Drape and shade solutions and texture... naturally

I'm a big fan of the way grommeted drapes look. The only challenge is that they are best when stationary. They don't give that satisfying "zing" when you open and close them. They need a little fussing. Even larger grommets, which are easier to slide, need to be organized into pleasing rounded pleats. If they are behind a sofa, picture yourself crawling over the furniture to properly manipulate them. You may or may not want to do this in front of your guests. This photo highlights a solar shade behind the drape which makes good sense for daytime sun but not for night time privacy.

In back of these unlined drapes this window has what looks to be a black out shade at the ready...the client could have skipped this step and simply lined the drapes with a commercial grade black out liner commonly found in hotels...the kind that make the Las Vegas 9:00 am sun impenetrable..and without an alarm, make you late.

One other point, some clients would inquire about dressing both the windows...this pic illustrates beautifully how one large window treatment can adequately address them both.

Dull photo...but stay with me...Notice the slight buckle that happens when these floor length drapes touch the hardwood? I enjoy that. You really don't need giant pool of fabric collecting dust bunnies and detritis on your floors. You also want to stay away from the 2 inches above the floor look as well, the effect says "I scrimped on fabric" or "waitin' on the flood" unless it won't really be seen due to furniture. Every rule has exceptions!

Notice how far above the actual window these drapes are hung? I enjoy this as well. It elongates the appearance of your windows and makes your room a little more luxe.

Panels are oh so modern aren't they? They come in so many textures and fabrics. I like the natural wood shown here. They can be used to divide a studio space, define an area, and of course filter the light on in a window.

all these photos are from Robert Allen Design.

He has some great eco friendly fabrics as well:

An now for something completely different....

It's too bad his website weren't a little more professional but his artistry is undeniable. Bernard Collin is a residential and commercial metal artist. IORNY is the name of his business, love that.

I'd love to have him to a custom window piece that could slide over a window and then rest on the wall when not in use.