It’s curtains for you!

If your idea of curtains a sheet nailed to window molding,
or maybe you’ve graduated to Martha’s curtains at K-Mart but can’t shake the
feeling you can do better, don’t worry. You’re about to get the professional
help you need.

“Nothing finishes a room like having something on the
window, even if it’s just a simple blind,” says Robin Muto, owner of and
designer at Positive Environments, a full-service interior design studio
located on Anderson Avenue.
Window treatments can highlight great architecture, hide bad architecture, and
provide visual interest of their own. Whether you live in a
palatial manor, a cozy apartment, or somewhere in between, you can make a big
impact on the look and feel of your space with window treatments.

A dizzying array of options exists outside of the humble
pinch-pleated curtains of our misspent youth. They run the gamut from elegant
festoon and jabot draperies to endless choices for shades and the revival of
interior shutters. In determining what style is right for you, consider your
décor, how much privacy you need, and how much control you want to exert over
the sun.

One trend Muto sees in well-dressed windows this season is
solar shades moving from the office into the home. Typically found in white,
gray or black, solar shades are finely woven to provide some privacy while
allowing people indoors to be aware of the outdoors. All that, and they add
textural interest, too. “They’re inexpensive, and they work great in
contemporary decors,” Muto observes, adding that certain brands like Hunter
Douglas are coming out with a wider range of color choices.

Mark Leenhouts, co-owner of
Fabrics and Findings for the Home, located on Anderson Avenue, observes, “In urban markets,
there’s a trend toward heavy texture rather than pattern. Popular choices
include burlap, velvet and ultra suede in earth tones, steel colors, or black
and white.”

In terms of style, the crisp, clean window treatment trend
is over. “More elaborate window treatments are coming back. Frills and trim are
huge. The frothier the better,” says Leenhouts.
Layered window treatments are also on the ascent, such as panel curtains topped
with a valance with a Roman shade underneath for privacy.

When it comes to color, “the combination of spa blue — a
very light, crisp ice blue — and chocolate brown is hitting like a rampage,”
notes Leenhouts, who expects deep eggplant purple to
gain popularity next year.

Now that you know what’s hot, it’s time to shop. Look for high-quality fabric. “It’s like thread
count for sheets,” explains Leenhouts, continuing
“better quality fabric is like having 400- to 600-count sheets; knock-off
material — commonly found in ready-made curtains — is like 50-count
polyester.” Muto adds, “the best window treatments are
like well-made suits or dresses. If the fabric is too stiff, they won’t drape
correctly.”

Muto and Leenhouts also emphasize
the importance of linings. If it’s not lined, a window treatment will rot or
fade. Linings also keep the look consistent. Without a lining, varying degree
of sunlight hitting the back of the fabric will change the look of the window
treatment throughout the day. As an added bonus, some linings provide
insulation, helping to reduce heat loss in the winter.

In terms of overall quality, nothing beats custom fabricated
window treatments. You choose the style, fabric, lining
and trim you want, carefully assembled with attention to detail. Calico Corners
and Teschner’s, located respectively at 3349 and 3350 Monroe Avenue
in Pittsford, are among the local businesses that fabricate custom window
treatments.

Usually, custom quickly adds up to big bucks, but it doesn’t
have to be that way. Fabrics and Findings offers a “custom in a rush” option,
in which you can choose from selected styles using in-stock fabric, and pay a
maximum of $30 in labor, rather than the $300 to $500 labor charge commonly
found in the custom market.

For semi-custom window treatments — a mid-point between
custom and ready-made in terms of quality and price — Muto recommends the Smith+Noble catalogue, found online at
www.smithandnoble.com.

Country Curtains, 900 Panorama Trail South in Penfield,
offers quality ready-made window treatments in a broader range of styles than
the name suggests.

Of course, DIY is
an even more economical option. “Anyone who’s relatively handy can make a
simple Roman shade,” says Muto. This flat style doesn’t use a lot of fabric,
but does require a lining and hand-sewn hooks, eyes, and rings for the cord.
The ability to make precise measurements is a must, too.

For something a little more basic, you can make simple panel
curtains without sewing a stitch. Leenhouts recommends selecting a light-weight
cotton fabric, which is easier to work with than heavier fabrics. Decide what
length you’d like the curtains to be. Leenhouts
suggests allowing them to puddle on the floor for added impact. Allow a few
additional inches so you can finish the top and bottom edges of the curtain by
folding them over and sealing the seam using iron-on fusable
webbing, like the Stitch Witchery brand. Clip rings onto the top of the panel
and hang it from a rod. For an updated urban look, Leenhouts
suggests popping grommets into your curtains and stringing wire through them
for hanging.

This article appears in Oct 4-10, 2006.