In many cases having your drapery made long enough that it will hit the floor and "break" (think of a pair of men's slacks) is a great idea. First it gives you some fudge when it comes time to install and certainly helps to mask uneven floors and walls. Secondly a little bit of extra length will keep your drapes from ever looking like "high waters" (think of a pair of men's slack that are too short) as many materials will expand and contract slightly with the weather (crazy but true). Now of course common sense does come into play here so if for instance you are ordering white silk drapery that will open and close daily you might think to order a length that will ensure your drapery NEVER touches the floor as it could likely get dirty or even ruined. Same is true for drapery being purchased for commercial application where perhaps a cleaning crew might mop daily.

Assuming you select either blackout lining or Privacy + interlining your drapes will certainly provide and additional layer of insulation.

The level of light blockage and privacy you will get from a drapery is mostly the result of the material you select and the lining(s) you choose. Generally speaking, the heavier the material, the less light will come through. By adding a privacy liner + interlining you will block the majority of light....a black out liner will block even more. Keep in mind that if your are installing these draperies on decorative hardware that light will come in at the top of the drape.

The Short answer is YES. While there are situations (we seldom if ever would recommend lining sheers) the benefits of lining a drape are great: For starters all of our linings will help insulate and may actually save you money on your heating and cooling bill. Lining also protects the material from the harmful rays of the sun and gives draperies a fuller look and a generally better hang. Again there are exceptions as we too are fans of the image of light-weight unlined silk panels blowing in the wind next to an open door...but the reality those are commercials and the best (non-sheer) drapes are typically lined.

To some its an absolute necessity, to others perhaps over kill. It really comes down to personal preference. To us (and most designers) in most cases it only helps. It gives the drapes a heft that you simply don't get any other way. Silks for instance always look great in drapery and even better interlined.

While in some limited capacities Grommet drapes are functional we usually recommend them for people who will leave them stationary. If functionality is your biggest concern then Pinch Pleat, Tailored Pleat and Ripplefold are the easier styles to operate.

Many people who order custom drapes literally don't close them. We call these "side panels" or "stationary panels". The following chart gives our recommendations of what size panels you can order to ensure you save money and the finished look isn't skimpy. If this approach is of interest to you please contact Customer Service who can help advise you on how best to order.

The reason is simple: no one has the skill to make them properly. The few workrooms that perhaps can manufacture custom hand-made draperies do so at at a price point that is significantly higher than what we offer. Our staff of skilled craftsmen have been making drapes for some of the world's top interior designers for literally decades. The time and effort that goes into each drapery is something that larger workrooms simply won't do. Simply put: nobody does it better.

There's no magic to the photos we show you, just some good taste, careful installation and some amazing interiors that we install them in. Your Drapes will be made by the exact same people, the exact same way. Lots of things will influence how things "look" in your space: size of shade, material / lining selected and of course the environment it is going in. All of our Drapery shown in photos have also been steamed. To ensure each customer gets a great looking set of drapes, we carefully package all drapery and many wrinkles will naturally hang out over time.

If you have the room the best thing to do is to extend your drapery to the right and left of the area. This will make the area you are covering wider and take more material off the window. If you don't have space to extend out you might consider using a sheer which will still allow natural light to filter in or consider purchasing a tie back [see link] to help hold the material off the window.