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Drapery for Clerestory Windows
High horizontal windows used for daylight without view — almost always left undressed, motorized solar shade where heat is a concern.
The window in context
Clerestory windows are the high-set horizontal lights characteristic of mid-century modern and contemporary California residences. They bring daylight into the room without offering a view and almost never require traditional drapery.
The studio specifies clerestories as undressed in most contemporary rooms. Where heat or glare control is required, we specify a dedicated motorized solar shade or top-down/bottom-up cellular shade.
Design challenges
- Access for motorization specification before drywall close-in
- Reach for manual operation is impractical — motorization or stationary treatment only
- Heat gain through unshaded clerestory glass on south and west elevations
Recommended solutions
- Leave undressed in contemporary architecture where daylight is the point
- Specify a recessed motorized solar shade for glare and heat control
- Coordinate motorization with the architect before ceiling drywall is closed
Best fabrics
- Solar-control roller shade weaves rated for the elevation
Hardware considerations
- Recessed motorized shade hardware specified at framing
- Concealed power runs to each shade
Motorization options
- Hardwired DC motors — battery is unworkable at height
- Scene integration with the primary drapery program below
Privacy & light control
- Privacy is rarely a clerestory consideration
- Heat and glare are the only specifications that matter on south and west elevations
Drapery styles specified for Clerestory Windows
Questions homeowners ask about Clerestory Windows
- Should clerestory windows be treated?
- Usually not. They are daylight architecture. Treat only when heat gain or glare is measurably affecting the room.
- Can clerestories be motorized after construction?
- Difficult — power runs and ceiling access are typically closed in. We coordinate motorization at the framing stage.
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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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