Finishing touches for your room: Hanging Draperies

After laying down the area rug, placing the accent chairs, aligning them with the sofa and placing accessories, one of the most asked questions I get as a designer is how high we should hang our draperies.

The industry standard is to hang them as high as possible. If you are a homeowner trying to put them up yourself in an attempt to save some money (hint always hire a professional) but if you are brave enough here are a few tips.

There are homeowners who are unsure because of the molding or shape of the window. Then you also have to worrying about the length. Some owners like them right above the base molding. Some like a nice puddle.  I, as a designer like a romantic drape with a break that hits the floor sweetly. The key is measuring and then measuring again for proper height and width.

via thisoldhouse.com

Drapery is a fancy word for curtains. Most curtains come in four typical lengths: 72”, 84”, 96” and 108”.  If you have an older home, your ceiling heights are not as high. Most were between seven to nine feet high, whereas today they can be between ten or higher.

My personal rule is to place the rod 4-6 inches above the wall casing, depends where the crown molding above lands. I would put a bit of painters tape to mark the area and measure from there to the floor. There is your drapery length. As I mentioned before, it will depend where the crown molding lands. If there is very little room between the molding and casing, go high as you can. At that point if it becomes an issue you will probably need custom draperies from a local seamstress.

There are multitudes of drapery hardware to hang the drapery properly.  I personally don’t like to hang them on the rod on their own. Ever heard of the windows are the eyes to a home? Well they need liner, eye shadow and sometimes faux lashes to bring them out.  The hardware is essential for a beautiful hung curtain panel.

You can purchase drapery hardware from most home centers, furniture stores, upholstery outlets and design centers. It’s worth the investment because it’s an accessory that really highlights the panels and makes the room look more expensive than it is. I would match the rod to your finishes in your room. The most popular finishes come in brass, nickel, chrome, black iron and oil rubbed bronze. Finials and end caps are usually found in the same finishes. You can have ready-made or custom finals can be made in any color and even have them blinged out.

credit: duralee.com, byronandbyron.com and crateandbarrel.com

You can purchase the rod you need as a single rod, double rod or if you want very little peeking from the window, a French or blackout curtain rod. The rod circumference usually ranges from .75” to 3”.  From the rod you can hang the panels using ring clips, s-clips, drapery pins and in special circumstances a hidden transom track. Double rods are usually used for drapery panels and sheers.

In deciding how many panels, most windows can get away with two panels. Most panels are 48”-54” in width. On the rare occasion you can find double width panels. If you your windows can handle it usually double panels will give you the fullness and the privacy you desire.

Hanging curtains isn’t very hard and I hope these tips and information helps you add a little color and flair to the eyes to your room.

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Wood …It’s Not Just For Floors Anymore

One of the things that  is required of designers is to think outside the box when it comes to using different materials. One of those things is how to add texture to a space that is lacking interest or color. You could do it by adding a shag rug, a hand knitted throw on a sofa or a tumbled stone to a fireplace; but those are expected. Why not do the unexpected.

What about adding hand-scraped, laminate or recycled wood to your next project. Psst…and here’s the thing, doesn’t have to go on the floor. Use it as an accent wall, wrap a bare column or use it on the ceiling.

Use is vertically, horizontally or in a chevron pattern and don’t forget about lighting. Mix it up!

Use it with a tile, mirrors and empty frames. Make a floor to ceiling headboard! Make it the ooh I never thought of that space of your house.

The options are limitless. So if you have some unused flooring from a past project, use it  and have fun.

Credit: http://www.onekindesign.com/ for the images

Hip, Modern and Colorful : LuLu DK New at Duralee

Looking for something fresh and different for your clients space? If you peruse most design magazines modern textiles tend to be geometric, brightly colored or neutral with lots of texture, or void of color all together. The furniture today tends to swing a little more mid century with shiny chrome accents or stone with honed finishes. I say why not throw a little whimsy in the mix.

LuLu DK is a fairly new designer to the Duralee Brand , but she’s been available to our neighbors up north for years. I first saw the designer while viewing Sarah 101 on HGTV, yes HGTV. What is great about LuLu DK is the line can work wth transitional and modern interiors. the colors are range from a sea greens to bright corals and cobolt blues.

Lulu deKwiatkowski was born and raised in New York City where she trained and graduated from Parsons School of Design. whose mantra is that all beautiful things should be nurtured, appreciated, acknowledged, and most importantly, shared and passed on. You can see the love and artistry in each pattern she creates and its made so that each one works with another so can create a beautiful, and vibrant home.

The patterns range from a chain link pattern to a bold graphic weaves. My personal favorites are Paradiso Ocean Blue with the coy and the colorful Apple Martini which reminds me a broken tile mosaic…just fun and lively. There are colorful woven chevron patterns, textured solids and a few embroideries.

While some showrooms have a few patterns on display they can be samples can be ordered on duralee.com. Are you ready to add a little whimsy to your interior?