When you are looking for new custom drapery to cover your large, small or odd sized windows, chances are that you won’t find what you need at one of the chain stores.  Most of the chain stores carry ready-made drapes that are made in India or China and typically come in for or five sizes.

My Sister recently bought a new home in Haddonfield New Jersey.  Haddonfield is in Southern New Jersey and is a really gorgeous historical town.  The homes in Haddonfield are historical and very traditional with plenty of character to spare.  When Pam purchased the home she wanted to replace all of the drapery with a combination of silk and linen.  Because the windows are nearly 200 years old they are quite drafty and don’t provide a great deal of insulation during the cold New Jersey winters.

When Pam measured the windows none of them were what you would consider “standard” sizes.  They also weren’t very large.  Her ceilings are high but like most homes built during this period the windows (glass was an expensive luxury) were small and drafty.  An important thing to remember is just because you you have small windows you should still select you drapery as if they were large windows.  Especially if you have high ceilings.  Adding tall drapery will add a great deal of height to the space and hide the fact that you have small windows.

In my Sisters home will also added English Bump Interlining.  English Bump is a very thick cotton flannel lining that has been used for centuries to help provide insulation in homes. As you would guess by the name, English Bump originated in England where wealthy aristocrats would use it to insulate their drafty homes.  Bump still works amazingly well and really makes a room cozy and well insulated.  Another benefit of Bump is that it really adds weight to the drapery and makes them “hang” very elegantly.  If you have a drafty room you should really consider Bump.  Also consider this golden rule for truly elegant and luxurious drapery and curtains, if you have large windows, tall windows, round windows or small windows, you still want to use the maximum height available.  Don’t skimp with standard size ready-made drapes, truth is you can get quality custom drapery which will last years longer and provide you with great insulation.

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