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What Affects the Cost of Custom Draperies
By Jay Steinfeld, No Brainer Blinds and Shades
It is amazing how fabric window treatments such as
draperies and valances can transform your
home-but sometimes in unfortunate ways. When
window treatments are done well, however, they
can be breathtakingly stunning, and create an
ambiance unique to you and your personality.
Buying window treatments is like buying a car. You
can buy a simple, functional one for transportation
or a racy sports car with bells and whistles and
literally spend as much as you want. This article
will explain some of the factors which affect how
draperies and valances are priced.
Quality
Workmanship is of paramount importance. And
just being able to sew straight is not what I'm
talking about. The artistic flair and finesse of the
seamstress, how a pattern is centered, the size of
hems, whether weights are used, the quality and
type of lining, the use of interlining, and the
installer too will all affect the price. Remember that
like everything else, a drapery is only as good as
its weakest link. Assess the credentials of the
decorator. References are crucial, and try to see
samples of prior projects.
Fabric
Fabric affects the beauty of window treatments
more than any other factor. Fine textiles are
emotional and create incredible impact. The best
crafted draperies if made of cheap, flimsy fabric
will look simply cheap and flimsy. Do not
underestimate the importance of quality fabric.
The cost of first quality fabric starts at about ten
dollars a yard. Some go over several hundred
dollars per yard The normal range is somewhere
between twenty and forty dollars per yard.
Obviously the more fabric that is used, the more
the treatment will cost. What is not so obvious is
that the same treatment can be made with different
amounts of fabric. More fabric means deeper,
richer folds and can make an otherwise average
treatment look spectacular if more fabric is added
to the product.
Do not automatically exclude expensive fabrics
from your consideration, especially if the style of
the treatment does not require a lot to be used
(such as with a cornice board). Also, some fabrics
are wider than others and even though they are
usually more expensive than narrower ones, if the
treatment requires less of the wider fabric the total
cost will be essentially the same. The vertical
repeat of a fabric will also affect how much fabric is
used. But do not assume that larger repeats
require more fabric in all cases. Just realize that
there are many complicated reasons that the
fabric will cause a sometimes drastic change in the
price.
Conclusion
Fabric window treatments will add warmth, style
and beauty to any room. They will also add value.
It is sometimes hard to assess whether any or all
of the things mentioned above will be used or even
considered when your draperies are designed and
made. Just be sure to get help from someone you
trust. Well designed and perfectly executed fabric
window treatments will dazzle and impress even
the hardest to please.
Jay Steinfeld is the Founder and President of No Brainer Blinds and
Shades, the leading on-line source for window blinds and shades. It's where
buying blinds and shades REALLY IS a no-brainer. Visit the No Brainer Blinds web site at
http://www.NoBrainerBlinds.com. Email Jay at jay@NoBrainerBlinds.com toll free 1-888-4No-Brainer.
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