I was referred to a new client and she had a unique problem. She has a beautiful formal sitting room and had grand drapes made for the room a little over a year ago, but she was not happy with them. Here is the original version:
They seem nice enough, right? Oh, and she paid a pretty penny (several pretty pennies) for these drapes made from a beautiful striped silk. So, what was the problem. Well, to me, I didn't think they were doing anything special to highlight her feature wall. She has two small windows flanking that large center window and you can't even see them let alone pull the curtains back to expose them. Also, the upper arched window is lovely and it's just sitting all alone and not "pulled" into the space with the other decor. Finally, this long wall of drapes is visually shorting this 12 foot tall room! Not good.
She asked me to rework them and, if possible, make them seem as special as the pieces she has in this room. She wanted to love these drapes but just didn't.
(OK, I know I shouldn't but I have to also say, this company - a big drapery company - first seemed promising and sketched her a design which the homeowner loved. Then, after months of waiting, the drapes were delivered and were not like the sketch AND had been sewn inside out! The company redid them but there was still a problem - no style AND they were too long to fit the space. Finally, the homeowner had to pick them up and install them herself, folding down the top portion so they wouldn't drag on the floor! Big disappointment all around!)
So, I sketched a design for her and knew I could make all this fabric feel better and work better for this space. Here is my revised version:
I added two levels to the drapes for more interest and to highlight the 12 foot ceiling height. Also, I added beaded trim to give the panels more depth and interest. With the extra fabric I had left over, I made the homeowner two formal chair pillows with the same beaded trim (as seen in the right corner of the picture) and two square pillows with braided edge trim for her couch (as seen in the left corner of the picture). There are lots of ways to make a window feature wall shine and I think this is a good example of how to do just that. (And, yes I do install as well!) Our final piece will be to add a faux-iron work piece to the center arched window (just waiting on delivery). It's a whole room and it should feel like a cohesive design. Now the homeowner is happy and I'm proud to show off this beautiful re-work.
