Interior Design Minimalist

When Joni of Cote de Texas wrote about curtains as her #4 Top Ten Design Element, she mentioned a term I had never heard before: Italian Stringing. It's a method of holding back curtains without any obvious visual means. Well, while at The Jefferson this past weekend I noticed that the curtains in their recently redesigned dining room were just that - held back but without a tieback.
Here's the behind-the-scenes look showing the string and metal rings. Yes, the waitress thought I was a bit strange...

Back next post with more from Richmond, including Mary Douglas Drysdale and Tobi Fairley.

A few weeks before the Eddie Ross blogger party I decided I hated the color of my living room. Out went the Benjamin Moore Beacon Hill Damask and in came Sherwin Williams Fleur de Sel. After a whirlwind of painting, it dawned on me - my yellow green dupioni silk curtains weren't going to work!! With only 2 weeks left, I came very close to buying retail curtains. Luckily for me I came across I Dream of Drapery instead.

I Dream of Drapery truly fills the gap between high end curtains and retail ready made curtains. After reviewing a number of samples they sent me, I chose linen curtains with a contemporary pleat, standard light diffusing lining and 100% cotton interlining. The other curtains in my home break at the floor but I decided I wanted these to be on the longer side and ordered them 95" in length. The total for two 48" wide panels was $272 - and that included rush shipping! To give a cost comparison, the IKEA white linen curtains that are behind these panels were $50 and they're just rod pocket curtains with no lining. They work well for privacy on my 101" wide picture window but there's no comparison to the quality of the drapes.

I was really thrilled with the quality of the sewing and overall craftmanship. I'm not really sure my photos do them justice. I wanted to share my find with readers of this blog and was very pleased when Kristina Butler, the owner, was willing to answer my questions about her business. (**please note I don't receive any form of compensation for my enthusiastic endorsement - I am just really happy with my drapes!)

What drew you to the business of custom drapery and how did you start? I have had a long time love affair with fabric and design. Like most, I first began making custom curtains for my own home as I wanted something a bit nicer than what was available in retail stores and I wanted specific lengths and fabrics that were just not available in ready made curtains.
Additionally, I couldn't afford to spend thousands on custom made drapery panels through an interior designer. So, I began doing research, taking sewing classes, and making curtains first for myself, then friends, then friends of friends (you get the picture). Eight years later I Dream of Drapery was born because I wanted to offer my clients the same thing I had been looking for, quality custom curtains at an affordable price.

In addition to custom curtains with your fabrics, what other services do you offer?
We have recently also added a section to our website which allows our customers to ship their own fabric directly to us - which means that they get to support their local fabric shops and take advantage of great fabric sales, etc. We also have an option where you can select any fabric currently for sale on the web and we will give you a free quote for having custom curtains made from that fabric.

In our future: while we already make custom pillows by request, we plan on adding this as an option on our website. Also, I would love to add custom shower curtains and add more organic fabric choices.

Are you seeing any trends with your customers? Linen and silk are by far our biggest sellers. Lots of chocolate brown fabric and a fair amount of Amy Butler prints. Also lots of extra long curtains (I just finished panels that were 225" in length). Our contemporary pleat is a favorite - I love it's simplicity. Grommets as well (we offer 4 color choices). About 70% of our clients request blackout lining. Here's a pic of the Blue Smoke linen I chose.
As a comparison, here's my living room in its previous incarnation. I find it interesting that I used to love that color but now find it depressing.

Although I have a strong affinity for the use of natural elements in interior design and don't like rooms to look "made up" and stiff, I do have leanings toward a "proper"southern sensibility, that won't allow me to feel comfortable about a room unless the windows are properly dressed. I absolutely love drapes. It's the long flowing swooping fabric in lush silks, damask and heavy linens, always lined. Fringe it. Bead it. Embellish it the more. Then there are tie-backs, and decorative drapery rods, topped off with finials in an abundance of finishes. A well dressed window is like a well dressed woman of a certain age on her way down the red carpet. Glamorus, sophisticated, fabric flowing behind her as she strolls down the aisle....what a statement!

images: Traditional Home