100 Windows - #5

When is a sheer not so sheer?  When you line it!

This window in a Washington DC condo faced a large, public, interior courtyard.  The owner fell in love with the windowpane sheer.  She liked the airy look at it but wanted to maintain constant privacy. We used a plain sheer for the privacy part and lined the other sheer for the over drapery.

Mounting the drapery hardware into the ceiling maintained the elegant simplicity of the design, and full view when both draperies are pulled open.

100 Windows - #4

I've always loved this valance.  And I've only done it once.

This is another asymmetric design that works well in pairs.  I think the way the checks play out in the design is interesting.
The home was traditionally decorated when I got there.  The husband was French so this checked fabric worked well with some Provencal prints we used in an adjoining room.

Voila!

100 Windows - #3

Photo taken in a model home, so forgive the amateur installation and cheap hardware.  Still the idea for the drapery is interesting.  Goblet pleats with a fold down tab finished with a tassel.  Imagine the design opportunities!

100 Windows - #2

This idea is just an extension of the previous one.  Sometimes you can take the bits and pieces of one treatment and apply them to a totally different window.

Yesterday's window(s) were 2 standard windows, side by side, on one wall of a living room.  This is the side wall of the same room, where the window is a 3 sided bay window.  I used the same open swag, and the same double cascade, but on the ends used a traditional cascade, sometimes called a jabot. The overlap of the swags and the double cascade hide where I mitred the wood rod to fit the angles of the bay.
Here's another view:

To complete the look in the adjoining dining room, we used the open swags again, but this time used drapery panels on the outsides of the window.  This was a triple window, so we needed the length of those panels for balance.

 

Definitely not a great shot but you get the idea. In this treatment the overlapping swags created a nice rhythm at the top.

 

 

100 Windows - #1

I just realized how many pictures I have of different window treatments, which is to be expected since I an interior designer specializing in window treatments.  Twenty five years in the business means I have covered a LOT of windows and keep hundreds of ideas on file. So I thought I'd share a few.

This is one of my favorite styles, so much so that I used it in my previous master bedroom, only I used gold colored silk and trimmed the swag in crystal beads (and hung an antique chandelier crystal from the double cascade!)
Here, I used a pewter colored silk and lined the double cascade in an off-white silk. The finials were a blown glass encased in a metal birdcage style. (sad note: this finial was discontinued a while ago).
This treatment is actually constructed of three pieces: the rod pocket panel, the open swag, and the double cascade. The second two parts can be stapled or velcroed to the wood rod.



The beauty of this treatment is that it can be used in pairs to create symmetry. Note how it draws your eye up and not only frames the view of the furniture below, but also points toward the artwork between the windows.

Take a Seat

It doesn't matter how much reupholstery we do around here, I am always amazed with the results. This is such an easy way to breathe new life into a piece of furniture, or a room for that matter.
This wing chair has been used in several rooms in my client's house and most recently became the reading chair in the bedroom.

I have no idea why it looks blue in the picture, because it was hunter green! I was originally hired years ago to make draperies for the living room to go with this chair.  They are still hanging in that room today.
The chair had a matching ottoman.

The walls of the bedroom had recently been painted and we installed new relaxed Roman shades in a beige and white linen sheer which you may remember from an earlier post. The bedding was a print featuring greens, beiges, and reds.  To update the chair and coordinate with the new color scheme, I suggested we use a small neutral check with a red welt to add a little spunk.  Love how it turned out.

 

We added the red pillow later.  Wouldn't it look cute monogrammed?
Here are some other chairs you may have seen before to inspire you either to use a gorgeous color, a fun pillow or a fantastic print - or even grommets!

All fabrics by Scalamandre

Fabrics & trim by Brimar

More Brimar - notice the grommets in the skirt!

 

Now that they are predicting more snow for these parts, I think it's time to curl up with a good book!

 

 

Wouldn't That Be a Pretty Room?

Samples keep flying into the studio. Some are chosen for a specific client, others just to have on hand.  This group, especially, makes my heart beat faster.  If the right person doesn't come along, I may have to use them in my own home.

Five fabrics. I usually look at a group like this and think, " sofa, drapery, chair, ottoman, pillow" or something along those lines. Perhaps this is too much for one room. But maybe it is perfect for adjoining rooms..............
That large scale embroidered fabric is scrumptious, right?
The pink strie chenille is by Maxwell. All other fabrics are by GP&J Baker (distributed through Kravet).