Drapery is Back!

Drapery has been considered an elegant way to shade your windows for centuries. In fact, it's one of the oldest window technologies in the world. Drapes originate from tent design. Hand-woven fabric was then used for centuries to protect both windows and doors from cold drafts, and to provide privacy. Drapes were even used around beds to keep them warmer.

Drapes have been used to divide large rooms and as decorative insulation in stone buildings. When plate glass was invented, drapes became decor that could be seen from the outside as well. When industrial fabric production was introduced, drapes became popular in all homes, not just the palaces and estates of the nobility.

Today, draperies still provide insulation and beauty, often in layers of different fabric weights to create the perfect balance of light, privacy, insulation, and elegance.

Why Should You Hang Drapes?

Drapes provide a variety of benefits depending on which layers you choose. Simple curtains provide privacy and light control, but layered drapes allow you to shape the light and temperature environment of any room.

Light, Darkness, and Diffusion

The weight of each fabric allows you to take control of the light in the room. Light and filmy curtains can diffuse sunlight rather than blocking it, making the light more gentle and potentially blocking harmful rays. Medium fabric can darken a room without blocking all the sunlight, and heavy drapes or blackout curtains can make a room theater-dark on command.

Insulation in Summer and Winter

Heavy drapes provide valuable insulation in both summer and winter, but are favored in winter. The fabric prevents temperature changes from being conveyed between the window glass and the room.

Shaping the Room's Style

The length and style of your drapes becomes a powerful element of your interior design. Floor to ceiling drapes make a room feel taller, heavy fabrics add a timeless elegance and gravitas, while shorter and lighter drapes create a more airy and contemporary style.

What Types of Drapes Should You Look For?

How should you build your drapery designs? Drapes often look best when built with layers that create the effect you desire. The common drapery layers include:

Filmy DrapesFilmy drapes provide light diffusion and privacy, allowing a room to be gently drenched in sunlight without those outside seeing into your room. They are often used as the innermost layer of drapes, facing the window.
Black Out CurtainsBlack-out curtains are a popular middle layer, allowing you to completely block light from the room separate from the decorative drapery layers.
Pleated DrapesPleated drapes are particularly rippled and look best when pulled back, but hold their shape when closed.
Flat or Printed DrapesHeavy drapes can be flat yet richly textured fabric, embroidered, or printed. Printed drapes add a subtle visual texture, while flat drapes are solid splashes of color in your interior design.

2024 Drapery Trends

What trends are leading the return of draperies to intrior design? 2024 has enjoyed several delightful drapery trends that you can explore for yourself.

Two-Tone Drapes

Two-tone drapes are drapes made of two fabrics sewn together, one facing the outer window and one facing the inner room. The outer fabric provides a lovely accent for the inner fabric when the drapes are pulled back.

Bold Colors

Bold drapes of strong colors are the perfect way to add a splash of personality or coordinate with your chosen accent color contrasting with the paint colors in each room.

Sheer Curtains

Sheer curtains without additional layers have become a popular way to diffuse light into a sunny room, providing privacy and an ethereal glow of natural sunlight during the day.

Explore Drapes at Just Blinds

At JustBlinds, we're glad to introduce the latest in drapes, from trendy drapes with a lot of personality to classic drapes that bring elegance to any home design. We're experts in drapes as well as blinds, shutters and shades. Give us a call for a consultation.

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Expert Advice by Just Blinds

What Your Window Treatment Says About You: A Personality-Based Guide

April 23, 2025

Your selection of window treatment products and services is not merely about getting a job done. Rather, if you look hard enough, you can find direct correlations between the type of person that you are and the window treatment that you select. We have created this personality-based guide to help you best discover what kind of window treatment truly matches your spirit. The Dependable Type: Wooden Blinds You are the person that all of your friends can count on. You are the type of person who truly sticks to your plans when you make them, and you are the type of person who will choose wooden blinds for your home. Privacy is important to you when selecting your blinds, and that is why you find yourself pulled into the idea of putting up wooden blinds. Besides that, they happen to be highly functional, and that's not something that you are willing to pass up either. The Planner: Blackout Curtains Those who value truly getting the most value out of their blinds or anything else that they install in their homes will think very carefully about their options. For those people, going with blackout curtains makes a lot of sense. They want to gain as much value as possible out of their options, and they know that they can significantly improve their quality of sleep and so much more when they opt for blackout curtains. These also happen to be a great option for those who work night shifts or other odd hours and yet still want to enjoy their sleep. They need blackout curtains to help increase the quality of that sleep and allow themselves to get their day started right. The Tech Enthusiast: Smart Shades They roam among us: The type of people who are quick to adopt any new technology and get to work figuring out how it can improve their lives. These people are great because they are not afraid to take a risk and because they help to move our society forward. They simply want to get more out of each day, and they often do so by adopting and using the latest technologies. These individuals will gravitate towards smart shades for the following attributes: Innovation - Who wants to stick with the boring old ways of shading one's house? Smarter options are now available, and you better believe that the tech enthusiasts among us are willing to latch on to them. Efficiency - These shades are a more efficient option for those who care about that kind of thing. They can be easily activated and set up to open or close automatically (how cool is that?!). Progressive - The "cool" factor is a big deal for people who fall into this category as well. They might not admit to it right off the bat, but they care deeply about what others think about them. As such, they want window shades that have that cool factor attached to them. The Dreamer: Sheer Curtains Finally, we land upon the dreamer. This is the person who views every day for the possibilities that it can bring. They are not scared off by those with a negative attitude. If anything, they believe that they can change those people! Instead, the dreamer wants sheer curtains because they bring in soft light, open spaces, and bring about a feeling of possibility all throughout the house. Sheer curtains are the ideal option for someone who classifies themselves in this way. They will receive plenty of compliments on their curtains, and they will appreciate how open they are to the world. Which kind of person are you and which window treatment option makes the most sense for your personality? For more inspiration and ideas, reach out and contact us today.

5 Unexpected Places Homeowners Are Installing Outdoor Shades

March 13, 2025

We all know and understand the concept of installing outdoor shades on a patio. It is the classic way to create a cool and comfortable space for yourself and your friends to spend some quality time together outdoors. There is nothing wrong with that, but it is limiting to think that the patio is the only part of one's property where outdoor shades are appropriate. There are some surprising and unexpected places where homeowners have taken to installing outdoor shades recently. We want to take a look at some of these to provide you with ideas for your next home improvement project. 1) Balconies Some homes are built quite close together, and some homeowners naturally feel like they would like to do more to protect their privacy. Although their neighbors might not intentionally be looking through their balconies, it is easy for the human eye to drift. Thus, some city-dwelling homeowners have made the choice to install outdoor shades in this area. On top of keeping prying eyes off of your property, outdoor shades also block the sun rays from your balcony as well creating a more comfortable space to spend some time. 2) Outdoor Kitchens One of the most delightful social experiences that someone can have is to invite over a large group of friends for a meal cooked outside. It gives everyone the opportunity to share stories, laughes, and a bit of food all at the same time. Of course, this is best done in an outdoor kitchen. Your outdoor kitchen is a space where you should feel comfortable and have the ability to entertain a large group of people all at the same time. This means looking at installing outdoor shades to provide an extra layer of protection from the heat of the sun. Thus, this has become another area where homeowners are quickly installing outdoor shades. 3) Poolside Lounges Now we are really talking! Who doesn't love to kick back with their favorite cold beverage and spend some time relaxing next to the pool? That is what you can enjoy more completely when you set up a poolside lounge with outdoor shades. Poolside lounges are meant to be a place where you can spend several hours at a time. However, it can get pretty hot while doing so if you don't put some outdoor shades in place. Get those shades up so you can let all of your worries melt away as you take in the smell of pool water and sunscreen. 4) Garden Areas Do you enjoy a little gardening in your downtime? You might like it even more after setting up outdoor shades that protect you from the excessive heat of the sun. Gardening is labor-intensive work and can take several hours of diligent labor to do it properly. However, you don't want to overextend yourself and end up getting physically overworked. Keeping some of the sun away is an excellent way to ensure that you don't overdo it. Just make sure that you check up on the sunlight needs of the various plants that you intend to put into your garden before installing outdoor shades. 5) Exterior Windows Did you know that it is possible to reduce your energy bills by installing outdoor shades? It's true! If you place outdoor shades on the exterior windows of your home, you can reduce the strain placed on your air conditioning by naturally reducing the overall temperature within your living space. This means less money out of your pocket and more money for working on your next project. There are many interesting places where homeowners are installing outdoor shades these days. For more creative ideas on what you can do with yours, reach out and contact us now.