Tutorials

Saturday, March 28, 2015

Easy Floor To Ceiling Window Panels

Just like putting on a piece of statement jewelry to complete your outfit, window treatments do the same thing for your room, the perfect finishing touch.  They can set the mood, hide or enhance architectural details, lend a sense of balance or simply block out light. 

I love the way long, flowy panels add a sense of elegance and grandeur, drawing the eye upward and expanding the sense of space.  The perfect statement piece for any room.

Years ago I made these "faux" puddle panels you see at right and below for a client who found this style in a show home and wanted hers made to match.  Really simple to make and even easier to hang for decorative panels..  All you need are inexpensive wide metal rods from your local hardware store or Wally World (one per panel) add a pocket to shir each panel onto a rod cut down to size and  hang.  Easy Peasy!

To create the "faux" puddle simply form a pocket in your hem and run a string through it, add a screw or hook into the wall and hang the string.  Perfect for homes with little ones, or pets that tend to mess with the fabric puddled on the floor. 

My most recent client loves this look and has picked her fabric.  Today is hanging day, always an exciting day!

This is the before picture.  The time of day is awful for pictures, lots of glare (even with trying to close the blinds), I took everything from an angle.  I'll be back over there in a couple weeks to hang Kitchen and Formal Living Room panels so hoping to get some better, straight-on pictures then.
 
Here they are after hanging.  It's amazing the difference adding some fabric to the windows can have.  It immediately softens and richens the space.  These are also hung using inexpensive, wide metal rods from Wal-Mart.  Each panel is one width of fabric, lined with a pocket at the top to accept a rod.  I cut the rods down to 14 inches.  I left a pocket in the bottom for the "faux" puddle but the client opted to leave them puddling.  To help keep them in place I told her to get some rock and add weight at the bottom.  No one will ever see it and it'll add enough weight to keep them in place exactly how she wants them!
 
I will be working on Panels for the Kitchen and a formal Living Room next.  I will try and take some pictures of the process to give you a better idea of how I go about making and getting this style of treatment hung.  It really is a simple, no-nonsense way of adding some pizzazz to any room.
 
In the meantime, have you made any window treatments?  Would love to see your finished results.  Any hints or tips to share with us? 

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