Drapery Panels

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Full length drapery panels add insulation, texture, color and dimension. The variety of styles available is defined mainly by the type of header the panel has. The fabrics used affect the degree of formality, and thus the style, of the drapery. 

 

Header Types

The header is the top of the drapery panel and the way in which the fabric is gathered for fullness. The header can be pleated, shirred, tabbed or grommeted.

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Pleat Types

Pleat types include pinch pleats, goblet pleats, french pleats and inverted pleats. Pleats add formality to the drapery because it gathers the fabric uniformly across the width of the panel.

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Ripplefold Drapery System

Soft ripple-like folds flow smoothly from one end of the track to the other. The effect is gently tailored – suitable for either commercial or residential installations. Master carriers that butt together, and carriers that swivel eliminate “flat” drapery areas.

 

Folds are identically beautiful from inside the room or outside the building presenting an architectural advantage. Headings, suspended under the track, cannot tip or sag. They are always perfectly positioned and spaced.

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Formal Styles

Fabrics such as damask, silk and tapestry create a formal feel. They are usually lined and sometimes interlined to add weight and protection to the fabrics. Interlining is a flannel-like material placed between the lining and face fabric. Formal drapes generally use a pleated header with drapery pins to attach to the rod.

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Casual Styles

Tabbed or shirred panels have a soft fullness with less uniformity than pleated panels. Cotton, linen and open-weave are fabrics often used. Grommet panels also create a less formal style and are a modern trend. Decorative rods best complement tabbed and shirred panel styles.

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Hanging Panels

Panels can be shirred on a rod or hung from drapery pins that attach to the rod or rings on the rod. The rod slides through grommet panels and tab panels hang over the rod. Traverse rods allow the panels to move with the pull of a cord. The rods can be decorative or utilitarian.