Here’s the Secret to a JOYFUL Design Process for LARGE Window Covering Projects

The design process for big custom window treatment projects can quickly become overwhelming. If you need to design several rooms or even your entire home at one time, there are many conversations and decisions to be made.

At Adrette Window Coverings, there’s nothing we enjoy more than making the process easier. We guide people through every step of design and installation with attentive care. However, there’s one thing we can’t change.

Sometimes, it’s just a lot to take in.

Big, multi-room interior design projects quickly serve as a personality test for clients.

• Some of us are “one step at a time” people.

• Others see a big project and say, “I’m going to beat this thing. Let’s get it all done now!”

The second option sounds exciting, maybe even rewarding, but it doesn’t sound fun.

Above all, a custom window covering project should be a joyful process. When you work to create inspiring spaces in your home, it makes a difference what the journey was. Those memories affect how we experience the room.

We’ve spent over 20 years helping thousands of clients tackle large design projects for custom window fashions. Here’s an incredibly successful path.

Custom window covering projects don’t get much bigger than this!

Susan and her husband anxiously awaited the completion of their new home in Oregon's wine country. They were building a grand, stunning Tuscan-style villa overlooking their property, and there were many rooms to address in this dream home.

As we mentioned in our previous blog, they made an invaluable decision early in the building process. They reached out to a window fashion designer while their new construction project was still in its early stages.

We reviewed blueprints and helped the builder make adjustments to prepare for future window treatments. Early cooperation is imperative to avoid deconstructing and rebuilding parts of the interior later on.

Then, the actual window treatment design challenge began.

Susan's challenge was how to make their new home feel warm and inviting by using natural materials while, at the same time, having both the elegance of a European villa and a laid-back Oregon vibe.

Perfect. We love a good challenge.

• At our first meeting, Susan presented her initial ideas. She pulled out a selection of wood tones, paint colors, and flooring that she brought with her to our appointment. 

• Then, we met at the Kravet Fabric showroom in Portland and started looking for fabrics for window coverings, upholstery, and custom bedding. Many textiles caught her eye and became possibilities for future rooms, and she went home with many memo samples of her favorite materials. 

Susan knew she wanted to use natural fibers, primarily linens, and unique weaves and patterns for each location, but how would all these stunning fabrics work together in her home?

Fortunately, by bringing us into the early stages of building her house, Susan bought herself breathing room and time. The structural issues and basics were covered, and there could be time to breathe out the design process.

So, she decided to work on one room at a time, which made the journey far more enjoyable. She could relax, see each room completed, and gradually bring design harmony to her dream home.   

Here’s a look at how this approach led Susan to find a unique style for each room.

Designing the main bedroom windows and fabrics to celebrate the morning sun

We started with the master bedroom draperies by choosing a tone-on-tone embroidered stylized floral. We also added a batiste sheer to soften the morning sun and embrace the soft breezes when the sliding door is open. Each layer can be pulled back separately. 

We were just getting started! These design decisions for the windows informed the path for the rest of the room.

• In any bedroom, the bedding becomes a centerpiece of the room’s design and can work in beautiful harmony with the windows. We selected custom bedding, fabric for a coverlet, pillow shams, and accent pillows to coordinate with the kinds of textures and patterns which would continue to merge the design elements of Tuscan Villa, natural fabrics, and Oregon charm.   

• Then, we turned our attention to the beautiful French chairs brought over from Susan’s previous home. We chose to upholster them with a linen-blend, natural tone herringbone on the outside arms and backs. For the inside of the chair, we selected a linen medallion print in taupe, gray, and off-white tones. Antiquing gave the wood of these chairs a fresh look. 

• The bedroom also had two beautiful arched windows surrounded by exquisite woodwork. We installed custom wooden shutters with arched tops. A local shutter artisan crafted and custom-stained them to match the beautiful woodwork throughout the home. 

You can see how many design elements and sub-projects needed to be considered for just one room!

By this time, Susan could definitely feel how taking things one room at a time made joy the theme of the journey instead of feeling stressed out and overwhelmed.

Sunlight is filtering through the windows of the great room

To celebrate this room’s towering, grand windows, we chose a textural open-weave fabric that allowed Susan and her husband to enjoy their view while filtering the morning sun shining in through large cantina doors.

This casual-looking fabric ties in nicely with their grand stone fireplace, cathedral ceilings, and a unique mantel crafted from salvaged wood from a well-known Portland bridge! So again, there were many elements to coordinate in this home’s showcase of Tuscan architecture. 

Keeping things simple in the dining room

Susan's goal with these windows was simplicity, so we used less fullness in the draperies and a single-pleating style to show off the striped pattern of the fabric.

In addition, a natural, vertical yarn was blanket-stitched into place, and hand-detailing was added, which unified the fabric’s design with the rest of the house. You can discover these kinds of powerful details as you go from room to room.

Finally, we added a sheer batiste lining to filter more light while allowing the late afternoon sun to peek in. At every step, we considered how these window treatments would enhance and celebrate the room’s design throughout every hour of the day.

Elegant simplicity for the French doors of the library & wine bar

We found a fabric we all fell in love with to add character to Susan’s French doors and still show the natural woodwork.

Simple, brass beading creates vertical rows on this linen ground. Making the Roman shades with extra fullness in the folds adds elegant simplicity to the shade design. 

Perfecting the kitchen windows, one pleat at a time

Susan left this window for last. This glorious kitchen deserved careful attention, and she envisioned a simple box-pleated valance to top the window. So, we chose an antique-looking Ralph Lauren linen fabric. Then, we played with a repeating pattern to achieve each box pleat’s perfect layout and size. 

Susan also wanted to showcase an ornamental metal piece on the wall above the valance, so the new valance was mounted below it. A week later, Susan asked if we could shorten the valance to open the view a little more, which was no problem! 

Later discoveries for the kitchen & breakfast area windows

No matter how much you prepare and design, a home will teach you new things about how it interacts with the world around it from season to season.

For example, after living in the house for a few months, Susan noticed glare from the morning sun as it rose, and she requested sunscreen shades to filter the light. Sunscreen shades are an incredible solution for controlling solar energy while preserving your view and connection to the outside world. They also help protect interior finishings and reduce energy bills. Learn more about these benefits in our blog on interior sunscreen shades.

Later down the road, the pool house!

After living in their home for a while, the couple added a swimming pool for their grandchildren to enjoy. They also built a delightful pool house, and because Susan had been on a step-by-step journey through the designs for her home, it was much easier to determine the right window treatments for this new addition to their estate.

Susan decided to sew a few simple curtain panels appropriate for this relaxed area. In addition, we added roller shades for privacy, so when someone is changing or sleeping in this space, they have total privacy.

Replace sleepless nights with days of joy in your window fashion design projects.

As you can see, free of the pressure to answer everything at once, Susan was able to carefully, slowly craft a unified design for her dream home and discover rewarding little details along the way. Going one room at a time yields excellent benefits when you can afford the time.

Sometimes a project needs to move faster, and no matter the timeline, we guide clients through a joyful journey to create inspiring spaces for their homes. We pride ourselves on making it as easy and enjoyable as possible on any realistic schedule.

Here’s how the process works.

1.       DESIGN - Together, we select the perfect fabrics, hardware, and window treatment style for your home. Many of our clients add other valuable features like motorization to their window coverings! 

2.       CREATION - We have your draperies and fabric creations custom-made in the USA and then install them for you.  

3.       INSPIRATION - Because we think ahead, you get the dream design you want so you can be inspired by your surroundings every day!

Schedule a consultation here to learn more about our design process for custom window fashions or call us at (503) 703-4692. We love helping people like you enjoy their homes to the fullest!

Luxury Drapery Portland | Smart Motorization | Custom Blinds | Shades | Shutters | Pillows & Bedding

Choosing custom window treatments can be overwhelming.

With Adrette’s expert guidance, you will make confident decisions and enjoy a warm, inviting space transformed by beautiful, functional drapes, blinds, shades, or shutters.