Lining Choices

Okay you’ve decided on the style of drapery you want and you’ve even made your fabric selection and then when you’re ready to order you notice there are several lining choices.

Just when you thought you were done with the decision making! Lining selection is fairly easy. Standard lining will work well in most situations and is used most often.

Classic napped lining is a heavier lining and will give your drapes a more luxurious appeal as it will enhance the drapability of your panels.

Classic napped lining also gives you the added bonus of offering a little thermal protection and noise insulation.

Next you have black out lining. Black out lining is primarily used is to block light out of your room and keep it dark when your drapes are closed.

Some people who opt for blackout lining are shift workers, those who need to sleep during the day, children’s rooms – because let’s face it, if it will keep our kids from getting up before the crack of dawn then it’s a good thing right? – media rooms because glare on your TV or computer screen can be unbearable at certain times of the day.

Black out lining also gives you added protection from UV light and some thermal properties. Thermal lining on the other hand primary purpose is to offer thermal protection – keeping your home warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer.

So there you have it. If you can benefit from an upgraded lining the option is there!

Table Runners

We get asked quite often what the standard overhang should be on a table runner. Well our answer to that question is there is no right or wrong. Table runners can be used down the center of a table with no overhang at all. When having your runner on the top of the table with no overhang we suggest having it made about 4”-6” shorter than the actual table top.
If you prefer traditional styling and want an overhang for your table runner there are a couple things to consider. First are you using straight ends or tapered ends? When using tapered ends we would suggest adding 16”-18” to the table top length in order for the tapered ends to completely clear on each side. If you are using straight ends we suggest adding 13-18”. If you are adding a trim to the straight ends of your runner you may want to opt for adding no more than 14” as the trim will add to the overall length as well. There really is no rule of thumb here, it is more a question of personal preference, just keep in mind that a runner (if wanting to overhang) should hang at least 6” on each side or we feel it will look like it was made to fit a smaller table.

Custom Shower Curtains

Shower curtains are a necessity for most bathrooms.  When we think of shower curtains we normally think of a vinyl curtain used to keep water inside the tub. However, shower curtains play one of the most important roles when decorating a bathroom.  In most cases the fabric shower curtain will be the focal point of the room and should be thought of in the same way you would your living room drapes. It’s also the easiest way for you to give your bathroom a new look. The best thing to do when you are ready for your bathroom makeover is to start by deciding on a shower curtain. There are so many different colors of towels these days, finding matching towels should not be a problem.Custom fabric shower curtains are a popular choice when wanting to give your bathroom a new look.  Shower curtains can be custom made extra wide and or extra long in beautiful upscale decorative fabrics from all the leading textile mills.  What’s even better is you have options of replacing button holes with grommets for a modern decorative look. Custom shower curtains can be made as panels with tiebacks, a custom valance can easily be used to coordinate with the curtain.
There are so many beautiful fabric choices that a unique bathroom is inevitable. You will not find shower curtains in any department store made with designer fabrics. Our customer’s are really happy they can also have matching window valances and bedding so that they look like they hired a decorator.

Decorative Accent Throw Pillows

Ever wonder just how many different decorative throw pillows you can make with 400 fabrics and trims? Of course you haven’t and it would take us too long to figure out. Throw pillows that coordinate with your window treatments will give your room the “wow” factor. It is one of those things that assists in giving a room a custom look. We love pillows here at Fashion Window Treatments and suggest getting pillows made in the same fabric as your window treatments as well as a coordinating fabric, such as a complementary solid fabric. Putting the solid pillow in between two of the same fabric will look fabulous on your couch or bed! Try a pillow, such as our decorative pillow or our lumbar pillow if you like decorative trims…don’t like bullion fringe? Well we make our pillows using pretty much any decorative fringe on our website, so the sky is the limit. Try buttons, our corded center button pillow looks more tailored than a standard corded pillow. Be creative, be unique and have fun while doing it… and remember… decorating is about personal style and nothing else.

Enhance Any Room with Medallion Hung Valances

When selecting a valance window treatment, you’ll find a number of styles and colors to choose from.May we suggest trying ornate medallion hung valances? Medallion hung valances seem to add magnetism to any window and will immediately captivate a visitor’s attention as he/she enters the room.
What exactly are medallion hung valances? These are valances designed with several loops at the top instead of rod pockets so you can hang the valances using decorative medallions or knobs. The medallions are used instead of a rod and can be screwed into the wall for accurate placement. We currently offer the Astoria valance, Kaitlin valance and Cuff Top valance styles all of which are to be hung with medallion knobs.
At FWT, our semi custom medallion valances have anywhere from two to eight loops (larger sizes are available with a phone call) as well as antique brass, satin nickel and black medallions. Similar to rod valances, medallion hung valances can be designed from one of our many elegant fabric choices and enhanced with various styles of fringes or bead trim. Dare to be different when selecting window treatments for your home. Medallion valances will blend wonderfully with any dining room, bedroom, living room or bath decor!

Need an Extra Wide Shower Curtain?

Perhaps you’ve already visited all the local home decor stores and can’t seem to find an extra wide shower curtain to fit your tub or shower.  This problem is common in baths where the shower or tub is exceptionally wide or long.  Standard shower curtains just won’t do for an extra long tub.
For this very reason, many of our customers come to us to order custom, extra wide shower curtains.  We custom make our fabric shower curtains in 350 lovely fabrics.  Simply choose your width – 50″, 72″, 84″ or 100″ and accent your extra wide shower curtains with decorative nickel grommets instead of buttonholes if you prefer.  Need a liner to go with your curtain? No problem, we can make an extra wide shower curtain liners from as well. The liner can be tailored  to the same width and length, to give you a fully customized look and feel.  These can be used to accent a fancy master bath or a secondary guest bath.  You can also enhance your wide shower curtains with matching bath window treatments, bedding, rugs, towels, etc. for a complete bath makeover.

New Valance Styles

We have added a few new valance styles very recently. The Cuff Top valance is offered two ways: 1. Cuff Top Without Loops– so that it can be hung on a rod using clips and rings and 2. Cuff Top With loops – so that it can be hung using decorative knob medallion tiebacks. This style of valance works great on most windows as the size increments are minimal and there is a valance width for basically any size window you have. The Cuff Top with Loops style also works well on bay windows for the same reason. The Cuff Top valance will give your windows a great look. The Kaitlin valance is another exciting new style that can be hung on decorative knob medallion tiebacks. We stock two styles of the medallion tiebacks in three different finishes depending on the style, satin nickel, black and antique brass. These are high quality, durable medallion tiebacks that can be put up with a 2 ½” projection or a 5” projection. Lastly we’ve added the Marley Valance to our style list. The Marley offers s soft simplistic look at a very affordable price. The Marley valance is to be hung using clips and rings on a decorative rod. We now also offer decorative metal rods in two finishes, black or antique brass and your choice of seven different finials. Clips and rings are as an option for those needing them.

Getting an Instant New Look with New Window Treatments

Did you know that you don’t have to do a major remodel or paint job in order to give your home a new look? It’s true. By changing your window treatments you can change the look of room instantaneously and with little effort. Want to spice it up a little more…add a couple matching decorative throw pillows in the room. What better time to give your home a new look, than at the start of a new year? You can go from having a valance on your window to having curtains as your window treatment. Or change your current valance window treatment to a new fabric that you just love and add solid colored rod pocket curtains to hang beneath your valance and have the tiebacks made in the same fabric as your valance to give your room a decorator touch. There are so many options these days when it comes to window treatments and we are here to assist you with any questions you have.

Swag and Jabots – A timeless look of sofistication

Swag and Jabots are at the top of many decorators lists. Swags and jabots offer your windows timeless elegance and can be sewn as a rod pocket style treatment, a board mounted window treatment and they can also be fabricated to be hung on a decorative pole. The number of swags needed is determined by the width of the window. A standard window would have one swag, whereas a window that is 100” wide would typically have three swags.
Not all swags are the same. A bias cut swag will have a smoother drape to it than a standard swag. This is because a bias cut, means the fabric is cut diagonally across the fabric as opposed to being cut on the straight of the fabric, so in turn the fabric has a much smoother drape to it and is made with an extra fold for additional fullness. Many times you will see pelmets hanging between swags. Pelmets are used simply to give the window treatment a more distinctive appeal. Some choose to use pelmets under their swags (where 2 swags come together) and yet others will put them over top of the swags.

Jabots are typically used with swags on a window and come in many lengths. There is no right or wrong when it comes to the length you would like to use on your window. Jabots have been made to hang as little as 1/3 of the windows length up to several inches below a windows length or to the floor. It really depends on the look you are after. Normally if someone has a view they adore and want to use the treatment to accent the window, shorter jabots are often used. Shorter jabots offer a more casual appearance, whereas longer jabots are typically used for a more formal look.

If you love the look of jabots, but don’t like the appeal of typical swags, there are alternative flat valances, namely the Sherwood or Nottingham that can be used with jabots to give your windows a great look alternative look to the standard swag.

Back Tab Valance

The Back Tab Valance was recently added to our valance styles and has been in popular demand. This style gives you a clean contemporary look much like a grommet valance would. The Back Tab valance offers a hidden rod pocket and hidden tabs (which alot of people refer to this style as – hidden tab valance). This is an up to date look for tab styled window treatments. The Back Tab valance can be paired up with our Back Tab panels when you want a complete designer look for you window. When using the valance and panels together, your valance and panels go on the same rod and your panels would be stationary (non functional). The valance is available in widths up to 200”. Keep in mind that this style of valance and drapery panels should be used at approximately two times fullness, meaning you need two times the amount of fabric width to window width. One example would be a 100” valance and two 50” wide panels would work well on windows approximately 100” wide.The Back Tab Valance and Back Tab Panels can be used together or as separate window treatments.