Creating Allusion with Drapery

Window draperies are excellent in correcting a myriad of decorating shortcomings.  You can make a room seem taller and open or intimate and cozy just by using different styles of window treatments and different fabrics.

• The best way to add height to a room is by hanging the drapery at the ceiling rather than at the top of the window.  This creates a longer line and draws the eye upwards towards the ceiling.

Photo: Traditional Home

• If you are dealing with small windows, don’t waste precious window real estate by covering it up with drapery.  Extend the drapery anywhere from a few inches to almost a foot beyond the window frame.  There will be an illusion of a wider window and you won’t lose an ounce of sunlight.

Photo: House Beautiful

• To create a stylish, luxurious look, you will have to use up to three times the width of the window in fabric.  It can range anywhere from two to three times with two being appropriate for a more casual, non-pleated look and three being necessary for a more formal or pleated drapery.
• For a cozier, more intimate look, use more fabric widths.  The fabric will draw the room and embrace it with pleats and folds.  This is a great look in a large room that needs to be drawn in, but can also work in a smaller room that you just want to look inviting.

Photo: House Beautiful

• Don’t go too short.  The drapery should be floor length with just a bit of extra where it hits the ground.  Think of a too short drapery as a too short pant, it’s just not the finished look that you are going for.  This also adds to the height of the room as it creates a continuous line from floor to ceiling.

Photo: House Beautiful

You can create a glamorous, opulent look or a breezy, casual feel all while making your ceilings seem taller and your windows wider.