Pleat Talk

Young designers are not as well versed in custom window treatments as in the old days. Design schools nowadays teach the business of interior design, but nary a course on designing and producing custom soft furnishings. Most young designers buy off-the-rack.

Goblet pleat silk drapes on a return rod

Here's an easy crash course for all you wonderful home decorators buying drapes.

There are three types of pleats that I use: French, Parisian, and Goblet. I have French pleat in every room in the house, except the breakfast area, where I use Parisian.

French is the classic and can work in all types of rooms.

French pleats

Parisian is more relaxed.

Parisian pleats

Goblet is a little too formal for me, but some people love it.

Goblet pleats

I only use one type of rod, a return rod, sometimes called a blackout rod or a French rod. I am not into finials, and I love the way the return rod curves to the wall so the windows have a covered side edge.

Buy this return rod HERE

I match rings to rods, utilizing drapery hooks (pins). Sometimes the rings are sewn in so a drapery hook is not required.

French rod from West Elm

Industrial style rod from West Elm

For silk drapes, silk taffeta is what I always use. Libas is a great wholesale source. All the silk drapes in my home are made from satin silk taffeta from Libas.

Libas for great silk

I also like to use linen.

I like to double line drapes, with a flannel and cotton lining. I've used fabric.com for lining.

A good seamstress is gold. However, if you have to buy drapes ready made, Half Price Drapes is fabulous, and the chain store Curtain Exchange does nice work. A really great budget online store is Curtainworks. The silk is thinner, but at very affordable prices for faux and real silk, you can have a hint of custom luxury, to use as a respectable place holder. Casa Fiori is another great online source for drapes.

A handy reference guide to pleats for drapes

I like to puddle drapes, or have them just graze the floor. I hang rods as high as possible, and the width of the window.

When you do custom drapes, use a width-and-a-half of fabric for one panel. Store bought drapes are usually just one width, and if it looks too skimpy get four panels per window.

I do like grommets and again would use a return rod or a rod without finials. Velvet and menswear type fabric looks great using grommets, and so do silk and linen.

Silk grommet drapes

Linen grommet drapes

Hope this helps you out a little. No pole tops if you can avoid it. But if you must, just sew a ring to the top, spacing about four to five inches between rings. This will make a natural looking relaxed pleat when you slide the ring onto the rod.

I love an off the rack faux silk stripe panel that is so affordable and pretty, but it's a pole top. Sewing the rings on as I explained works perfectly.

Love these drapes Mary McDonald uses - Half Price Drapes has a similar very well priced panel with a pole top - I have had clients sew rings to the top, to create a pleat, and it works really well

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