I have been working in the design industry for over twenty years now. Most of those years have been fabric filled. It’s really an obsession of sorts. My reps come to visit my office, they bring armfulls of new books. The books are filled with swatches of new and exciting fabrics, textures, colours and patterns. The smell of the fabric fills the room. The colours bounce around and the patterns dance like butterflies around my head. Okay that’s super hokey. But seriously. One the the best parts of my job is finding the perfect fabrics for a space. Drapery fabric. Makes a statement. Warms up a room. Creates mood and a luxe vibe. As long as ice-cream kiddie fingers aren’t grabbing them, they will look good for a really long time. And furniture! Who doesn’t love a soft velvety sofa with cushions that scream pretty, or industrial or chic or fun or bright or carribean or a combo of any of those and so many more! Those toss cushions! How we designers love thee! And how many hours have I spent picking out the perfect fabrics ?!?!? It sometimes drives me mad. But it’s fun. And I love it. […]
Drapery hardware is a huge mystery to those who do not manufacture or install it. Many clients of mine will stare up at their windows and look at me, a blank look on their faces, and say “I don’t know what to do. How do we hang it?” I generally smile back and respond with a bunch of technical information and then let them know that I’ll just email them some finial options for their decorative rods, or I’ll pull a piece of I-beam out of my bag and hold it up for them. The explanation of the hardware ends up taking up more time than deciding on the actual style of the drapery and its glorious fabric. Here are some basic hardware options, and their applications. I-Beam I-beam is generally made of aluminum and comes in white for most drapery applications. Any pleated drapery can be hung on I-beam through the rings that hand off of it. While the hardware itself isn’t considered decorative, it’s very versatile. This type of beam can be clipped together to virtually any length imaginable. It’s pliable, so can be bent around corners and along rounded window areas such as bay and bow […]