If you crave truly beautiful draperies, get some ideas from these eye-popping, luxurious examples fit for palaces and design icons like Coco Chanel. Oh, yes, these are all custom draperies — nary a tab-top panel from a big-box store in sight. As you go through these photos, notice how two common denominators set these designs apart:
1. Volume and yardage. Even if you use purely decorative panels, which you'll never pull closed, you'll need a minimum width of 1 1/2 times the standard panel on each side of the window to keep the look from feeling scrawny. Notice that there is a lot of fabric in each of these. Instead of going with the minimum amount of fabric, custom draperies have enough width to create a feeling of luxury and opulence. They tend to go floor to ceiling. And they fit the window perfectly. Nothing here is dangling 5 inches above the floor.
2. Beautiful fabric. You will see silk, velvet and linen. Polyester, not so much. Beautiful fabrics have a higher price tag, but they are worth it. They feel better, hang better and elevate your entire space.