You don’t want a cheap looking window treatment so pleating at the top of the drapes is very important in the design. You can go for modern or simple looks, more pleats, tighter pleats, or a tab at the top.
1. Goblet pleat Residents in Dubai love the goblet pleat. It’s elegant and classic and quite heavy, so it looks great in velvet. Each pleat creates a tube that looks like the end of a cracker at the top of the panel, with the fabric spooling down from the cinched in ‘waist’ of the pleat. Buttons and ribbon can be added here, to create more drama.
2. Three-way bottom pleat This look is where we try to be ahead of the game. We take the pleats and clip them so the drapes are permanently pleated. It’s prepared in the workroom and then taken to the client’s home to be pleated on site so we know exactly how much fabric needs to be gathered. Having a window treatment that’s well gathered when it’s opened and closed is a sign of luxury and great design. Fastening a button to each tab adds a creative decorative element.
3. Pencil pleat This is a classic look, with each pleat about pencil-width, which creates a ruched effect along the top of the drape. The pleats can collect dust quite easily; however, this is a side-effect of most drapes.
4. High school pleat This is a very clean look used for more transitional designs (traditional to modern). The pleat falls in much the same way as a schoolgirl’s skirt, hence the name.
5. The inverted pleat These stationary panels are very tailored, clean and sharp, and are particularly suited to contemporary interiors. Instead of having the cinched ‘waist’ of the pleats on show, they’re hidden behind the flat front of the pleat.
Linings There are three major types: blackout, interlining and regular. Blackout linings are very useful here as they block the light and help prevent delicate fabrics like silk from fading. Interlining gives more body to the drapery when you use thin fabrics like silk or polyester. Regular lining is another option and will give body to cotton or linen.
Cleaning The best option is to have the cleaner come to you, so you don’t have to take the treatment down and have it reinstalled afterwards. You should have it cleaned once a year and change the treatment every two to three years because fabrics do fade and wear and fashions change. A blackout lining is the best form of protection from sun damage but it’s not foolproof as the sun is very strong here. bhomes.com
August 2014
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