What Are Custom Window Treatments

March 16, 2010 Barbara Simpson

You may be wondering why you would need a Decorator for curtains or as we refer to them, Window Treatments. Let me try to clarify that for you. Yes, you can go to your local chain or department store and get window treatments. Some of them are even quite nice. But, there is a huge difference in what you get from a Designer/Decorator as opposed to “off the rack.”

For one, you get exactly what you want, in the size and style that you want. With custom, there are hundreds, even thousands of fabrics to choose from. Then there are the trims. Beautiful glass beads, wood beads, shells and of course, fiber. But there’s more.

There are the styles to choose from. We already know that ready-mades are limited. They don’t know how high your window is or how wide it is. So they are made to fit a generic window and wall. Stores that sell “custom” window treatments do a little better. They can offer you a broader choice of fabric and style, but are still limited to the fabric companies they carry and their corresponding workrooms. They use a chart for their window treatments.

Window and Interior Designers use their imagination and sense of style. They look at the rooms architectural elements, furnishings, colors, textures and of course your budget, to determine the style of the drapery or valance. They use, but not limited to, small workrooms and work with the seamstress directly, to make-up something totally new, just for you.

Then there is the fullness of the custom window treatment. Store bought treatments are usually 1.5 or 2 times the width of the window. That really is not a whole lot, especially if you want to close the drapery. It would look almost flat. Custom starts at 2.5 up to 3.5 fullness. Sheers are always at the fuller end of the spectrum.

Now about the fabric. Silk is one of my favorites to look at and to work with. It is wonderful to sew! Silk comes in almost any color imaginable , because it is easy to dye. Silk catches the light beautifully and comes in many grades, from affordable to extravagant. Here again is where custom makes a difference. You may be able to buy ready made silk, but I bet they won’t be lined in a quality lining and will most definitely not be interlined. Interlining is a flannel fabric that goes between the lining and fabric. It makes the drapery look and feel luxuriant. It also insulates and protects the fabric from the sun. Silk rots when exposed to the sun.

Cottons come in all kinds of weights or thread count, from rough textures to almost silk like. In better fabrics, designs are woven in, instead of printed on the fabric.

Linens are the same as cottons and they are usually printed on.

These three fabrics would be considered “Green.”

Polys and other synthetics are available. Some are wonderful and have a nice hand or feel and others, well, I just wouldn’t use them.

Also, with custom window treatments, come custom window hardware. The variety is mind numbing! The prices vary greatly, but what ever you want, you can usually get.

With all of these choices, you need a professional to narrow them down and to help you decide on exactly the right treatment.

Here are some examples of treatments the client wanted for some challenging windows.