Everything You Need to Know About Ordering Custom Drapery

Recently we shared our best advice for ordering woven wood shades, and today we are sharing everything you need to know about ordering custom drapery.

While designing our cottage remodel, I knew I wanted to incorporate both natural shades and drapery throughout the space to create a blend of textures and colour. Our cottage is small, and repeating window treatments throughout helped the space feel consistent and cohesive from room to room.

This post is sponsored by Blindsgalore

Seven years ago we installed natural shades from Blindsgalore throughout our home, and they’ve continuously been a favourite detail of mine. So while I was confident in our decision to incorporate woven wood shades in our cottage too, I had little knowledge about ordering custom drapery.

Once again, we put our trust in Blindsgalore to provide the window treatments for our cottage, and once again, our expectations were more than met by their well-crafted products and incredible customer service.

Tips for Ordering Custom Drapery

Choose a Style

First, I had to decide on the type of drapes I wanted for the cottage. Right away, I knew the Bali drapes in the pinch pleat style would be perfect. This is a very traditional style of drapery with a tailored look that will never feel out of date.

The name “pinch pleat” refers to the way the fabric is gathered and stitched together to create a series of evenly spaced folds, or pleats, along the top portion of the drapery panel. These pleats are created by pinching the fabric and sewing it together at regular intervals.

Choose a Fabric

Once I decided on the style of drapes I wanted I moved forward with fabric samples. I love that Blindsgalore offers free samples so you can be confident in your final decision and know the product you choose will be perfect for your space.

Before receiving the samples, I had a good idea of the look I wanted to achieve with our window treatments. Overall, I wanted our remodel to feel as if you stepped inside a historic cottage on the English seaside, it should feel quaint and cozy. I was leaning toward a darker colour for the shades while I hoped for a warm neutral for the drapes.

Once the samples arrived I was able to get a really good sense of how the window treatments would look together in our cottage. The material I chose for the natural shades played well with the dark tones in the flooring, while the fabric I chose for the custom drapes added warmth and texture to our white walls. It was the perfect combination.

You can find all of the details on the natural shades we chose here.

We settled on a linen-like fabric, Dover/Snowfall, for the custom drapes. It’s a beautiful neutral with a slightly textured material. It adds so much warmth and interest to the cottage dining room and living room.

While I opted for a solid neutral, Blindsgalore has so many fabrics to choose from, including traditional florals, classic stripes and playful gingham.

Choose a Size

When measuring for your curtains remember to keep this simple idea in mind – hang your curtains high and wide! By hanging drapes high and wide you’re creating the illusion of bigger windows and therefore a bigger space.

The general rule of thumb is to ensure there is at least 4 – 6 inches between the window trim and the curtain rod and curtains should be hung 8 – 12 inches wider than the window. Once hung, the drapes should brush the floor.

It’s Time to Order

After settling on the style and fabric of the drapes and ensuring you’ve measured your windows correctly, it’s time to place your order. If you’ve never ordered custom drapery before, now is a great time to reach out to a customer service member to help walk you through the process. I had some questions while ordering, especially when it came to the additional customizations, like heading options and liners, and I found the extra guidance incredibly helpful.

It’s safe to say the custom drapery and natural shades we installed throughout the cottage played a big role in elevating the space while creating a cohesive transition from room to room. Over the past seven years, Blindsgalore has always exceeded our expectations, from their attention to detail and expert guidance. I feel confident choosing their window treatments time and time again!