Bringing Drama and Elegance to Your Spaces
As a window treatment designer with a passion for creating custom solutions, I’ve had the privilege of working with many wonderful clients over the years. One of my most memorable projects was collaborating with a homeowner in Philadelphia who wanted to transform the grand two-story windows in her living room.
You may remember the cuff-top draperies and slipcovers I made for one of my favorite customers last summer. Well, she was so happy with the way her kitchen turned out that we almost immediately began planning the window treatments for her living room. It turned into a lengthy process, however, as we searched for just the right design.
The two-story-high windows offer views of a lake below and allow plenty of sunshine to brighten the interior spaces. The homeowners, of course, didn’t want to block either the view or the light. They also wanted to avoid using drapery panels in the design because they might seem too similar in size and visual weight to the tall columns that stand on either side of the fireplace.
Exploring Swag and Cascade Designs
As I began the design process, I knew that swags and cascades would be the perfect solution to achieve the balance of elegance and functionality the homeowners desired. I imported a photograph of the client’s room into my design program on the computer to start visualizing the possibilities.
Style 1 featured raised swags – swags that are pulled up higher on one side – hung from custom wrought iron hardware. This design helped to soften the sharp angles of all those windows without obstructing the light or the view.
In Style 2, I layered a contrasting fabric under the first one to add depth and visual interest. Next, I thought I’d see how the same style would look with sheer or semi-sheer lightweight fabrics. I also changed out the hardware, using a chunky rod with finials for the top of the arch and large holdbacks for the upper windows.
Style 4 simplified the treatment by removing the underlayer and treating the lower windows with swags and cascades of their own. Style 5 was a more formal version, with pleated jabots and cascades giving it an elegant, refined look.
Experimenting with Cornices and Drapery Panels
Taking a different tack, I thought I’d see how cornices would look on the upper windows in Style 6. Their interesting curves acted as a frame for the sky outside, while simple rectangular cornices on the lower windows repeated the color and texture of the ones above. Gathered sheer panels added a touch of softness and were pulled to the side to keep things open and light.
For the center arch, I suggested using an insert of Tableaux faux wrought iron, custom-made to perfectly fit the window. In Style 7, I removed the lower cornices and added softly draped swags to the upper ones.
Unfortunately, none of the above designs struck my clients as being just right, so we put things on hold for a while. Weeks passed, and it was driving me crazy that I hadn’t come up with anything new for them. I wanted to design something that would make their hearts sing. Finally, I thought I would just try something completely different – drapery panels.
We had ruled them out at the beginning, but maybe we had been a little too hasty. It wouldn’t hurt to give it a try. I drew up one panel design – only one – and emailed it off to them.
The Winning Design
A few hours later, I held my breath as I clicked to open their reply. “We LOVE it!” were the first words I saw, and all I needed to know. The design work was done; now, on to the fabrication.
I can’t wait for you to see the fabulous finish to all this planning. Designing custom window treatments on such a grand scale is an absolute joy, and I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to share this process with you. Be sure to visit Home Curtains Philadelphia to explore more of our stunning window treatment solutions.
