How to Choose Custom Drapery
The decisions that actually determine whether a drapery program reads as architecture — or as decoration applied to it.
Most homeowners choose drapery by walking a swatch wall. It is the wrong place to start, and the most common reason a finished drapery program reads as off.
Custom drapery is decided in seven specifications: pleat style, fullness, length, lining, mounting, hardware, and motorization. Fabric is the last conversation, never the first.
Start with the architecture
French pleat reads in traditional and transitional rooms; ripple fold reads in contemporary rooms. The architecture above the panel tells you which heading the room is asking for.
Specify fullness honestly
Less than 2x fullness is skimped; more than 3x is compressed. We specify 2.5–3x as default.
Mount ceiling-to-floor whenever the room allows
The single most reliable upgrade in any drapery program. Tall mounts make the room read taller; the cost difference is the cloth only.
Line everything
Lining and interlining are not optional in luxury drapery. They give the panel its body, its fall, and its longevity.
Questions homeowners ask us
- Should I choose fabric first?
- No. Fabric is the last decision after pleat, fullness, mount, and lining are set.
- How do I choose between French pleat and ripple fold?
- The architecture decides. Crown molding and traditional rooms ask for French pleat; flat-line contemporary ceilings ask for ripple fold.