Custom Drapes
It is very common for people to order or make custom drapes. Drapes need to fit the décor of various rooms and the sizes and shapes of many windows, therefore, making them custom is a common practice. You can either have drapes professionally custom made for you or you can make them yourself.
If you choose to have drapes professionally made for you, make sure that you thoroughly research your drape maker. Look at their previous work and ask them if you can call and talk to previous clients of theirs. Better yet, try to visit a previous client to examine the quality of work of your drape maker. Remember that your drape maker should also have a good eye for design. Have him or her come to your home and look at the colors and layout of your rooms to give you the best idea on what kinds of drape choices
you have. Finally, ask about warranty of your drapes. Custom drapes may come different from how you imagined and you want to make sure there is some kind of guarantee of workmanship and quality.
If you decide to make your own custom drapes, you have many choices of fabrics to choose from. Silk is popular as well as many cotton or cotton polyester blends. Before you choose the fabric, decide how you will use your drapes. If you want the drapes to blackout the light, then you want to choose a darker or heavier fabric. Better yet, add a blackout lining to the drapery fabric so you can be sure it will be dark when you draw close the drapes. If you live in a climate with a lot of moisture, make sure you
pick a material that can resist mold and pests. Silk is a good material that will resist mold and other forms of rot. Remember to also consider how you will maintain the drapes. Wet washing the drapes will most likely shrink them and make them less useful than before. Consider dry cleaning drapes if you can.
With custom drapes you can also add additional embellishments in addition to the drapes themselves. For example, why not put a cornice or a swag along with your drapes. Cornices make the top of the drapes look full and formal. When your drapes are open the cornice adds more decoration rather than leave the curtain rod bare. Swags do the same thing in embellishing the curtain rod area but are less formal than cornices. As you can see, making custom drapes can be a lot of fun and enjoyment as long as you have
the time and have the interest. You can start by reading some books and doing research online about window drapes and treatments. Good luck.
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