About Window Drapes

Drapery has the advantage of being as simple or as elaborate as the homeowner wants. A window dressed in drapery can have a cornice and valance, casement drapes or sheers, and drapery panels embellished with lace, fringe or tassels.

Drapery can hang in loose pleats or made to puddle on the floor, lending an old-world feel to the treatment. Fabrics such as velvet and silk are used, giving drapery a luxurious feel that adds charm and interest to a room.

Drapery panels can also be hung loose from the rod, with little other embellishment. The effect is that of a display of textile art.

Function

Drapery has many functions, the most prominent being to dress a window. Drapes block out light or filter it, provide privacy or frame the outside view. Drapery can provide a focal point in a decorating scheme or accessorize a window.

History

Drapery as window treatments came into full glory in the 19th century. The boon in textile manufacturing gave rise to readily available fabrics at reasonable costs. In both residential and commercial applications, fabrics were used on tabletops, below mantelshelves, to frame mirrors and portraits, and to cover windows.

Window treatments included a cornice board, a valance, sheer or translucent drapery, opaque drapery and embellishments. Few households of the middle and wealthy classes dressed their windows with simple panels and curtain rods.

Types

There are four basic types of drapery: draw, casement, inverted pleat and tieback.

A traverse rod is used for draw draperies. The rod is cord-operated and draws the drapery panels apart from the center and, in reverse, pulls them together. The draperies are of a tightly woven fabric, are usually lined and block out light.

Casement drapes are translucent and hung close to the window. Casement drapes are usually a woven fabric or knit or other lightweight material. Another type of casement drapery is sheers; these are often used in conjunction with draw draperies.

Inverted or Parisian pleat drapes are hung from rings that slide onto a rod. The effect is the drapery hangs in pleats, closely gathered at the top and graduating into loose folds at the hemline.

Tieback draperies are traditionally stationary panels. They are hung from a rod, with the panels meeting in the center. The panels are then pulled back in the middle and held in place with fabric or holdbacks.

Features

Drapery is traditionally hung from rods. Traverse rods allow for draw curtains to be opened and closed. Hooks sewn into the top edge of the drapery panels are inserted into carriers that are fastened into the rod. This allows the carriers to move the panels back and forth.

Decorator rods use carriers that look like rings but operate in the same way as traverse rod carriers. These are used when the rod and rings are exposed as part of the overall decorative effect.

Rods made of wood or metal are usually used for inverted pleat drapery. These rods, as well as decorator rods, use finials on either end to give the window treatment a finished look and to keep the rings from sliding off.

Considerations

Drapery panels are, of course, made of fabric. Fabric manufacturing traditionally involves the use of chemicals, resulting in new draperies sometimes having a chemical odor to them. This indicates "off gassing"; the fabric is releasing chemical vapors. Those with respiratory conditions or sensitivities to chemicals should consider organic drapery.

Organic drapery can be defined as those made from natural fabrics such as cotton or silk, and manufactured without the use of chemicals.