Drapes aren't just for windows anymore

by Christy Sullivan

With so many beautiful fabrics available, it is any wonder that there are many uses for draperies. Have you ever thought of draping a doorway. A client of ours wanted to add glamor to the entryway to her dining room. She had an arched doorway leading into her dining room from the front hallway. By draping this space, she was able to add a lot of color and texture, and when needed she could close them. (she had teenagers upstairs that played loud music.) The drapes helped with the sound. She had them draped back with beautiful tie backs when they were open.

Another one of our favorites is using a drapery to corner off a section of the room, or just accentuate an area in the room. For an architectural look, the drapery can be hung from the ceiling with iron rods and rings. There are so many styles of drapery hardware to choose from. A bed canopy look can be created with a crown out of iron or wood, made to hang above the bed. A drapery is attached to the bottom of the crown and then draped to either side of the bed.

We recently had a client who owned a small house in the country. The house had only 1 bedroom upstairs, so she created another bedroom downstairs by putting a bed in the dining area, and closing off that area with a drapery. It was not only practical, but added a softness to the room.