How the “Perfect Additions” Made a New House Feel Like Home
A Loyal, Long-Time Customer,
Debbie, called one day to inform me that she and her husband were planning to move into a smaller home, which would allow for more time with their grandchildren. Debbie’s first request was to move the draperies that we had designed for them more than 18 years ago to the new house, because she still loved them.
However, after meeting at the new construction site, we agreed that the previous draperies would be best left behind. Since their new home is more traditional than the previous one, we started looking at new window treatment options.
A Drapery Challenge –
Debbie knew that, down the road, she would be selecting new furniture for the living room and family room. The drapery choices would have to work with future furniture, which didn’t yet exist!
She also knew she wanted to start with the most important element: shades for privacy and sun protection. As in her previous home, Debbie planned to eventually to soften each window with drapery panels, but wanted to wait to choose these until the rest of the home came together. She decided to do the window coverings in stages, which we assured her would be a great solution.
Adrette Finds Design Solutions –
We began with shades. For the living room and dining room, Debbie found the perfect weave in our handwoven collection. These shades are crafted by artisans from reeds and grasses, and customized to fit the window size with perfectly finished edges. Debbie loved how light and airy they are and how minimal their “stack,” is (the amount of space they take up when open).
When these shades are down, they block any view of the inside, but they allow light to filter in, and you can still see outside. Another benefit is that they offer sun protection for he home, preventing UV-rays from fading hardwood floors and furnishings.
After our installation, Debbie and her husband lived with the shades alone for some time. Several months later, she called me to discuss the addition of decorative side panels. We decided to preserve the ambiance of the handwoven shades by installing these side panels in a neutral color.
We choose three complementary fabrics in gray tones, and incorporated them using dressmaker details in the elegant draperies. The top of each drapery panel is a textured sheer, the skirt is a classic damask, and we used solid silk for a small flange between the two fabrics, as well as our mini inverted pleats.
The couple wanted a more linear feel for the hardware, so we selected this excellent square rod with rectangular rings.
Side Panels for the Family Room –
In this room, the focal point is the view into the handsomely landscaped back yard. Not wanting to lose any of the outdoor scene, we added stationary side panels to frame it. We found this perfect metallic open weave fabric and went with an inverted pleat. At night, Debbie’s illuminated landscape is still visible; however, the lovely drapery panels frame it beautifully.
For continuity, the same hardware was used here as in the living and dining room.
Though the shades were selected and installed well ahead of the draperies, we were able to choose fun and unique drapery styles for all the rooms. Debbie understood that if we stayed more neutral and worked with her wall color, it would give her more choices when the time came to select the furniture for those rooms.
If you are moving soon and looking for custom window coverings for your new space, please get in touch! We offer a complimentary consultation to discuss the most suitable window treatment options that will work well for your lifestyle and your home.