Large windows: A look through the archives

Large windows are beautiful, but can require a lot of planning when it comes to dressing them. The idea that "the view will be hidden if I add drapes" is just not true. Another misconception about large is that is will be an overwhelming amount of fabric and lack the detail of a smaller treatment. We don't believe that myth, either. It's sometimes worthwhile to take a look back at some of the treatments we've designed to show clients what we're talking about. Here's a few pictures to get those ideas going:
This window is in a dining room with a 12 ft ceiling height. The subtle striped fabric is a faux silk, which has been interlined to add to the softness and fullness this look needed. You can barely see the ceiling, but notice it was painted to match the drapery color. The result was striking, as it emphasized the wonderful crown molding as well as warming up the room.

The closeup shows the custom forged iron hardware. The color was chosen to match the light fixture.

This wall of windows overlooked the patio and swimming pool. We definitely wanted to keep that view intact, but having drapes between every window would have overwhelmed the area so we chose to frame the wall with the valance. Other coordinating fabrics were chosen to cover the furniture, which is not shown in this photo.


Here's a closeup of the valance. Note the covered cording along the bottom of the valance. Each corner as well as the ends of the valance has a pleated "bell" with a covered button added to help define the feature.



You might notice the same wonderful crown molding in this living room as the dining room above are in the same house. This room looked into the backyard and had a huge bay area of windows. We used custom iron hardware, but without finials because of the lack of space. For decorative purposes, we had square "rosettes" welded to the outside brackets. The twisted iron rod has a dressier appearance than a plain rod and looks decorative even spanning above the large window all by itself!

Here's a closeup view of the details added to the living room drapes. The pennant style overlay was attached by covered buttons on the outside pleats of each drape. The embroidered silk front was a favorite, but the backside is fabricated in a paisley patterned fabric which makes this treatment reversible and provides two looks for the living room. Did you notice the amber colored beaded fringe on the pennants? Gives just a hint of sparkle.



Here's a breakfast room with a view! The swimming pool and patio is a wonderful oasis for these homeowners and the fabric was chosen to draw you eye towards the blooming flowers in the area just beyond the glass! Apologies for the steamer left on the counter---it could have been a magazine worthy shot without that!

Custom stainless steel posts were made by our installer so the homeowner could use the stainless turkish knot style drawer knobs for hanging these panels. The pleat style is a cartridge pleat--this gives a smooth vertical line to the fabric without the interruption of pleats and gathers. Each panel also features a very large gold and ruby glass trim on the leading edges. The sun catches the trim and adds that important sparkle. The fabric is actually similar to a flocked wallpaper---the floral and vine have a raised velvet feel to them.


Hope you've enjoyed the tour of "Large Windows". Many of these windows had a preliminary rendering done to show the client the intended look. We are able to provide that service to you if you need to "see" it first. Come by and talk with us and we can explain the choices you have.