You have many options when it comes to getting window treatments. You can make your own, buy off-the-rack, purchase from a big box home improvement store, or work with a window treatment expert. It’s good to have choices, but there’s only one choice we recommend.
Making your own drapes may sound appealing if you are a DIYer at heart. Many DIY/sewing websites label drapes as a fairly easy project to tackle. If you have some basic sewing skills and want basic drapes, this may be true. But if you want designer-quality drapes with structured pleating and lining, doing it yourself is unlikely to give you these results. Unless you are a professional seamstress who’s well-versed in drapery construction it’s probably not worth the risk. If you are investing in nice drapery fabric it makes good sense to also invest in someone who has the skills to properly construct your drapes.
Buying off-the-rack drapes can seem like a smart choice because you don’t have to do any sewing and you can take them home same day. But there are a few things you should be aware of when buying off-the-rack drapes. The quality of these drapes vary greatly—most offer rod pockets instead of pleats and often they are unlined. Once you get them home and out of the package, they usually require a good deal of effort to hang and steam out the wrinkles. Surprisingly, off-the-rack drapes at higher-end retailers are similar in price to custom drapes even though they don’t offer the benefits of custom.
Purchasing blinds or shades from a home improvement store can also present problems. While the employees at the home improvement store are able to offer information about their various products, they rarely have the same training an expert does to help you identify the best treatments for each of your windows. If you have a unique window, they may not have as many options to offer. These employees are typically not trained designers and therefore will not be able to offer in-depth advice on which window treatments will complement the look of your home.
The problems caused from making your own drapes, buying off-the-rack, and purchasing from a home improvement store can be eliminated by working with a window treatment expert.
Here are the top 5 reasons to use an expert for window treatments:
1. To Meet the Individual Needs of Your Windows
When you hire an expert, you’ll start by working together to identify the needs of your windows and then finding suitable solutions that fit into your budget. The needed functionality of your window treatments will vary by room. You’ll likely need window treatments that provide privacy in your bedrooms and bathrooms, but in your living room you may need window treatments that offer UV protection and glare reduction. Covering your windows is not a one-size-fits-all approach. If you are working with someone who recommends the same product for your entire house, that is a red flag.
2. To Get the Best Quality
When you purchase off-the-rack drapes, most likely you’ll end up with a package containing wrinkled, limp pieces of fabric without pleats or a quality lining (and sometimes no lining at all… eek!). When you purchase drapes from a drapery expert, you can expect to get high quality fabric and construction. Your drapes should always include lining and pleats (not rod pockets) so they’ll hang beautifully.
3. Customization
Every home should be as unique as its homeowner. Unfortunately, when you purchase your home furnishings from chain retailers you aren’t getting unique products. You’re getting something that thousands of other people may also have in their homes. When you work with a window treatment expert, you have the opportunity to create something that will perfectly suit your individual style.
4. The Right Fit
Hanging draperies or blinds is a home project that most people can manage from a technical standpoint. But there are a lot of considerations to take into account to get the perfect fit. Window treatments can be used to make a room look brighter, ceiling heights look taller, or windows look larger. An expert will provide guidance on how to accomplish these goals and take care of installation so you can spend your time enjoying your beautiful room, not constructing it.
5. Design
A great window treatment expert stays up-to-date on all the latest trends and also understands those classic design elements that withstand the test of time. Do you have a design aesthetic you’re trying to achieve but just can’t quite get there? A window treatment expert can offer tips and pointers to bring your vision to life.
If you’re ready to experience the difference of working with a window treatment expert, stop by our design boutique or schedule a free consultation. At Drapery Street, all of our window treatment experts are also designers. Their expertise stretches beyond window treatments and they can also offer advice on other design elements like furniture and wallpaper.
Window treatments are an expense, regardless of where you shop. Protect your investment, work with an expert!
