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Drapery for Arched Windows
Honor the arch or cover it — the brief has to be settled before the drawing leaves the studio.
The window in context
Arched windows are a design decision before they are a window. The first conversation in any arched-window specification is whether the arch is being honored or covered — the answer determines every subsequent choice.
Honoring the arch means a curved bent track that follows the radius, or a stationary upper treatment that leaves the arch visible. Covering it means a single straight rod mounted above the arch with drapery that reads as a full-height panel.
Design challenges
- The arch is usually a primary architectural feature — covering it has consequences
- Curved bent track is bespoke, specified to the exact radius
- Functional drapery on a curved track is mechanically complex
- Mounting hardware has to respect plaster, casing, or stone
Recommended solutions
- Stationary panels left and right of the arch — the arch reads as architecture
- Straight rod mounted above the arch with full-height drapery — covers the arch, reads as scale
- Curved bent track for fully functional drapery that follows the radius — for very specific briefs
- Interior shutter or motorized roller shade inside the arch only
Best fabrics
- Belgian linen for transitional rooms
- Silk and silk blends in formal rooms
- Velvet for traditional rooms where the arch is being covered for scale
Hardware considerations
- Custom bent rod or track fabricated to the radius of the specific arch
- Solid brass, bronze, or hand-forged iron in heritage architecture
- Mount above the arch (covering) requires a deeper return and a heavier rod
Motorization options
- Motorization is straightforward on a straight rod mounted above the arch
- Motorization on a curved track is bespoke and specified case by case
Privacy & light control
- If the arch is honored, privacy resolves on the rectangular window below the arch
- If the arch is covered, the full system reads as a single drapery wall
Drapery styles specified for Arched Windows
Questions homeowners ask about Arched Windows
- Should drapery cover an arched window or follow the arch?
- It depends on the architecture. If the arch is a primary feature of the room, it is honored. If the arch is incidental or the proportion is wrong for the room, it is often covered with a single tall panel.
- Can drapery follow the curve of an arched window?
- Yes — on a custom bent track fabricated to the radius. It is the most expensive solution in arched-window drapery and is reserved for briefs where the arch is the entire point of the room.
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Walk the room with Olga.
Every consultation begins with the window — its shape, its scale, its exposure, and the program of the room it lives in. We will tell you exactly how the drapery should resolve.
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