Free-Flowing Fabrics

Nobody ever said curtains had to hang from rods in fixed fashion. One of the newest currents in window treatment design, and one that promises to be long-lasting, calls for the drapery ideas of old to shake off their rigid structure for one that's fluid and spontaneous.

Single-panel window treatment
©Butterick Company, Inc.
Weighted where it touches the floor, a single piece of striped fabric in a rich
jewel tone extends over the top of a metal rod to form a swag with side panels.

This fresh look isn't exclusive to windows in contemporary or eclectic spaces, though it's a natural for these decors. The idea of a loosely draped fabric is as ancient as Rome, which explains the classic look this window treatment imparts. With a curtain fabric rising up from the floor to a rod, draping over the rod in a gentle swag and perhaps draping over again before falling back to the floor in a second side panel, the treatment is, in fact, the definitive drapery. Dressed up in fine fabric and fringed braid, the free-flowing drapery coexists harmoniously with the most elegant traditional furnishings. Left without embellishment in a clean, white fabric, the drapery suggests a contemporary sensibility.

For more decorating ideas around the home, see: