The Studio
Frequently Asked
Questions homeowners, designers, and architects bring to the studio most often — answered with the same discipline we apply to every drapery specification.
Product & Style
Product & Style questions
What custom drapery is, how it differs from curtains and shades, and which pleat your room is asking for.
- What is custom drapery?
- Custom drapery is drapery specified, fabricated, and installed to the dimensions, architecture, and use of a specific room — measured on site, hand-tacked in the workroom, and finished with sewn-in lining and weighted hems. Nothing about it is pulled from a standard size.
- What is the difference between drapes and curtains?
- Curtains are typically unlined, lightweight, and casual; drapes are lined, heavier, and architectural. In the studio's vocabulary we work exclusively in drapery — lined, hand-fabricated, mounted to read with the architecture.
- What is the difference between drapery and shades?
- Drapery is soft furnishing — panels of cloth that traverse or stack. Shades are inside-mount window coverings that raise and lower. Most luxury rooms specify both: shades for inside-mount glare and UV control, drapery for evening privacy and acoustic warmth.
- Which pleat style is best for my home?
- The architecture decides. Traditional and transitional rooms favor French pleat; contemporary rooms favor ripple fold. The studio specifies the heading the room is asking for, regardless of fashion.
- What drapery length works best for luxury interiors?
- Kiss-to-floor on contemporary and transitional rooms; small break in tailored traditional rooms; full puddle only in formal romantic interiors where the architecture supports it.
- Should drapery puddle on the floor?
- Only in formal rooms with traditional architecture. Contemporary drapery should meet the floor cleanly without pooling.
Fabric & Performance
Fabric & Performance questions
Privacy, light control, allergy considerations, and how the studio specifies fabric to the room.
- Which fabrics provide the most privacy?
- Heavyweight linens, wool blends, and velvets paired with lining give the most opacity. For complete privacy after dark we layer with a tighter weave or an over-drapery.
- Which fabrics block the most light?
- Three-pass blackout linings, paired with heavyweight face fabric and side channels, deliver near-total light control — the only specification the studio accepts in primary suites and nurseries.
- What fabrics work best in sunny Los Angeles homes?
- Performance linen blends from European mills, solar-control sheers, and UV-stabilized blackout linings. We specify by orientation — west-facing exposures are the most demanding.
- What fabrics are easiest to clean?
- Performance synthetics and treated linen blends. The studio specifies cleanable assemblies on every commercial project and on residential nurseries and kitchens.
- What fabrics are best for allergy-sensitive homes?
- Tightly-woven cotton, linen, and dedicated low-allergen performance fabrics. We avoid silk in allergy-sensitive primary suites.
- Do blackout linings block all light?
- Three-pass blackout linings block virtually all light through the cloth itself; edge light around the panel is controlled with side channels or generous returns.
- Where Does the Studio Source Fabrics?
- We source fabrics from a wide range of domestic and international suppliers based on each project's design goals, performance requirements, and budget. Our sourcing network includes luxury European mills, commercial-grade manufacturers, and specialty textile suppliers. We regularly work with fabrics from respected brands and mills including: Scalamandré Loro Piana Interiors JAB Anstoetz Zimmer + Rohde Fabricut Kravet Schumacher Romo James Hare Samuel & Sons and many other domestic and international partners We also source: Belgian linens Italian linens Performance fabrics Commercial-grade fabrics Acoustic textiles Blackout fabrics Sheers Hospitality fabrics Fire-retardant fabrics Fabric selections are tailored to each project's aesthetic, performance requirements, and budget rather than limited to a single supplier.
Process
Process questions
How a project moves from consultation through fabrication to installation.
- How does the design process work?
- In-home consultation, written specification, fabric selection, on-site measurement, workroom fabrication, professional installation, and final dressing — six to twelve weeks depending on scope and fabric lead time.
- How are windows measured?
- On site, by our installer, to the sixteenth of an inch. The studio does not fabricate from client-supplied measurements.
- How long does fabrication take?
- Three to six weeks after fabric arrives; estate-scale programs run longer.
- How long does installation take?
- Most residential projects install in one to three days; estate-scale programs run a week or more.
- Do you remove old drapery?
- Yes — removal, hardware tear-down, drywall patching, and disposal are coordinated within the install window.
- Can I supply my own fabric?
- Yes — designer-specified or homeowner-procured fabric is welcome, provided it meets the studio's quality threshold for hand, weight, and finishing.
- What Does a Typical Project Timeline Look Like?
- Project timelines vary based on project size, scope, material availability, and customization requirements. For a typical single-family residence with approximately three bedrooms, most custom drapery projects are completed within 2–4 weeks from final approval and deposit. Larger residences, estate properties, commercial projects, hospitality projects, and specialty fabric programs may require additional time depending on complexity and product selection. Expedited production may be available for select projects.
Pricing
Pricing questions
What luxury custom drapery costs in Los Angeles, and what drives the number.
- How much does custom drapery cost?
- Luxury custom drapery typically runs $1,500–$6,000+ per finished panel installed, with motorization adding $1,500–$4,000 per opening. Total cost is a function of fabric, fullness, lining, hardware, mounting, and motorization — not panel count alone.
- What affects the cost of drapery?
- Fabric tier (the largest single variable), fullness ratio, lining and interlining, mounting height, hardware specification, and motorization.
- Are motorized systems worth the extra cost?
- In primary suites, great rooms with walls of glass, and any mount above ten feet — yes, without hesitation. The system pays back in daily use.
- What is included in a custom drapery quote?
- Fabric and trim, lining and interlining, hardware, fabrication labor, on-site measurement, installation, and final dressing. Motorization is line-itemed separately and coordinated with the integrator.
Motorization
Motorization questions
How motorized systems are specified, powered, and integrated with smart-home ecosystems.
- What is motorized drapery?
- Drapery operated by a concealed DC motor that traverses the panels along a recessed track — integrated with the home's keypad ecosystem and addressable in morning, afternoon, evening, and away scenes.
- Can existing drapery be motorized?
- Sometimes — it depends on the existing hardware and access for power. We assess each room before quoting a retrofit.
- How is motorized drapery powered?
- Hardwired DC is the studio's default for new construction and substantial renovations; battery is reserved for retrofits where wiring is not possible.
- Is motorization compatible with smart homes?
- Yes — Lutron, Crestron, Savant, and Control4 are all supported and integrated directly with the home's keypads and scenes.
- What happens during a power outage?
- Hardwired DC motors continue to operate from the home's emergency power if installed; otherwise the drapery rests in its last position until power returns.
Commercial
Commercial questions
Hospitality, restaurant, and office drapery — IFR compliance, motorization, and brand finish.
- What makes drapery suitable for hospitality?
- Inherently fire-retardant fabric to NFPA 701, motorized layered systems integrated with the PMS, acoustic-grade construction, and a finish that reads residential-luxury. All four are non-negotiable.
- Are commercial drapery fabrics fire-rated?
- Yes — commercial drapery is specified inherently fire-retardant to NFPA 701, often with additional jurisdiction-specific requirements.
- How do you maintain drapery in high-use spaces?
- Cleanable assemblies are specified from the brief forward; panels are rotated and cleaned on a published cycle.
- Can commercial drapery be motorized?
- Yes, and increasingly is — hospitality, office, and event-space drapery are now specified motorized as default.
- How do you design drapery for brand consistency?
- Color, texture, and trim are coordinated with the brand's creative team and executed through the studio's European mill partners. Custom weaves are commissioned regularly for flagship hospitality and retail.
Studio
Studio questions
About the studio, trade programs, and working with the design team.
- Does the Studio Offer a Trade Program?
- Yes. Custom Drapery Los Angeles offers a trade program for interior designers, architects, builders, developers, purchasing agents, hospitality professionals, and other qualified members of the design trade. Trade members receive access to preferred pricing, dedicated project support, sourcing assistance, and custom fabrication services.