Window Treatment Trends Fall 2009
My blog has been kind of quiet the past few weeks, but we’ve been busy! We are officially in window treatment season and our 20% off promotion has been attracting a lot of attention.
Over the past four years we have been trying to educate the neighborhood that to have new custom window treatments in time for the holidays requires some advance planning. Most workrooms see a significant increase in business during the fall and eventually overload, forcing an early cutoff date for new projects. Telling a prospective client that they are past the holiday deadline is not a pleasant thing. As a matter of fact, it prompts a startlingly visceral reaction in some people. I try to warn the husbands, “remember how upset she got when you forgot about Valentines Day or your anniversary? Well, hell hath no fury like a woman who doesn’t get her window treatments in time for holiday guests.”
Fortunately there’s still time. Fully custom treatments typically have a Thanksgiving cutoff date in mid October, but over the years we have found a few loopholes that can accommodate the procrastinators. Some panels and toppers can be turned around in 2-3 weeks and we even have one source that has promised a 48 hour turnaround on drapery panels, including choice of pleat, length, and lining, as long as we use one of their top five selling fabrics. Wow!
So, what’s hot right now you ask? If you have been reading my blog this past year you will have noticed a trend towards simplicity. Whether it’s the economy, not wanting to be ostentatious, the green movement, or just that contemporary casual is cool, we have clearly noticed our clients less frequently asking for voluminous bejeweled kitty tempting treatments that puddle all over the floor.
Since simple is chic, the challenge is to keep the look sophisticated or elegant rather than, um, cheap. Unlined panels are like an unlined suit jacket in that they will not hold their shape, therefore looking and feeling flimsy. Make sure drapery width is proportional to the space. Single width panels can look like giant pencils if used in the wrong setting, and may not achieve the goal of softening the room.
Fabrics and colors are trending towards the naturals. Linens, cottons, and solids are becoming more common. Having said that, most of our clients call themselves ‘transitional’ and the traditional side of transitional calls for a little pattern in the fabric but it will be more muted and subtle.
Drapery hardware is to a set of panels as earrings are to a beautiful outfit, my designers would say. We are installing a lot more metal finishes (wrought iron, brushed bronze, dark pewter) these days, which in many cases nicely coordinate with nearby light fixtures. Metal finials allow for a little more flair or whimsy than wood, and there are some cool things being done with cast resin and glass.
Wooden drapery hardware is still popular, however, and the good news is that there have been some downward pricing trends. Finally! The good stuff has always been so expensive! Given the height of the average suburban Atlanta great room ceiling, consider using 3” wooden rods for your tall panels. The standard pole size has been 2” which can get lost way up there. Manufacturers have been slow to recognize this, and only in the last year or so has the more substantial sized wooden hardware been readily available.
Years ago I invested in some software which allows us to take a photo of your window and use the computer to design your treatment. This accomplishes a few things that you will appreciate. First, it’s great to have a strong visual to help decision making. Importantly, the computer program will not allow us to defy physics in our design, which can happen with a hand rendering. Darn gravity. Lastly, men seem to respect and value computer drawings and are less inclined to try to veto the project.
Speaking of men, please resist the temptation to have your husband install a nice window treatment just to save a few bucks. A professional knows all the tricks, especially when working around extensive moulding, and will properly dress the treatment. Besides, whatever you save will most likely be spent on therapy, hospital bills, or with your attorney by the time he’s done. Just sayin’.
