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Tips for Decorating with Drapes
I work as a blogger for businesses although I do a variety of different types of writing. I particularly enjoy writing about all aspects of design and creativity. I think that your home should reflect your personality and that it should change as you change. More about me at www.kathrynvercillo.com and http://diaryofasmartchick.com.
I work as a blogger for businesses although I do a variety of different... More »
The terms curtains and drapes are used synonymously. Despite this, I tend to distinguish between the two in my own mind. To me, drapery refers to curtains that are a bit more thick than what you'd find in the average home today. Curtains are those pieces of fabric that are more airy.
Drapes are made of heavier materials than normal curtains. For this reason, they can be harder to decorate with. They bring more weight to the room. At the same time, they can also bring more texture to the room which might make it more interesting.
I've found that working with drapes is a challenge but one that is worth the effort. Choosing the right colors and the right placement are crucial to making drapery work in your design. You also have to consider the little touches like the shape of the drapes. If you give them enough attention, drapes can be so much more than "just curtains".
Drapes are made of heavier materials than normal curtains. For this reason, they can be harder to decorate with. They bring more weight to the room. At the same time, they can also bring more texture to the room which might make it more interesting.
I've found that working with drapes is a challenge but one that is worth the effort. Choosing the right colors and the right placement are crucial to making drapery work in your design. You also have to consider the little touches like the shape of the drapes. If you give them enough attention, drapes can be so much more than "just curtains".
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These drapes look a bit different from the first set of drapes we looked at but the overall impact is the same. There is a lightness that brings sunshine into the room but the drapes are heavy and textured. The wonderful old-fashioned drapery cords around these drapes really add to their appeal. I also love the two-toned striped color of the drapes and the way that this color is mirrored in much of the room's decor.
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| Never underestimate the value of choosing the right color for your drapes. The choice of red here is perfect because it brings together all of the red in the rest of the room (such as the bookshelves and the furniture). This creates a total polished look for the space. |
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If you want to create a room that is really dramatic in appearance then you can choose dark drapes. The use of mirrors in the decor here makes the room open up despite the dark and heavy choice of drapery here. What a modern look!
by BKSK Architects
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If that last room was a bit too dark and masculine for you then perhaps you want to look into some more flowery and feminine drapes. These really make you feel like you're living inside of nature. I love the way that the drapes were added to the sides of the bed even though there don't appear to be windows there. What a neat touch!
Drapes don't have to be something that hangs on the wall at all. If you have a four-post bed then you can choose to use heavy drapes around the bed to close it off from the rest of the room. That's a great way to use drapes to make a private space in your home.
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| It it important to point out that drapes don't have to be the only decor piece for a window. These windows have both blinds and drapes which allows you to let in varying degrees of light. What I really love here is the heavy top piece on the drapes which connects all of the windows and adds that much-desired texture to the room. |
| The top of the drapes may get overlooked by a lot of people but it shouldn't. The pole that you choose to hang the drapes from and the decorative method you use for draping can make a big difference in the design of the piece. It's all in the details as we can see here. |
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Here is another example of a window that has both blinds and curtains. Note that I said "curtains" this time. That's because these curtains are really light and airy. I included this photo to highlight the differences in appearance between curtains and drapes.
Comments
A Beach Cottage love drapes and the one around the bed would be nice if I had a room like that!
4 years ago · Like
karen74 I agree with abeachcottage- the drapes around the bed are beautiful!
4 years ago · Like
kitkat interesting topic, but what about bay windows ? any ideas, would be very helpful
4 years ago · Like
Ideabook updated on Nov. 9, 2012.
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