An up and coming trend you may wish to ignore...

For several years now, especially in the pre-made treatments market there has been increasing demand for grommet topped panels.  The style evokes this sense of ease of use, and while installation is certainly a snap, I warn people off of them all the time. 

The problem is two-fold, first many people (especially those who are looking for a cheap pre-made solution) purchase telescoping rods.  The ridge caused by the change in rod diameter catches the grommet (or anything else) every time, not to mention that these rods tend to be quite flimsy too.  The second problem is that the grommets all turn at an angle to the rod and create a tension lock when using the size of hardware that a professional installer would recommend.

The best use for grommet topped drapes is decorative (stationary) panels.  If you are going to have a set that functions use a sturdy single piece rod, and make sure you use large grommets.  Some decorators will suggest that you rub the rod with wax paper to help the treatment move...well, your mileage may vary.

Fullness and what it means...

When discussing the fabric used for window treatments there are more measurements than just length and width.  The length is just what you think, how long the treatments are.  The (finished) width refers to how far the treatments cover side to side when pleated and closed. 

Note:  Don't confuse "width" with "widths" {say that 5 times fast}.  Width is the side to side, widths refers to the number of pieces of fabric sewn together.  A single piece of fabric is normally 54" wide.  And just to make is more confusing , yes a single piece is still referred to as a width.

So, length, width, and...fullness.  Fullness refers to the amount of fabric compressed into the finished width and is often expressed as a multiplier.  If you had a 100" space and compressed 250" of fabric into that space it would be 2.5 times full.  Traditionally sheers use 3 times fullness and pleated drapes use 2.5 times fullness.   Contemporary treatments tend to use less fullness and 2 or even 1.5 times fullness is not uncommon.

Pro-Tip: Don't try to save money by using 1 times full treatments.  Lined or not it will still look like a sheet hanging in front of your window.

A day's work...

 I had an unexpected opening today and got to tag along with the installer to one of my favorite client's houses.  Mrs L. is an artist and her beautiful designs grace many of the pieces in her home.  I have been lucky enough to work with her and have done some upholstery, bedding, table linens and window treatments.  Here is a bit of our collaboration.

One of the first pieces I did for her this chair has been reupholstered in a herringbone boucle by Robert Allen.

 Above is a Roman shade in a Duralee silk.

Here is a Roman shade in a Kravet linen with a Beacon Hill banding. 

Another Kravet linen drapes beautifully on the dining room table.  The duppioni drapes will likely be our next project.

The guest bedroom in the basement is very hard to photograph.  This headboard will have a matching roman shade with the same banding in the next few weeks.  The tailored dust ruffle with the inset band I think turned out particularly nicely.

Once again I apologize for the photo quality.  These doors are upholstered in a Beacon Hill fabric and are truly spectacular.

And because I couldn't resist here is a sample of her work.  Absolutely gorgeous!  She can come paint my furniture any time.

I have a few more pictures that I would like to add, but they have not downloaded yet and I am itching to post this.  If you would like to see them feel free to comment or e-mail me.

A word on durability...

I am often asked for very durable fabric.  I am happy to oblige, but let's talk for a moment about what durability is, how it is measured, and what you really need.

Durability, a definition.  Durability refers to how resistant a fabric is to wear or damage.
Durability, how it is measured.  There are two main tests that are used in the industry.   The first is the Wyzenbeek, the second is the Martindale.
Durability, what you really need.  Not so fast...let's talk more about the last two.

There are many ways in which a fabric can be destroyed.  Anyone with a toddler or cat (this guy, both) knows that determination will overcome any protection.  You can have fabric abraded, pierced, melted, burned, stained, faded, dry-rotted... the list goes on.

The above listed tests both measure abrasion resistance.  In each test the fabric is rubbed (differently in each test) to determine when it starts to fail.  For the Wyzenbeek light-duty upholstery weight fabric is normally considered between 12,000-15,000 "double rubs".  Heavy-duty upholstery weight is 30,000-36,000 double rubs.  There is one company out there (name withheld to protect the beautiful but guilty) who labels fabrics over 9,000 double rubs heavy duty.  I suggest ignoring that designation.  Martindale is a different test, but don't worry about the numbers, your decorator can tell you, and if they can't e-mail me.

So, what does this mean?  How much durability do you require?  Let's say you and your spouse are in your 80's.  There is an occasional chair that you sit on once a day.  You rarely have guests, they always behave, and you have no pets.  Assuming you NEVER miss sitting in your chair you will put on 325.25 double rubs per year. On average you would expect that fabric with 12,000 double rubs to start wearing out shortly before your 117th birthday give or take a few years.

Now let's pretend you have a toddler...or worse a mastiff.  This mastiff HATES cars.  Every time a car drives by he (his name is Charlie) leaps on the couch and runs back and forth barking to wake the dead.  At 36,000 double rubs your couch is going to last...one week.

In all seriousness if you don't run a mass-transit terminal or hotel you don't need 100,000 double rubs.  But even if you do all you are rated for is abrasion resistance.

One last note.  There is a popular name brand soil and stain repellent.  You purchase it in cans and spray it on your items.  The life span of a treatment is in the neighborhood of 6 months.  Don't forget to re-treat or better yet, just never let your stuff get dirty.

Order of operations...

My wife is sewing some clothing.  Some may not be the correct term.  In the last month she has done 32 items.  some days it looks like there is more sewing than laundry.  So what does she do?  The same thing most normal people would do.  She knocks out  the quick and easy little projects first.

In decorating there is a tendency to try the same approach.  People buy a piece that they see and like or pick a color of paint and then work towards the more difficult decisions.  This is a mistake.  The proper order is to begin with the items that you have the fewest choices in.  We can have any color paint we want mixed.  Pastoral toile has fewer options.  Antique 60" marble topped tables with ball and claw feet...even fewer options.

Start with a general color scheme/style in mind.  From there art on the walls and floor (i.e. oriental rugs).  Then upholster and window treatments, and finally paint.  Remember once you pick out the window treatments they will still have to be made, this leaves enough time to pain prior to installation.

Sometimes getting the easy stuff out of the way just makes the hard stuff even harder.  Good luck, if you need help you know how to get a hold of me.

P.S.  I have the secret to choosing the perfect paint color.  Toddler level arithmetic required.  Call or e-mail for details.

A word on slipcovers...

People often give me a look when I suggest slipcovers.  This look conveys clearly that at some point in the past they have had off the rack slipcovers in their home.  Well slipcovers come in two different styles.  The first is a loose slipcover (this is what you get pre-made) and can often be described akin to a painter's drop cloth. the second is a fitted slipcover.  Fitted slipcovers have individual cushion covers with zippers, the fit the frame snugly, and can even be made without a skirt (hook and loop tape, the generic name of that stuff that starts with a V, is often the method of making a clean line at the bottom.

A fitted slipcover takes about the same amount of fabric as upholstering, but the labor often costs about half the price.  High quality slipcovers have surged seams and the welting (that cord at the seam) is done on the bias (diagonally) so that it turns corners evenly.  the best part?  They are often cut right in your house so you won't have to go weeks without your sofa.

Decorator Fact:  The most common color for slipcovers is white followed by off-white/natural and red.

How to protect a beautiful table...

If you have a table with a beautiful top (like me), and you have a naughty cat (like me), and you have a toddler (like me) then protecting your table is of paramount importance.  While I will happily make you any number of table cloths the only problem is that they cover any inlay or Marquetry.  My suggestion, have a piece of glass cut to the size of your table top.  It is not very expensive and you can still use a table cloth if you wish to.  BONUS:  It is also very easy to clean.

P.S. If breakage is a real concern you can use Lexan.  It will cost more, but your table will break first.