Why North Dartmouth homes still love drapery
Custom drapery does something no shade or shutter can: it softens the whole wall, not just the glass. In the older colonials of Padanaram, a few minutes from our North Dartmouth showroom, the formal front rooms were made for floor-length panels, with tall windows, high ceilings and trim that frames a curtain well. In the ranches off Faunce Corner Road and Slocum Road, a wide slider or picture window can look bare and cold with only a shade, and a pair of panels that draws across the whole opening fixes that in an afternoon.
Out toward Russells Mills, the deep-set sash in the old farmhouses leaves little room for anything inside the opening, so drapery hung on the wall above and beside the window is often the neatest answer. And in South Dartmouth, where rooms face the hard afternoon glare off Apponagansett Bay, a lined panel drawn across the glass takes the edge off the light in a way a sheer fabric alone cannot.
Three ways homeowners use drapery
Most of the drapery we fit falls into one of three jobs. Knowing which one you want makes choosing fabric much easier.
Framing the window
Stationary side panels that never close. They add colour and height to a room and leave the glass clear for a shade or shutter to do the work.
Covering the glass
Working panels that draw across the window on a rod or track. With a privacy or room-darkening lining, they handle light and night-time privacy on their own.
Layering with a shade
A shade behind for daily light control, with drapery in front for softness and extra cover at night. The most popular pairing in bedrooms.
Fabric, lining and heading style
The look of custom drapery comes down to three decisions, and we walk through each of them with fabric samples in your own room.
Fabric. Linens and textured weaves give a relaxed look that suits a shingled cape. Heavier fabrics and patterns sit well in a formal colonial dining room. Sheers let the light through and soften a window without blocking the view. Fabric behaves differently in strong sun, so for a room that faces the water it is worth reading our notes on choosing fabric for a sunny room.
Lining. An unlined panel is light and airy. A standard lining gives the fabric more body and protects it from the sun. A room-darkening lining is the one for bedrooms and media rooms where you want the light kept out.
Heading style. This is how the top of the panel is gathered and hung. A pinch pleat is the traditional tailored look. A ripple fold hangs in soft, even waves on a track and suits a modern ranch living room. Grommets slide along a rod and work well for panels you open and close every day.
Measuring for custom drapery
Drapery measuring is a little different from measuring for a shade, because the panels hang on the wall rather than inside the opening. Two things matter most. The first is height: hanging the rod well above the window makes a low ceiling look taller and lets the panels fall in a clean line to the floor. The second is stack-back, the space each panel needs beside the window when it is open. Allow enough room and the open panels sit against the wall, leaving the full glass clear. On a wide ranch slider, that space can make the difference between a door you can walk through freely and one half-blocked by fabric.
Length is a choice too. Panels can stop just above the floor, touch it lightly, or pool for a softer, more formal look. We measure every window ourselves so the panels come out right.
Request a Consultation
Visit a showroom or let us bring the showroom to you, with samples, an expert and a free estimate.
How a drapery project works with us
- Request a consultation online or with the call button. Our vans carry samples, so we bring the showroom to you.
- We look at each window, talk about how the room is used and where the light comes from.
- You choose fabric, lining and heading style with samples held up in your own daylight.
- You get a free estimate for the windows you want dressed.
- We measure the walls and openings, including rod height and stack-back.
- A certified Hunter Douglas installer mounts the hardware and hangs and dresses the panels.
To see the range first, browse the Hunter Douglas drapery catalogue. Our page on Carole Fabrics drapery covers the collection we work from most, and our woven wood shades pair beautifully with panels.
Why buy drapery from a Hunter Douglas Gallery dealer
Blinds & Designs is a Hunter Douglas Gallery dealer, and certified Hunter Douglas installers hang everything we sell. With custom drapery, the hardware is half the job: a rod set at the right height and anchored properly is what lets the panels hang straight and draw smoothly for years.
Because we sell shades, shutters and drapery together, we can plan a layered window as one project rather than two. Our interior design consultations help when you want fabrics, colours and shades chosen for a whole room, and every project starts with an in-home consultation and a free estimate.
Where we hang drapery
From the North Dartmouth showroom we work across the South Coast. Each town has its own page about window treatments for its houses: see Dartmouth, New Bedford, Fairhaven and Westport, or find every town on our store locations page.
Drapery questions
Can drapery darken a bedroom fully?
A room-darkening lining keeps out most of the light. For the darkest result, we often pair the panels with a shade behind, which closes the gaps at the top and sides.
Should drapery go inside or outside the window?
Almost always outside. Panels hang from a rod or track on the wall above the window, which is why drapery suits deep-set old sash that has no room for a shade inside.
What is stack-back?
It is the space an open panel takes up beside the window. Planning enough of it lets the panels clear the glass when they are open.
Can I have custom drapery over shades or shutters?
Yes, and it is one of our most popular pairings. The shade or shutter handles daily light, and the drapery adds softness and extra cover at night.
Which fabrics hold up in a sunny room?
Some fibres and colours stand up to strong sun better than others, and a lining protects the face fabric. We bring samples and talk through the options for the room you have in mind.
Do you charge for the estimate?
No. Estimates are free. We measure your windows and give you an estimate for the drapery you have chosen.
Start with fabric in your own room
Request a consultation and we will bring fabric samples, linings and hardware to your home so you can see them in your own light. You can also call the North Dartmouth showroom with the call button, or come in and look through the fabrics in person.
Every Hunter Douglas line we carry is on our Hunter Douglas Gallery dealer page.