Drapery plays a key role in both the style and functionality of your home, offering endless possibilities for enhancing any room. From elegant, floor-length curtains to breezy sheers, drapery can transform a space by adding warmth, texture, and personality. In this post, we’ll dive into everything you need to know about drapery—from the different styles and fabrics available to tips on how to choose the perfect look for your home. Whether you're redecorating or simply looking to update your window treatments, this guide will help you make the best choice for your space.
Header Type
The curtain header refers to the top of the panel and how it is made to fit with the rod or track. While there are many different options, we will go over some of the most popular types that we offer.
Pinch Pleat (double or triple)
This gives a stylish permanent fold to your curtains, ideal for hanging on a track or a rod. The more pleats we include, the more fabric we need to reach the desired fullness. The double pinch-pleat is the most popular choice among our customers.
Box Pleat
For a modern and clean look, a box pleat header features fabric folds that appear square and even, like a box.
Grommet or Eyelet
Grommet-top curtains include built-in rings that the rod weaves through. This makes it very easy to open and close the curtains, and is ideal for light to medium-weight curtains.
Tailored Pleat
This is very similar to a pinch pleat, but the pleat starts at the top of the fabric and goes from there. These are ideal for heavy-weight fabrics, to achieve an elegant and high-end look.
Rod Pocket
This simple cased heading is usually used for lightweight sheers or curtains that don’t open or close very often. They can be made with or without a header, as seen in the pictures.
Ripple Fold
For this style, the panel itself is flat and there are snaps placed evenly on the top to create the ripple effect. This style is best used with embedded tracks, as shown in the picture.
Tab-Top
A tap-top header can be visible or hidden, where pieces of fabric are sewn on to create "tabs" that weave the rod through. A hidden tab-top will give the illusion of floating curtains in front of the rod.
Fullness
The fullness of your drapes refers to the amount of fabric that is used. For example, double fullness means that you double the width of your measurement. The higher the fullness, the more fabric is used. Typically, we opt for double (or 200%) fullness, however this can vary depending on which header type you choose.
This part can get a little confusing, so make sure to reach out with any questions before placing an order.
Fabric selection
The fabric selection has a lot to do with the functionality you need for your drapes. Are they mainly for aesthetic reasons? Do you need to blackout your room for sleep? Do you want to let the light in but get rid of harsh glares?
All these questions will lead you to different answers. We carry any type of fabric, from sheer linens to heavy blackouts.
Lining
We also offer different lining options, including no lining, blackout (black), blackout (white), and white light-filtering. Some fabrics work well without a lining, while others look better with. Typically, a white light-filtering lining will be used on semi-opaque and patterned fabrics to keep a consistent look from the outside of the house, especially on front-facing windows. This is also the case if your panels are very wide and we need to sew two pieces of fabric together; the lining will help conceal the seam by blocking some sunlight passing through.
If you choose a lining for your curtains, it will be sewn on and permanent. If you’re not sure what kind of lining to choose, reach out to us for help!
Mounting Hardware
Your curtains can be hung with either a drapery rod or a track system. Typically, tracks are better for larger windows since the brackets don’t interfere with the movement of opening or closing the curtains.
Our rods are very heavy-duty and can support the weight of heavy drapery when properly installed. You can choose from various colours and finials (the end piece) to match your decor.
Our tracks can be ceiling-mounted, wall-mounted, or embedded. Ceiling-mounted tracks are ideal when you’re going for floor-to-ceiling drapes, while wall-mounted tracks are better if you’ll be hanging them a little lower. Embedded tracks are usually found in new builds, as they get installed directly into the framing with the drywall installed and finished around it. It create a clean, modern, and seamless look.
Measurements
The size of your curtains will of course depend on the size of your windows and your preference, but there are some guidelines you should follow.
1 - Drapes are always better when they go down to the floor - either kissing the floor (just barely touching), touching the floor, or puddling. The exception to this is cafe curtains, which are usually found in kitchens, bathrooms, or pantries.
2 - The higher you hang your drapes, the better; it creates the illusion of higher ceilings and larger windows. If you don’t want to go all the way to the ceiling, you can always go halfway or ⅔ of the way between your ceiling and window frame, which usually equals to about 6 to 12 inches.
3 - You should add at least 6-12 inches on either side of your windows to allow the curtains to hang when you open them. This will maximize your view and sunlight, while making your windows appear wider.
Refer to the Measurement Instructions page for more details!
Final Thoughts
Draperies are a great way to add style and function to your space, and the many options make it easy to tailor to your needs. So whether your style is elegant and traditional, rustic, or modern, you’re sure to find your perfect fit.