ASK DEB NELSON: FULL LENGTH DRAPERY

In a few 'Ask Deb Nelson' articles, I have had questions about window treatments. Every window is very different and will likely need it's own assessment for the best type of covering to use. I always like roman shades, but in some traditional, classic homes a full length drapery panel is a better look. I always like a drapery with a pleat on a rod and ring, I think it adds more detail to the drapery but typically is custom made, so you need to invest a little more. In the window treatment above, I like that it shows the combination of a drapery and a blind. This is also something you can do if you want to add a more layered look and use the blinds for privacy rather than closing the drapery. You can also notice the rod is hung higher than the window and it's wider than the window frame. There are many things to consider in regards to the hardware; from exactly where and how it's hung, to how it functions with the drapery.

There are many places to buy pre-made, flat panel drapery, this means you don't have the pleats on the header of the drapery, but you can save money if you can get the correct length and width of panels.  In terms of the fabric choice, you can add a lot of detail with a patterned fabric, but if you're not sure what to do, a solid linen or cotton fabric that coordinates with the wall colour (like the room below) is usually a safe bet.

Here is a look again at a custom drapery:

Image source: Lonny magazine

Style of Header

You can purchase pre-made, flat drapery panels:

Image source: Pottery Barn

Hardware

Hardware is also important to think about, this is an antique brass rod with the ball finial. There are many finishes available, so the colour choice depends on what you prefer and the other accents in the room.

Image source: Restoration Hardware

ASK DEB NELSON: CAFE SHUTTERS

Window treatments can be tricky – depending on the window, light control you need and the privacy you're looking for – the perfect solution may not be obvious. Sometimes you may not have any privacy issue, but a window treatment like decorative drapery panels can add warmth and fullness to a room. These panels don't even have to function.

In other cases the issue may be privacy, I'm showing the image above of my dining room. Here I wanted lower window privacy where there is a lane outside, but there is actually an ocean view at the top of the window that I didn't want to block. So I opted for lower cafe shutters and on the upper half of the window a custom roman shade. This solution works perfectly for this window, although I don't close the roman shade that often, only sometimes in the evening after dark. I also love interior cafe shutters, they provide a lot of options for light control and can be fully opened, fully closed or fully closed with the louvers open. It can be hard to find shutters, mine are old antique ones that I had repurposed and customized to fit here.

Here are a few more rooms with interior shutters.

TOP 3 PICKS FOR LINEN FABRIC

I use a lot of natural linen with clients and in my own home, often it's Belgian linen. I like 100% linen for drapery, roman shades, slipcovers, bedding and pillows. In the picture above you can catch a bit of the detail in the roman shades on the windows on either side of the fireplace. These were custom made in a very light linen fabric and I had a slightly darker linen band added for contrast. People often ask where to get linen fabric. Here are a few sources for 3 nice looking linens you can order online, at a range of prices. I always suggest getting a sample before you order a large quantity.

Fabric 1:  from fabric.com $14.58/yard European 100% linen oatmeal Item Number: UR-212

Fabric 2:  From designerfabrics.ca $64.99/yd 100% Linen pewter 3400 L469 Laundered 138 R04 (sku 33421)

3.  Kravet Fabric (buy through designer or decorator) Breezy Linen Natural sku 9726.1116 colour beige

ROMAN SHADES

I really like roman shades as a window treatment, and I prefer a simple, tailored style. In my own house I have all the windows covered in roman shades, and all of mine are in linen fabric. I like them in the house because when they're fully open they show off a lot of the window detail and let in a lot of light. But they also are easy to open and close for privacy or light control. The living room and dining room have a vertical band of accent fabric on the sides. Like this:

The kitchen is solid, natural coloured linen like these on the windows on either side of the range:

And upstairs on the third floor I have white shades, all mounted above the windows. I wanted white here so it would blend in with the room and be a very subtle look.  Like this:

Many people ask about the shades in this house – they are all custom made with lined, solid linen.