What Is Custom Drapery, Really?
The word 'custom' is unregulated in the drapery trade. A working definition — and how to tell the difference between custom drapery and a panel that was simply cut to your window size.
Almost every drapery sold in Los Angeles is described as 'custom.' Most of it is not, in any meaningful sense of the word. The category has expanded to include anything cut to a non-standard size, regardless of whether the specification, construction, or hardware was designed for the specific room.
A working definition of custom drapery — the one the studio operates by — is narrower and more demanding.
What 'Custom' Should Mean
Custom drapery is specified, not selected. Every dimension, every pleat, every lining weight, every hardware decision is written for the room in question after the room has been walked and measured. The specification is the project; the fabrication follows it.
A panel that has been cut to a non-standard size from a standard catalog system is not custom. It is made-to-measure semi-custom — a legitimate category, but not the same discipline.
The Specification Document
Every custom drapery project the studio writes is governed by a single specification document that covers pleat style, fullness ratio, lining and interlining, hardware system, motorization, mounting height and method, return depth, hem treatment, and installation sequence.
If a project does not have such a document, it is not being run as a custom drapery project. It is being run as a retail order with custom dimensions.
Construction Markers of True Custom Work
Hand-tacked pleats rather than tape-formed. Interlining as a default, not an upgrade. Sewn-in weight chains at the hem. Mitered corners. Hand-finished returns to the wall. Hardware that is sized and finished for the room rather than pulled from a standard catalog.
These markers are not visible at first glance — and they are exactly what separates a drapery program that reads correctly for a decade from one that fails inside two years.
From Olga's Studio
[Project example to add: Olga to insert a side-by-side from a recent project where a 'custom' drapery was replaced — original panel hand vs. replacement panel hand — and the construction details that explain the difference.]
Questions homeowners ask us
- How do I know if a quote is for true custom work or made-to-measure?
- Ask for the specification. A true custom drapery project will produce a written specification covering pleat, fullness, lining, hardware, and mounting before fabric is ordered. A made-to-measure quote will reference a catalog system and your window dimensions.
- Is made-to-measure ever the right choice?
- Yes, for secondary spaces with simple requirements, made-to-measure semi-custom can be appropriate. It is not the right choice for primary rooms in an architecturally significant residence.
- Does true custom drapery cost dramatically more?
- Not always. The cost difference is often smaller than expected — typically 20–40% — and is concentrated in specification, hardware, and construction rather than in fabric. The longevity and visual result justify the difference in nearly every primary residence project.