AZ CUSTOM HOME BUILDERS FIND PLANTATION SHUTTERS REMAIN… BUT FABRICS ARE BACK!

by Arizona Custom Home Builder on January 4, 2010

For the Love of Fabrics in Arizona Custom Homes!

As AZ custom home builders, our homeowners have shown an affinity for fabric; it’s a breath of fresh air to once again witness the delight of draperies. And silk has yet to lose its appeal and popularity, especially Dupioni. Drapery that’s lengthy and functional is making its presence felt in sewing rooms in and around Arizona. However, plantation shutters haven’t lost its flare and appeal as mainstays in Arizona window treatments. In other parts of the country draperies are a must to keep the cold winter air from passing through a window, but in Arizona that isn’t the case, one reason why plantation shutters are so popular. Installing a set of non-functioning drapery panels with plantation shutters has also become popular. The addition of the fabric panels can soften the of wooden shutters whether, white, black or stained.

Draperies can make a window look much larger and allow the window to take on a much large role in a room. By creating draperies taller and wider than the windows, an ordinary window can be converted into a work-of-art. Some of best fabrics in circulation are silks, including taffetas, Dupioni and sheers.

As AZ custom home builders, we offer a few general guidelines when selecting and hanging draperies:

In order to be successful with draperies, it generally requires a lot of fabric with sufficient linings including interlining. If custom draperies is not in the budget and sewing them your self is out, when selecting draperies purchase twice as many panels. Many homeowners fail to get the look they are trying to achieve with store-bought panels because they purchase thin, unlined panels that barely fit the window. For that custom look, add an extra set to get richness and fullness. The fullness of a drapery or curtain is usually measured at twice the size of the window.
Getting proportions right is also critical to pull off the look. Such techniques could require an expert’s advice or someone skilled in drapery. Something as small as a valence being 2 inches too short or too long could ruin the entire design; therefore, hiring an expert who’s familiar with design rules and proper calculations is always an option. As a general rule a valence should be 1/5 the height of the drapery.
Try choosing fabrics that match the wall color. This may sound boring, but keep in mind that just because the curtains are the same, as the wall color doesn’t mean they will disappear. In fact, they will add another level and add texture to the room. The eye follows color and if you want to accent in red, remember that your eye and everyone else that enters the room will follow color. Unless your walls are red, do you really want your eyes to jump from one red panel to another around the room? Sure, you may get used to it, but your house guests will not. Stay away from prints for the same reason.

As AZ custom home builders, we understand that lavish fabrics and vivid drapery designs can transform a simple window into something extravagant and jaw dropping. Besides adding richness, draperies add a level of elegance, quietness, and personal style to any room.