The Return of the ripplefold

Being a self-taught designer who obsesses over all kinds of source material, I generally know what I want, even if I don't know what it's called.  Design is a visual language, so, while knowing the lingo is super helpful, finding a photo can be equally--or even more--effective.

Take this room.  In order to quote the wall of sheers behind the bed, I dug up these photos for my workroom.

And promptly learned that this is called "ripplefold."   The next time I was in the workroom, the seamstress told me that she put ripplefolds in her living room 20 years ago, but over the years they sort of fell out of favor.  Now, all of a sudden, they have a bunch of orders for this style of drapery.  Isn't it funny how these details trend?  Sure enough, I got a catalog from Houles the other day, and they just introduced ripple fold heading.

Guess I'm on-trend with this one.  And now that I know what it's called, it is MUCH easier to find inspiration images for my client.

And guess what?  Turns out you can also order them through The Shade Store or Room and Board.

Or, better yet, go custom with a workroom.

Triumph!

Once daylight savings set in, and before Minnesota returned to a state of perpetual winter (a winter storm warning is in effect and another 4-6 inches of snow is predicted as I write this, on APRIL TWENTY-SECOND), there was a brief moment of evening sunshine.  This was so very lovely, with one little problem: my children would not go to sleep because their in-progress window treatments let in all that light.

And so, last weekend, I finally made a pair of light-blocking draperies.  People, let me tell you, if you have ever been knocked over in shock at the price of custom draperies, you just need to make yourself a pair to understand, and you will never complain again.  Promise.  (Well, you might complain, but you will know you are not being ripped off.)

Mine are only a single fabric width, only because I bought this fabric a dozen years ago and I didn't have any more.  I used black-out liner, and that business is HEAVY.  I used this tutorial for lining, but made my own pinch pleats instead of using pleat tape.  As it turns out, pleat tape is basically useless if you want any control over the spacing of your pleats--which you do if you want them to fit the window properly.  And if you're going to all this trouble, you definitely want them to fit your window properly.

What this means is that when the draperies are closed, they overlap about 2 inches in the middle, and the return at the outside ends is the right size to actually wrap around the side of the window and touch the wall.

I chose a butterfly pleat, which seems sweet for a girls' room, don't you think?

For the drapery rod, I used this one from Allen + Roth at Lowes, which I blogged about here.  I love the look, and it was very easy to customize the length--my husband just cut off about a foot section and drilled a new hole for the finial.  My big complaint is that the rings do not maneuver smoothly on the rod, and for curtains that get opened and closed daily, this is a problem.  That said, I got the rod, rings, brackets, and finials for $50, about 1/4 to 1/8 of the price of something similar from a higher-end custom line.  So in the future, I would consider using the slightly narrower pole with these rings.

Noe I jut need to revisit the beds.  I've been thinking about tufted headboards in white, natural, or blush pink linen.  But then today I saw these.

Love the shape.  Painted white, I think.

What say you?

Drapery Rods and Hardware: new custom-look options

One of those "it's all in the details" areas I often skimp on is curtain rods and hardware.  It doesn't shame me to admit this.  Often, if you hang your curtains high, the rod is not particularly visible anyway, and the truth is, the cost gap between a rod from target and a custom rod is vast.  Since I work with many clients who want to stretch their dollars, I have certainly advocated for cheap rods to allow a little splurge elsewhere (or to make sure we can do everything in the room within budget.)  None of my own curtain rods are custom.

All of that said, I know that many rooms call for more substantial hardware.  This client's 12-foot drapes would have eaten a smaller rod alive, and this bedroom's large furniture required balance.  Additionally, if you are opening and closing your drapes constantly, telescoping rods (the ones that can extend because they are made in two or three pieces) can catch your drapery rings or panel headers, making it a big pain in the butt to utilize their function.

Okay.  Guess what?  A compromise has arrived.  Lowes and Bed Bath and Beyond are both offering limited collections of wood rods that can be cut to length on site.

Lowes Allen+Roth brand:

Bed Bath and Beyond's Cambria Collection:

Excuse the cell phone pics.  I took them to show a client, but it turns out the websites for these stores are not particularly useful where these products are concerned.

With both collections, the rods come in three lengths, 4, 6, and 8 ft, and can be cut to measure.  (Not by the store: by you.)  Rods also come in two widths, which we will call thinner and fatter, and there is some variation of smooth, fluted, and twisted. They come in black, white, and two tones of wood, and each collection does have several finial options and tie backs.

While they are more expensive than Target rods, they are still cheaper than telescoping rods from pricier big box stores like Restoration Hardware, and you get that custom look.

I am testing some from Lowes in a project and will let you know how it goes.

I'm excited!