are several ways you can hang drapery depending on what your desired look is. But, the most important part of selecting your mounting style is choosing the hardware your drapery will hang on. From rod pockets to rings, there are hundreds of styles to choose from. Whether you’re partial to silver, gold, black or colorful and bold, stay true to your room’s aesthetic and existing style. Pick hardware that won’t necessarily steal the show by not matching, but will make your drapery the main act by fitting in perfectly with the space.

Pick Your Lining

Draperies need a good lining to last a long time and hang correctly. With custom draperies, you can select a lighter, white lining that allows more sun to enter the room. Or, you can choose a black-out lining with heavier fabric that provides insulation from the heat in the summer and cold in the winter. Black-out lining also works well for making a room darker, if you prefer that look. No matter what you opt for, you’ll receive value in return because a high-quality lining allows the draperies to withstand the test of time and regular wear and tear.

Decorating With Custom Draperies: How To Get Your Desired Look

Before you think that drapery are just meant to block the sun or avert your neighbor’s wandering eyes, think about all the ways you could liven up your house with window treatments created specifically for your home:

• Focus on one less-used color in your room: In your home’s color palette, there may be a few colors that are only sprinkled throughout your rooms meant to highlight the one main hue you’ve used heavily. Your drapery is a chance to pull one of those more overlooked colors and give it its shining moment. Whether in a patterned or solid piece, create a more dynamic design by customizing your window treatments with this secondary color.
• Use texture: For spaces that need more dimension, sub in your custom drapery as the solution. Select a fabric that’s coarse or incorporates embroidery for some added visual interest throughout your house.
• Ask for help: While it’s not always easy to ask for assistance, getting some help from an interior design professional can ensure you select beautiful custom draperies that will withstand the test of time and the fluctuation of trends.

Decorating Den Interiors has a team of interior decorating experts ready to help you achieve your dream home, one custom window treatment at a time. Find a designer near you to get started today!