Andrea Lillo //Executive Editor//April 14, 2025

A floral option from Fabricut. Image courtesy of the company.

They may look simple and straightforward, but draperies can deliver impact to a room when done correctly, adding softness, serving as a focal point and keeping out the sun effectively.

Many clients have sticker shock when it comes to draperies, but designers feel the category warrants the cost.

“Custom drapery is an investment, but the impact is unmatched,” said Krista Shugars, KD Designs Custom Interiors, a Decorating Den Interiors design firm. “Many clients don’t realize that high-quality fabric, professional fabrication and expert installation significantly affect the final look.”

Terry Varner, another designer with Decorating Den, agreed. “A ready-made drapery can’t be reliable regarding proper fabric usage, proper fullness [or] all panels being made the same length or that they’ll hang properly, so I wouldn’t want to be responsible for something I don’t have control over.”

David Santiago of Casa Santi overwhelmingly uses custom draperies as well, though at times the project calls for ready-made items, such as secondary spaces or budgeting constraints, he said.

The cost of draperies can be a surprise to clients. Chrissy Roellchen tells them to plan to spend about 1-2% of a home’s value on custom window treatments. “This isn’t set in stone, but it’s a good way to start thinking about the kind of investment they are adding to their homes,” said the interior designer and owner of Skyline Window Coverings. If a client has been in the home for years, they “may not realize how cost ranges for these types of treatments.”

What’s trending now

Among current trends are ripplefold functional draperies, said Roellchen. “Clients are loving the softer, more modern look of the consistent folds along the top of ripplefold drapery.” She also sees a call for pleated draperies.

Shugars’ clients want “tailored luxury with functionality,” and she also has observed a return to more traditional elements, as well as multi-layering of patterns and large-scale prints.

Motorization is a must-have for most of his recommendations, said Santiago, and natural materials, such as sea grass, raffia and bamboo, “are always in vogue for shades and motorized treatments.” For fabrics, light embroidered fabrics that are woven in unique patterns are trending, as well as lightweight, flexible metals and mesh-like fabrics that can be used as secondary and tertiary layers, he said.

Carole Fabrics’ pleated drapery in Warden Fern and with blackout lining, and Early Bird Clay flat Roman shades. Image courtesy of the company.

The designers agreed that floor-length draperies are the standard now. Santiago takes issue when it comes to draperies that break at the floor, creating a “puddle” of fabric. “They will never look prim and proper when drawing the draperies opened and closed,” he said, and should be avoided. Otherwise, “it’s a hot mess!”

Avoid the common challenges

Proper installation is critical, said Shugars. “Poorly measured or improperly installed drapery can ruin the entire look.”

Designers also need to take the type of fabric into account. “Certain fabrics don’t play nice,” such as 100% polyester, which tends to flare, said Varner. She usually selects blended fabrics that mimic linen for solids, or patterns.

Shugars suggested lining drapery for a more luxurious look and better light control. Also, consider the proportion of the drapery to the room. “Taller panels create a grander look.”

Among Varner’s fabric favorites are those from Fabricut, Carole Fabrics and Kasmir. “They all have beautiful selections of good quality and these three also have workrooms, so it’s more of a one-stop-shopping as a convenience to me, and they are all also very reliable.”