Window Treatments

Pick the Ideal Drapery Top for Your Room's Style

July 24, 2019

If you believe all soft window treatments look the same, have a better look at the top of each. The heading of a window treatment can demonstrate a room or homeowner’s personal style — sometimes over the fabric itself does. From elaborate to unpretentious, these moving styles speak volumes about attention to detail. Have a look at some favorites below.

Chloe Warner

Back-tab ripple fold. For a highly contemporary look, consider using this heading, which makes draperies seem to levitate. Fabric sewn on a clear plastic band guarantees gorgeous folds of precise symmetry.

Tip: Install the track on the wall or ceiling — the latter works good when the walls are windows.

Cravotta Interiors

Pinch pleats. Although conventional, these ideal pleats never go out of style. With this heading, cloth is gathered delicately into three little folds and then pinched together to make one pleat.

Tip: The closer you set the pleats, the thinner the drapery looks.

More on pinch pleats

Artistic Designs for Living, Tineke Triggs

Pierced heading. Grommets lineup the whole top of the whimsical drapery heading a drapery pole can slide through.

Tip: Most big-box stores take this window therapy prefabricated. Match the end of the grommets along with other metal finishes in the room for layout cohesion.

Tracery Interiors

Sag top. Drapery rings stitched straight to the very top of the heading hang onto a pole. When you draw on the drapery straight back, the cloth between the sewn-on rings sags forward.

Tip: The closer you sew the drapery rings together, the less sag will probably happen.

J. Hirsch Interior Design, LLC

Goblet pleat. The name of the elegant heading comes in the form of the pleat, which resembles a goblet. With this therapy, a cone of cloth is shaped and pinched slightly together at the desired length.

Tip: The further goblets you add to the top of this therapy, the more elegant and formal it will seem.

Tracy Murdock Allied ASID

Rod pocket. The pole pocket is the easiest and most cost-effective heading treatment. The drapery fabric is folded over and attached to itself, making a pocket for the drapery rod to slip through.

Tip: Sew a seam across the very top edge of the pocket. You’ll get a distinctive gathering of cloth near the top of the header.

Tie top. For the ultimate in shabby chic, use this heading treatment that states, “Old is new again.” Individual pieces of cloth attached to the top of the drapery create ties. Tie them over the drapery pub for that easygoing cottage look.

Tip: The longer you create the ties hang down, the “messier” and more effortless the curtains will seem.

Valerie Davis

Box pleat. The box style is my favorite drapery heading. It has cloth folded into pleats on the front and on the back. Once being sewn, the top treatment creates horizontal, boxy folds.

Tip: This simple, laid-back treatment looks great at a manly area.

Edwina Drummond Interiors

Smocked. This blouse-like and feminine drapery heading is detailwork at its very best. Created by injecting pleats into an elaborate lattice pattern, this style is not for the faint of heart.

Tip: This heading is great to use when your inside area lacks architectural details.

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