Drapery 101: Our Guide to Your Best Choice [Audio Only]

Summary

Podcast Summary: Dear Alice | Interior Design Episode: Drapery 101: Our Guide to Your Best Choice
Release Date: April 10, 2025

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Introduction

In this episode of "Dear Alice," hosts Alice Lane and Corey dive deep into the intricate world of drapery, offering listeners a comprehensive guide to making informed window treatment choices. With their extensive experience in interior design, Alice and Corey aim to demystify drapery options, answering listener questions and sharing professional insights to help homeowners and aspiring designers alike achieve aesthetically pleasing and functional window designs.

The Design Process and Install Season

[01:36 – 03:11]

Alice and Corey begin by discussing the broader scope of interior design projects, emphasizing the significance of the installation phase. Corey elucidates how installation season marks the culmination of years of planning and design, transforming empty spaces into lived-in homes.

Corey (02:06): "It's like dressing the home because it's just been a big construction project... it's a symphony of things happening."

Alice echoes this sentiment, highlighting the joy of seeing timeless designs come to life and the satisfaction of witnessing their creations stand the test of time.

Alice (03:11): "It's like Christmas morning every single day on an install."

Listener Questions and Drapery Basics

[09:30 – 17:07]

The episode transitions to addressing listener questions, starting with Rowan's inquiry about valances versus more structured drapery options. Alice and Corey clarify their stance on valances, branding them as outdated and insufficient for achieving a polished window treatment.

Corey (09:35): "Valances are, like, something that you could do a DIY thing... but they look unfinished."

Instead, they advocate for cornice boxes and Roman shades as superior alternatives that offer both aesthetic appeal and functionality. Through detailed explanations and visual references, they dissect the mechanics and design benefits of each option.

Alice (10:46): "A valance feels like you're just pinning up a scarf over your windows. There’s no structure to it."

Exploring Cornice Boxes and Roman Shades

[10:48 – 17:07]

Alice and Corey delve into cornice boxes, explaining their architectural significance and the craftsmanship involved in creating them. They describe cornice boxes as custom, high-end solutions that add formality and interest to a room.

Corey (12:43): "A cornice box with no drapery under it... still giving shape and form."

Roman shades are presented as versatile and elegant, suitable for various settings including bathrooms and children's rooms. The hosts discuss different mounting styles, such as inside mount, and the practical considerations when integrating Roman shades into a home.

Alice (17:07): "A Roman is such a beaut. I love a Roman. We do them in every house that we work on."

Optimal Fabric Fullness and Timelessness

[28:19 – 29:31]

A significant portion of the discussion focuses on the importance of fabric fullness in drapery. Alice and Corey recommend using three to five times the width of the window for a rich, full appearance. They caution against minimal fullness, which can make drapery look flat and uninviting.

Suzanne (28:24): "It does look better with dimension."

Alice emphasizes the necessity of thorough planning and clear communication with drapery workrooms to achieve the desired fullness and timeless look.

Alice (29:09): "I'm positive. I like it full."

Addressing Chris's Question: Letting Light In While Softening the View

[30:00 – 42:42]

Listener Chris's question about window coverings that allow light in while softening the view is thoroughly explored. Alice and Corey present several solutions:

1. Sheer Drapery: Ideal for maintaining light flow while providing a soft veil over views. They showcase examples where sheer drapes add a romantic and airy feel to spaces without compromising privacy.

   Corey (30:25): "A sheer is all I want. It looks like a wedding veil."

2. Cafe Curtains: Perfect for kitchens and bathrooms, these short drapes allow light in while offering privacy. The hosts highlight their versatility and traditional charm through visual examples.

   Alice (37:18): "Cafe curtains... letting light come in the windows, but you've got the drapery right where you would maybe be undressing to get in the tub."

3. Top Down Bottom Up Shades: These innovative solutions allow for flexible light control and privacy, ideal for specific areas like bathrooms where functionality is paramount.

   Corey (41:27): "Top down, bottom up... Especially if you're on a bathtub... it’s super practical."

Final Thoughts and Upcoming Content

[42:42 – End]

As the episode nears its conclusion, Alice and Corey reiterate the importance of thoughtful drapery choices in enhancing a room's ambiance and functionality. They tease an upcoming episode focused on pleat styles, promising to delve deeper into the nuances of drapery design to help listeners avoid common pitfalls and embrace timeless elegance.

Corey (29:02): "Next week, we're going to get into our favorite pleat styles... share all of those inside scoops with you."

Notable Quotes

• Corey (02:06): "It's like dressing the home because it's just been a big construction project... it's a symphony of things happening."
• Alice (03:11): "It's like Christmas morning every single day on an install."
• Alice (10:46): "A valance feels like you're just pinning up a scarf over your windows. There’s no structure to it."
• Corey (30:25): "A sheer is all I want. It looks like a wedding veil."
• Corey (37:18): "Cafe curtains... letting light come in the windows, but you've got the drapery right where you would maybe be undressing to get in the tub."

Conclusion

In "Drapery 101: Our Guide to Your Best Choice," Alice and Corey leverage their vast experience to provide listeners with valuable insights into selecting and implementing drapery solutions that are both beautiful and practical. By addressing common questions and offering professional advice, they empower homeowners and designers to make informed decisions that elevate the aesthetic and functionality of any space.

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For more interior design tips and inspiration, follow Alice Lane Interior Design on Instagram at @alancelanehome and @alancelaneinteriors. Stay tuned for the next episode, where Alice and Corey will explore pleat styles and further unravel the complexities of drapery design.

Transcript

[Alice]

Welcome to Dear Alice, a lifestyle approach to interior design.

[Corey]

Hi, guys. Welcome to Dear Alice. We're so happy to be here today. Right.

[Suzanne]

I really am. This is like my break in my week.

[Corey]

Yeah.

[Suzanne]

I'm not like ferociously like typing emails and skating around a warehouse. I brought my skateboard to the warehouse and I've just been. Yeah, it's 80,000 square feet.

[Alice]

Yeah.

[Suzanne]

So I'm just. Yeah. Whenever I need something, just skate around, you know, find someone should get some.

[Alice]

Video footage of that. That's really fun.

[Suzanne]

We'll do a video and be like, let me, let me show you some of our inventory. Let's skate around. Yeah, I'll do a couple tricks.

[Alice]

You want to see the Brooklyn, come with me.

[Corey]

Corey gives people rides. Get on my back.

[Suzanne]

Let's go, piggy.

[Corey]

So fun. Well, you guys, thank you so much for following us along. I was gonna say, if you're not following us on Instagram and you wanna see what we're up to, the name of our company is actually Alice Lane. Some people don't know that if they're just tuning in and they think that we're called Dear Alice, but that's just.

[Alice]

A. I think her name's Alice.

[Corey]

That's just a fun, quippy name for the podcast. But we're actually Alice Lane Home on Instagram and Alice Lane Interiors on Instagram. If you wanna follow along the big beautiful builds and remodels that Suzanne hall and team are up right now.

[Alice]

We're doing so many good things right now.

[Corey]

So many good things.

[Alice]

Like 2025 is the year of installs.

[Corey]

It's install season.

[Alice]

Yes.

[Corey]

It's beginning.

[Alice]

Yeah. Which I will say, like in the design, like spectrum. Right. You have like initial design and schematics and then you're like getting to all the designs of all the rooms and then you're project managing the whole thing while it's being built and then in furniture and all those things. And then you get to install season. And it could last, like, depending on the size of the house, anywhere from like two to four, sometimes five years before you see the fruits of your labor. And so like, it's going to be a good year. So definitely follow along to Alice Lane Interiors.

[Corey]

Yes.

[Alice]

Really, it's going to be really beautiful. Try and get a lot of behind the scenes so you can see how the sausage is made.

[Corey]

Well, also, like, the install means that you finally get to dress the home because it's just been a big construction project, finally clean and then it's just this big, beautifully designed Empty house. And then here you add in the sole and the layers, and you start to tell the story of the people that live there. And that process, I think, of dressing the home is like sacred magic. I love it so much. And when you leave every night, I mean, you're so sore because you've taken 50,000 steps and you've literally moved somebody else's family into their home and made it look perfect. But every morning, you wake up renewed again, and you're so excited to see the fruits of your labor from the day before. And you make massive moves. Like, drapery installers are coming, and it's a symphony of things happening. So definitely follow along. Alice Lane Interiors, because have five installs this year, which is a lot on homes that take about three, four, five years to build, to have them all land in this small time frame.

[Alice]

Yeah. And it's also fun because, like, when you designed it, you started doing these designs again 3, 4, 5 years ago to see, like, how relevant they are now. And we always talk about timeless interiors and, like, things are always moving. We go from light woods to dark woods and this. Right. And so it's fun to just see that, like, when you're designing for a human and for the client, how that just, like, lasts the test of times and it's just as good today. And that you're so. It's like Christmas morning every single day on an install.

[Suzanne]

Are there details that you like that slip your mind? And then when you're like. And then you're like, oh, my gosh, I forgot about that.

[Alice]

I'm just like. That was so brilliant.

[Suzanne]

It's like five fifty Christmases. That's insane.

[Alice]

It is. No, you're just like, that counter detail, like, snaps, man. It's so good. So I cannot wait to see all the things I've forgotten because some of them have been so long or just the slabs that we picked out three or four years ago, like, to see them installed, like, it's Matt. It's really. It's so gratifying. It is. Why do the work we do.

[Corey]

Yeah.

[Alice]

This year?

[Corey]

So you can experience that install well and get to know the people and then connect the. The finished home with them and. And then getting to see them. Oh, gosh.

[Alice]

You're so happy for them because it's like. I mean, anyone that's built or remodeled, you know, it's a painful process, and it's just decision making, and you're. You're, like, hemorrhaging money, and you are just, like. You're so tired, and you just want to feel home. And so I'm just so happy that these people finally get to feel like they're not, like, floating around in space and they get to, like, live in their house and, like, raise their children, and it's. It's so beautiful.

[Corey]

I don't. This is probably a bad comparison, but it's a little bit like when a baby is born, you know, like, you've been working, you're pregnant with this thing for years, and you finally, like, install is pushing this baby out and getting.

[Alice]

Period.

[Corey]

Yeah. And then you. And then you get to live in it, or you get. You get to bring the baby home and you got to live with it. Right. And you got to normalize it and just have all of these great moments in real life with it. So it's a really cool, special thing to get to be a part of. And anyway, I think there's so much learning and those of you making big decisions right now in your own homes or trying to gear up for what's next, maybe you're going to remodel a room or I don't know where you are in your journey, or maybe you're an interior designer, taking people through this. We just, like, need this collective book club where we can all come and share our learnings. And dear Alice, is that for us. And so we're happy that you're here at the table with us to get to just be a part of the experience and the learning and taking off the gates on what we're learning in today's episode, actually, it's about drapery. And this came from two questions that have come in recently that listeners have had about drapery. And I want to say we were like, yes, we have to talk about this. We need to answer these questions because drapery is one of those things that you do at the end of a project, and you're feeling pretty raked over the coals financially because you've just really committed to a lot. Right. And things are always a little over budget, especially this post. Covid time that we're in, things have just not been normal for a while and probably especially when you started the project versus now at the end. And so making window treatment decisions are expensive, and you do want to get it right. And so we want to just share as much as we know. And in sitting down and combing through this topic for the last several weeks of what to share, we said, let's do this in two parts. Let's answer the questions that are ahead of us. But then let's also do a second episode on everything that we have to talk about with drapery, because it goes way beyond what is in these questions. So we actually recorded an episode Sept. 16, 2021, on Drapery. What was it called again?

[Suzanne]

Drapery. The Next level.

[Corey]

Yes.

[Alice]

Nice.

[Corey]

Yes.

[Alice]

That's a good sign.

[Suzanne]

We were good back then, so you.

[Corey]

Can go back and listen to that. But we're hoping to give you a more information about drapery and. And then also answer today's questions in this episode. Next week, we'll. We'll give you all of the unfiltered information we can on drapery just to help, you know, what we're doing on our projects, to learn from any mistakes we've had to even know, like, what pleat style to use, what not to do. Oh, my gosh. Is. And we're just going to try and keep you from any pitfalls when you're making those drapery decisions.

[Alice]

And I think the fun thing about having done this for as long as we've done this is that we know what, like, consistently works. Like, I can go back and be like, I like that, but I still like this better. So that is, like, my number one advice, and that's what we're using this as, is to tell you, like, our rules for why things work. Just so that when you do it once. Because, again, you're not gonna be doing window treatments every year. Right. Like, they're expensive. You're gonna do them once. Do it right. So hopefully this helps.

[Corey]

So, yeah, for sure. And we've been at this. Alice lane has turned 17 this year. And even before that, it is a cute little single.

[Alice]

That's cute. I know. But I've been driving.

[Corey]

Driving. Yeah.

[Alice]

Kissing boys for a year. And then.

[Corey]

Yeah. So. And then even before that, we did this in. In different ways before we formed Alice Lane. So it's about 20 years or more of experience we have. This is a lot of decades. A lot of styles come and go, and we want to just pay the very best information that would spanned decades when it comes to drapery.

[Alice]

Yeah. Do you guys want to know something fun before we get into it? I just, like, as I was preparing for this, I just googled a couple things. Just, like, I'm just like. I wonder what people are saying, like, what's industry standard? What are the videos that are available to give people advice? It was so rough. So rough. I'm like. I'm like. I feel like, you know, when they have, like, those, you know, like, you know, red carpet Critics and stuff. I'm like, I feel like I should do that or window treatments and be like, no, that's the next episode. Bad. Don't even like. Yeah, anyway, because like full on videos, like, of what not to do, and I'm just like, I want to stamp them. Yeah, y'all shouldn't be watching those things. So.

[Suzanne]

Yeah, that's the problem with the Internet is just like, everyone has opinions and unfortunately, some of them aren't great. And you can just throw it out there like you're the professional. And I mean, that's in every industry, I think. So, yeah, that's the Internet for you, like everyone.

[Alice]

That's why we're doing this.

[Corey]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Alice]

So my son, you know, son, not everything on YouTube's real. Yeah, yeah, exactly. Aliens did not land on our backyard yesterday.

[Corey]

So. Okay.

[Alice]

Anyway. Yes to our questions. Let's get into it.

[Corey]

Yes.

[Alice]

Okay. So the first question is from Rowan. Thank you for sending questions in, by the way.

[Suzanne]

Cool name. Also.

[Alice]

Yeah. Rowan asks our balances dated. Can we dig into those? You didn't cover that nuance in the drapery episode. Rowan. I'm really excited about this question because as we like in 2025, we have. We started filming this in 2024 of just like the, I don't know, this tidal wave of tradition coming back. And which is so funny to say that traditional is back. But we're seeing more layers. And especially like with draperies, we're seeing that now every client is going to like, want to do like layers and layers of goopy Gobi window treatments. But a valance to me, we're going to show you what this is. It's actually. It's fabric that's usually just like stretched from like the total width of a window. And it's a soft covering. So this is showing one with like, that just is holding up. You can see it on the screen right now if you're looking. Watching on YouTube or Spotify. But you can see that it's just. It's more of a soft covering that just like covers the mechanics of, you know, what would be a rod or what would be the function of whatever is drawing the curtains back and forth. It's something soft. It's not like. And we're going to go into a cornice boxes. But valances, I think they're nice, but I do think I. I'm never using them.

[Corey]

No, we've never used a balance.

[Alice]

I'm like, if I'm going to do something like this, like a collar over my window treatment. And even, like in school, 20 years ago, I'm like, I still would have been more drawn to what we're going to define as a cornice box or a pelmet box, which is a more hard covering that's going to be more decorative. You can do some really, really cool things. The image we have up right now showing this kind of, like, keyed cornice box, and I like the structure that it offers. And you do see this in a lot of traditional magazines and shelters. And it's a really. It's a cool look. And you can get a lot of really interesting profiles. You can chase them with tapes. And this is usually what's housing the draperies and panels that are falling behind it. So to just do a valance feels like you're just like pinning up a scarf over your windows. In my mind, I'm like, there's no structure to it. And, like, for, you know, the homes that we continually love, we're just not going to be using a valance. We would do a cornice box. And to that, like, the thing that we do the very, very most, we'll get into and show you a lot of images of is Roman shades. So, yeah.

[Corey]

And I think a cornice box, if you think about the construction of it, those of you that are just listening, your drapery workroom, I don't think that very many people would take this on themselves. You're not finding this on Amazon. This is a custom treatment. To do a cornice box, Your drapery workroom is going to probably use a CNC machine. They're going to route out this shape in wood. They're going to build the box, and then they're going to use some sort of batting to make it soft. And then they're going to upholster the box, and then this is going to fit over the top of the window and probably go up to the ceiling. And then your drapery is going to live underneath the box. So it's a very formal, traditional treatment, like Suze is talking about. There's also. I'm going to hold up this last cornice image. This is not our work, but just to sort of familiarize yourself with this. This is a cornice box with no drapery under it, but it's still giving shape and form.

[Alice]

Really cool.

[Corey]

Some formality to it.

[Alice]

Architecture, too. Like, if you have a really boring room, this is a way to add some profile and shape to the space, you know, and add interest. And I really actually love this example. Yeah, a lot. Yeah. We're going to be doing a home in The Midwest for an influencer that we just love, love, love.

[Corey]

Yeah.

[Alice]

And she's all things traditional and, like, she loves tape. She loves trim. She loves, like, gimps and garlands. All the things.

[Corey]

Upholstered walls, trims.

[Alice]

And Gracie. All the things. And so if you are that person, if all those words resonated, you're going to love a cordis box. And we're going to do one on her big landing, and it's going to shape the window so beautifully and just add a lot of interest to what would be a square landing. So it is a really cool trick to do and a fun way to start playing with fabrics and layering and patterns and all. All the things.

[Corey]

That being said, let's talk about cornice boxes for a minute. Is this the first time we've done a cornice box in 17 years? Is Alice Lane probably? Yeah, I think so, too. So what I want to say is it's not common. We don't do it a lot, you know, if you're attracted to it, like sue said, and if it's for you. But the norm is that, like, probably most of you might not even have heard what a cornice box is, or maybe you have, because you love design, but you don't get to see a lot of people installing it. So it is really fun. Big move. It's a real moment. And I think. I think some people should really try it.

[Alice]

You should lean in. There's so many cool examples online, and.

[Corey]

I think you're going to get so much credit for it because nobody else is doing it.

[Alice]

You are. And it just, like, adds in. And honestly, I'm like, I. I would do one.

[Corey]

Yeah.

[Alice]

And you can do them in, like, really modern ways, whether you're really traditional and scoopy and swirly or if you are a little bit more clean. I thought those were both some really good examples of ones that, like, still felt like they would get along with whatever your style is, but add a lot of interest.

[Corey]

I love this one.

[Alice]

Isn't that I'm like, that completely feels like you. I love that. That keyed thing. It's so good how it just chases the geometry.

[Corey]

You have to have a silhouette if you're going to be doing a cornice. So whether you're keyed or rather like, you're swoopy, like, what sue said, these have personalities, and so you have to kind of decide what you're going to be.

[Alice]

Yeah, I would. I don't think I would ever do just, like, a straight box cornice box that, like, is so boring and sad. To me, Ye. Soft sadness is what that is.

[Corey]

Soft. Soft sadness is the balance. The balance is soft sadness.

[Alice]

That's at least taught. Soft sadness at least.

[Corey]

I'm going to go back to this again. This is this. This is the balance.

[Alice]

This reminds me of, like, the calico corners.

[Corey]

Yeah.

[Alice]

Anyway.

[Corey]

Oh, thanks for asking. It was a. Was it a fabric. A fabric shop showroom or night in 1987.

[Alice]

You know what? Pro grandma, we had balances 100. My grandma had valances 100. Because it is something that you could do a DIY thing. And, like. And. And they're cute whatevers, you know, like, you could actually, like, string them onto a curtain rod, which they would do a dention rod, and you'd have. I think my mom still has some. Mom, you still have some, like, lace scalped valances.

[Corey]

I'm pretty sure Susan's clowning on you, Provo. Grandma, I love you, but we should.

[Alice]

Redo your pinto treatments anyway. But.

[Suzanne]

Yeah, so every. If you're gonna do a cornice box, you're treating every window in that room the same, or what's the rule on that?

[Alice]

That's a great question. I would. I would think, like, for the example that we're doing in this. This home that, like, really loves tradition, it is a singled out. She actually would do them on every window. But this particular big one is a singled out. Like, big window on the landing. So it's more of a feature.

[Corey]

She has such a grand staircase, and it's really wide, and you come down to this huge landing with a massive window on it, and then the day.

[Alice]

Bed and go down, like, on the landing.

[Corey]

Yeah. There's enough room for a day bed and for. And for wheelchair access. There'd be room for both.

[Suzanne]

Okay.

[Corey]

Yeah. It's a big landing.

[Alice]

So I don't think I would do it, like, unless I lived in the White House, maybe. But yeah, I would just do, like, more like key feature windows. I want to add architecture to.

[Corey]

You would do a cornice box in your boy's bedroom. I know you totally.

[Alice]

I would, actually.

[Corey]

But not a balance. You want to do a balance? Yeah. So, okay, so let's get back to Rowan's question, which is our valances day. The answer is yes. And then he asks, or she asks, can we dig into those? You don't cover that in the nuance in the drapery episode. Okay, so, Rowan, we would not do a valance. We would do a cornice. If we were going to do something that's architectural.

[Alice]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Corey]

Or we would do a Roman.

[Alice]

Exactly.

[Corey]

Yeah.

[Alice]

So, and this is kind of goes to the thing of just, like, having something that can drop down, like a valance, but it would be more functional. We even do a lot of stationary. Beautiful Romans. But at least it feels like there's fullness and can actually operate to cover up the whole window. That valance, like, I know that you're just a scarf. You know, a cornice box at least feels architectural, but a valance just looks like a scarf to me. And so. But a Roman is such a beaut. I love a Roman. We do them in every house that we work on, and I love them. Most of the time, we're doing inside mount Roman. And so that means that you have a Roman shade that can, like, drop down. You know, most of the time, there's.

[Suzanne]

Technical inside of the window box.

[Alice]

Inside the window box. Sometimes we will do, you know, if we want to, like, say it's a really short window and we want to lengthen or, like, heighten the whole above. I'll mount it, like, above to the ceiling and then just have it, like, just graze the sides of that. The outside of the window box on the sides. But they're just. They're so beautiful. And it just. It adds such a layer. Or you can say it's like eyeshadow.

[Suzanne]

Yeah. Can you define, like, what a Roman is? Yeah, just for those people that. That. That don't know.

[Corey]

Yeah.

[Alice]

A Roman shade. And you'll see lots of different ones that are more, like, straight, more that relaxed. A Roman shade is what usually will sit inside that window box, you know, on each end. And when you lower them, it covers up the whole window to give you full privacy.

[Corey]

It's a soft covering that is fabric. And so generally, it's going to be opaque, and it will be lined, and it will provide privacy for you, but it is soft. And sometimes there's a tape around the edge that makes it feel a little more traditional. Right. Informal. This is in Rachel Parcell's kitchen on her back door window. And hers is always pulled up because you want the light to come in, but it makes it feel finished.

[Alice]

Yeah.

[Corey]

And this one. This is in her closet. You can see that there's. There's shelving on both sides, so there wasn't room for drapery. And so we did that pink silk, and we actually kind of did a cornice box with the crown mold. And then that Roman can pull all the way up inside that rope and tucks up underneath it, underneath that crown. Or you can let it out a little bit. Seeing the drape seeing the folds of silk are really pretty, having that be pulled up and just letting natural light in. But in the case of privacy, you pull a cord and all that silk drops, and you have total privacy.

[Suzanne]

That's awesome. So in on windows where, like, not in that case, are you doing both, like, drapes and Romans?

[Alice]

No, A roman is usually done in, like, a situation where you don't, like, need. Like, if I'm in a dining nook, I'm like. And I have a lot of little kids. I'm probably not gonna do draperies just because, like, their dirty hands will get on them, and you just kind of want things tucked away. So whether it's for function of just how you use a space, whether it's for limitations of how much room you have on each side of the window.

[Corey]

Like, this is a great example. Yeah, yeah.

[Alice]

Of. Yeah. This is a pantry. We did. And this is actually. This is actually. In Rachel's house, we want to do a roman. Obviously, we can't have panels or anything, but we want to add that visual softness in a space where it's all hard surfaces. It just does everything. And I. Well, I love what you said about having it, like, drop down a little bit, because the way light interacts and comes through fibers and fabric is just so dreamy. Like, it's so, so pretty.

[Corey]

Yeah.

[Alice]

And a lot of. A lot of times, this is something that, like, we do a lot of times is that we will actually go through the house and we'll have, like, a privacy shade. So let's just dissect that really fast. A privacy shade is like a Hunter Douglas shade or a Lutron shade that, like, can completely black out a room. So you want to, like, black out the room, but you also want something soft, because that blackout at night, you'll drop it, and you won't, you know, like, it'll give you full privacy. You weren't going to want to tuck that up. And it's not really that pretty.

[Corey]

Like, it just looks like a roller shade.

[Alice]

It's just a roller shade.

[Corey]

It's opaque.

[Alice]

So oftentimes we'll pull that up, but then we'll do a decorative roman on top of that that's stationary that still has the gathered fullness that looks like it could, like, drop down and be functional, but it's just, like, it's just beautiful and it's sitting there. And, like, my eye believes that that's what's going to give the room privacy at night. But it's always going to.

[Corey]

Let me. Let me Say this too, because I have a Roman in my primary bathroom that sits between the two vanities where we get ready. And then there's a little sit down vanity for me to do my makeup with a huge window there. Not huge, just a normal window there. And I have a Roman shade and it's all properly folded and it's pushed up in the perfect spot. If I made that function every day, up, down, up, down, up, down. I'd be constantly fixing those folds, constantly futzing with it, and I might just always leave it down because I need the privacy. So instead. So instead I got a little Hunter Douglas roller shade that looks like raw silk and I just pull that up and down. It's chain driven every morning and night. And I just leave my Roman perfectly in position with all the folds just how I like them. So I'm not futzing with all this fabric.

[Suzanne]

Y.

[Corey]

So it's just, it's impractical and it would take more time. And a Hunter Douglas roller shade, a vinyl roller shade isn't very expensive. So we oftentimes will have a functioning privacy shade behind the Roman if it's in an area where you're going to be using it. Daily, Multiple times a day.

[Alice]

Yeah. Bedrooms, bathrooms.

[Corey]

Huh.

[Alice]

So, yeah, makes sense.

[Corey]

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[Alice]

We do. And often it's just. That's a functional thing. Again, when you have, like, wet zones or things where it just doesn't make sense, like, to have like this. Like, really, if you don't use the bath, go for it. Have some draperies, but oftentimes it's just. It's humid. And this just feels a little bit more tucked up and tidy, but still adds softness to a space.

[Corey]

Yeah, so, yeah, totally. Also kids rooms. Right. This is a boys room. So sometimes boys rooms, you don't necessarily need all the fullness of a prom.

[Alice]

Dress on the wall, you know?

[Corey]

Yeah, totally. So this is, is. This is a project in Washington, D.C. yeah. And this is a boys room.

[Alice]

Just, it feels tailored and just like tucked away. Like a really great suit.

[Corey]

Kind of preppy, too. Which is. Which is a thing. And traditional. Yeah. Like an ascot for the room. There you go.

[Alice]

I love it.

[Corey]

Yeah. And then just one more, like if.

[Alice]

You would imagine for a second that room without the Roman, like, still cute. But there's something that happens when you do, like, go to the efforts of doing your window treatments. Like, it changes them. Like, it's. Yeah. Like the designer once has said, like, it's like the mascara for the room. Like the window treatments. It's just like that final layer and you're just like, finally, because the windows.

[Corey]

Are like the eyes, you know, in that room and they're letting light in, and then you just are adding that final coat of mascara. It's also very much should be driven by function. I think you can see in this last example that we're showing, there's a dresser that sits inside of a pocket. And you couldn't really do drapery here. The dresser would be sitting. It would just be too tight for the drapery to do its thing. So a Roman above this dress dresser was a really good and practical solution. And adding that tape made it also feel kind of preppy and just tailored. Yeah. Defined. Yeah.

[Alice]

Yeah.

[Corey]

So we do love a tape on a Roman. Yeah.

[Alice]

Yeah. Most. Most often that's what we do do we'll add some type of trim. And really, like, in the era of tradition and, like, that kind of movement moving forward, we're doing more trims, we're doing more fringes, like little eyelashes and things like that. So I'm excited for you to see some of the stuff that we will be showing you in the next, like, year or so.

[Corey]

Yeah.

[Alice]

Of installs, because we are getting a little bit more decorated on our window, which is fun.

[Corey]

Definitely more colorful. Yeah. Tune into Alice Lane Interiors to see some of those examples. So to answer Rowan's question about our valances. Dated. And we said yes. And can we dig into those? We would say, Rowan, consider the Roman shade. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Alice]

We don't know the.

[Corey]

That's what we would do. Instead of the valance, you're gonna get a full treatment that way. And the valance is, like, the start of something, but it is never really completely a finished window treatment.

[Alice]

Yeah. It just does look unfinished.

[Corey]

Yeah. And dated. I just don't think anybody's done the balance. Yeah.

[Suzanne]

Where are people going to get them? Like, is that a Roman.

[Corey]

Very good question. So we. I mean, we're always going to use a drapery workroom, but it's because we do this professionally, and we have drapery workrooms on speed dial. We've got relationships out of state. We're forming those relationships. And here's the thing. If you're using a workroom, they're coming to the house, they're doing the measurements, you're showing them what you want, but they're going to know. So, like, for instance, Suzanne was showing the drapery workroom. This is the amount of fullness I want on my drape. And he's like, oh, you like five times a width. It used to be in the old days that you. Two times the width of the window or two and a half times, or three times at the most, the width of the window for the drapery fullness. So let's just say that your window's 60 inches. So you're going to two times that, which is 120 inches of fabric, or three times, which is 180 inches of fabric. Suzanne likes five times the amount. So you're doing 300. It's a ton. It's a ton of fabric. The look is a 10 out of 10. It is expensive, but usually, in fact, we were just plucking through old portfolio images, and we were like, that fullness isn't good. We're not going to hold that up. We're not going to talk about that in 2025, with all the knowledge that we've gained, we want to give you guys the very best advice. And it's don't do two times with my. The drapery in the back of my house in my great room isn't enough width, But I made that decision 10 years ago. I also made that decision with my pocketbook in mind. I should have not done drapery until I wanted to invest in five times the width of my windows.

[Suzanne]

Yeah, it does look when they're drawn. It just does look better with dimension.

[Alice]

And the eyes believe that when those, like, are drawn, even if you never draw them, say you have privacy states you never draw. My eye wants to believe that you could draw those and they would still just be, like, so full and lovely. Yeah. But they wouldn't feel like a flat sheet.

[Corey]

You'd still have all your pleats doing their thing. There's still a lot of fullness. You're still getting that beautiful, beautiful, full look. Yeah.

[Suzanne]

It is a bummer when you draw them and they're like, also, it's a.

[Corey]

Ton of rings up top. It's just like the full prom dress moment that you want in your drapes. So, yeah, I would say at a minimum, do three times. Right. Like three to five for a really professional look.

[Alice]

Yeah. And your window, people will be like, are you sure they will say that? Because they always ask me. They're like, are you sure? And I say, I'm sure.

[Suzanne]

That's when you know you're doing it right.

[Alice]

I'm positive. Like, I'm just. I like it full. And take them a picture. Take a picture of something that you find successful and say, this is what I want. That's the fullness. Like, what is that? But, like, use those terminal. Like, use. Like, is it two times, five times? Like, what. What am I? And allow yourself to learn that lesson with them so that you're really clear and they're really clear on what you want that to look like at the end of the day.

[Corey]

Yes. So great. And we're going to get into. In the next episode, we're going to get into our favorite pleat styles, because these things matter. They also really date your draperies. And we just want you to do the right pleat that will look good. For all the decades we've been in business, we would never regret this. So tune into that. But right now, we're just answering the questions at hand. So to Rowan, we're going to say, you're going to just do a really beautiful Roman instead of A Valentine box if you're ridiculous.

[Alice]

Rowan.

[Corey]

Yes. Totally.

[Alice]

Could be fun.

[Corey]

Second question is from listener Chris, and they ask, what type of window coverings should we install to let light in, but hide or at least soften the view?

[Alice]

Great question, Chris. Okay, so our. I will say that this is something that we do at least in one. A portion of every house that we work on just because of the amount of light that it does let in. It's a normal panel, but we do shears.

[Corey]

Yes.

[Alice]

I love a share. Jess loves a shear.

[Corey]

I love a sheer. It's all I want.

[Alice]

It's like a music video, and then the wind hits it, and then you're just like. You can hear the music. You smell the.

[Suzanne]

That is a slim. That's a sling Dion music video.

[Alice]

Yeah.

[Corey]

Yes. Yeah, yeah. It's just a wedding veil of a thing. And these hang so beautifully. And you want the windows to be open and drifty and, like, a really good smell. And you're like, my work here is done. Right?

[Suzanne]

Yeah.

[Corey]

Yeah.

[Alice]

And you're not covering any of, like, again, all that. All that hard work you paid for for, like, the window casings and those expensive windows. And, like, a sheer is so beautiful and will say a sheer on anything. A sheer on a panel. We do all the time. A sheer Roman. We didn't even talk about that.

[Corey]

You stop. You stop it.

[Suzanne]

Rewind.

[Alice]

The cutest.

[Corey]

The sheer Roman is. Well, you know how sheer right now, fashion is everything. Like, girls are wearing sheer skirts and sheer dresses or sheer jackets, or it's.

[Alice]

How about. I love it.

[Corey]

Yeah. How about the sheer ballet flat? Right. Have you seen that?

[Suzanne]

I have.

[Corey]

So cute. Anyway, the sheer roman is just, like, the most ridiculous of treatments because you're like, why even have it? Like, people that are super practical be like, what is this? But those of you that have done.

[Alice]

It, if you know, you know, nothing.

[Corey]

Is sexier on a window than that sheer Roman.

[Suzanne]

Oh, I thought you were going to say on a woman. I was about to say yes, but.

[Corey]

Yeah, I mean, we're interior designers, so to us, it's like sheer. The sheer Roman. And I even think overmount on the sheer Roman.

[Alice]

You kind of want that, too. Because, like, I just wanted, like, why.

[Corey]

Do we not have an example of this to share?

[Alice]

You know what?

[Corey]

I'm so mad.

[Alice]

We might. Sorry, guys.

[Corey]

Google it. Because it just. Just. The coolest of cool people will do it. And have we done it?

[Suzanne]

An overmount?

[Alice]

We do. We do have one. I'm gonna put it on here.

[Corey]

Okay.

[Alice]

Yeah, yeah. I'll show you.

[Corey]

Okay. Sheer drapery. Okay. So, Chris, we're answering your question, and we're telling you if you do a sheer, it's gonna let that light in, but it's gonna hide or soften the view, and you're gonna feel like a rock star for living in that house. So, so pretty. Here is sheers stacked around a bathtub, and the fullness is so full that those drapery folds are what give. Is what giving you privacy. Even though the fabric is kind of semi transparent here, it's really open weave, and the full look, it just looks finished. Even though everything's white and serene, there's just this full, full amount of fabric that's semi transparent. And I love this. This is our St. John's project in Dallas.

[Alice]

It's so, so beautiful.

[Corey]

Yeah.

[Alice]

This is the fun thing. When we are doing panels and we'll get into this on episode two, it's a lot of. It's going to sit outside the window, so you have, like, your actual window casing. You're not. One of the videos I saw on YouTube, she, like, measured the width of the window, and I'm like, damnass. Like, you can't do that. You have to go beyond. And you really are stacking the majority of that, like, five times. Stack outside of your window, and then just have a peekaboo of it kind of like coming in, like, six inches into the window. And a sheer gives you the credit because you start to feel that light. And then you can kind like, in the St. John's you can kind of play with with it and just get to your desired, like, spot where you want it to hit and then still feel that fullness that is extending beyond the frame of that window.

[Corey]

Yes. Okay. There are also pattern shears. Oh, yes. I, in general, am not a super pattern person.

[Alice]

No, you're not.

[Corey]

I know. I mostly. Cause I don't wear a pattern, like, I don't look good in them. They just hijack everything. And I feel like a clown. And there's so much happening. Then, like, just wear solid stress and calm down. You'll think clearer thoughts. You know, it's just. It's too much. But I do like it for other people and other personalities and this little bit of pattern in a sheer. I mean, just stop it some more. I know.

[Alice]

This is our lover's Lane office. This was her office. And it was so cute because you had, like, the. I don't know, the crispness of that lined ceiling with that. That crisp line. And then we just. And it was her office. So we're just like. We should do something more romantic and just like, something that feels like her.

[Corey]

Her personality.

[Alice]

And it's like adding a pattern on pattern, but it's a lot more softer if you're more textural. This is a way to do that.

[Corey]

Yeah. So, so good.

[Alice]

Chris, I can't wait to hear what your spirit animal of the shear is.

[Corey]

Yes. One last shear here I want to show you. This is in a primary bathroom.

[Alice]

Barbie Dream House.

[Corey]

In the Barbie Dream House. And we have so much fullness here. These are always drawn.

[Alice]

Always.

[Corey]

And it lets all the light in, but gives her the privacy because it's a primary bathroom and the whole room is draped in shears.

[Alice]

And it glows.

[Corey]

Shut up.

[Alice]

It just, like, feels like it's glowing when you walk in there. It's amazing.

[Suzanne]

Is it literally, like, all of the walls.

[Alice]

Walls in the bedroom?

[Corey]

This is the magic trick of an interior designer, is the sheer. It's the smoke and mirrors moment. Like, can you feel that in that photo?

[Suzanne]

Yeah.

[Corey]

You have mirrors mounted over the top, and you have all these drapery folds lining the entire walls of this.

[Suzanne]

That's so cool.

[Alice]

Pretty.

[Corey]

Yeah, it's just foxy. Yeah.

[Alice]

So pretty.

[Corey]

So pretty. Okay. Other things that you can do with sheers to let light in is sometimes. And this gets pretty traditional, I have to say.

[Alice]

This client was traditional, and she was older, and so she knew.

[Corey]

Yeah.

[Alice]

She was getting into.

[Corey]

It's like, super old. Just kidding. I'm joking. So this is shears, sheer drapery. And then you have an overmount drapery, which is solid.

[Alice]

Yeah.

[Corey]

What do you want to call it?

[Alice]

Yeah, it's still woven, so it wasn't, like, completely, like, heavy. Heavy, but probably did, you know, she probably did have some blackout. This was a project we did probably five, six years ago, and she probably did have blackout because she would draw these with the old baton, you know, so. But the shears is something that she could have open if, like, sun was coming in. It was too harsh. She could just, like, close the shears during the day but still let light in. But then at night, she could romantically whisk with the baton. Those draperies closed.

[Corey]

Yeah.

[Alice]

Go, Rachel.

[Corey]

You've got double rods. You've got a lot of hardware, so much fabric. And also, you've got to just really love just working the room with the draperies.

[Alice]

Work the room, work the baton.

[Corey]

You do? Yeah, totally. And I think this is something that is more kind of a lost art, I think, with tradition coming back in. If you Got yourself a big fat budget. Maybe you want to do double drapes like this. We generally don't do two drapes, but this is something.

[Alice]

It was fun to do it when we got to do it.

[Corey]

Yeah, it is fun. It is fun to get to do it. And you get it. You do get to control, like you said, light. And it was in this room that.

[Alice]

We did like on this other little window, we did do a sheer Roman with that sheer.

[Corey]

Yeah, you did.

[Alice]

And that. There's like, a little sheer slip cover right there. So again, you go. Rachel.

[Corey]

Yeah, you go. So pretty.

[Alice]

So pretty.

[Corey]

We'll have to include more images. Yeah. Another way to answer your question, Chris, of what type of window covering would let light in but hide or soften the view is the cafe curtain.

[Alice]

I love the cafe curtain.

[Corey]

I do, too. Let's just. Let's just define what that is. Those of you watching, we're holding up here. This is Rachel Parcel's primary bedroom bathroom. Excuse me. And this is letting light come in the windows, but then you've got the drapery right where you would maybe be undressing to get in the tub or where you're standing and getting ready. And you can just open these up or shut them. So it's like a short drape hung at a height that is. This was at a nice break in the windows. And I think this look is so pretty and traditional.

[Alice]

I feel very European about this.

[Corey]

I do, too.

[Alice]

Yeah. I think it's so beautiful. I like this, too, because over a bathtub. You know how we just said that we love to do a Roman over a bathtub? I totally do, but I like this probably even more so over a bathtub just because you're not blocking your view. So, like, you can lay in the tub and you can see what the weather's doing. You can see the clouds and the green on the trees and just, like, have clarity but still have privacy.

[Corey]

Yeah.

[Alice]

With a Roman, it's dropping, you know, from top down. You're covering up the whole thing when you need privacy. So therefore, you're not getting to see any of your window. Window view, except. Oh, this is another. Okay. Yeah, this is another cafe curtain, also over a tub. It's just. It's so darling. This is from our Manchester house. And again, everything in this house was, like, based out of the uk and so it's such a good. It's such a good treatment. And at the right height again. And you said. I like the way you said that. It's a long one of those, like, Window grids, lines. So you're lining it up with something. So don't just like haphazardly, just hang it up there. Be methodical about it.

[Suzanne]

I was gonna ask that if they don't have grids, they want to do a cafe curtain. Where are they doing it?

[Alice]

I would do depending on the height of the window. Like, let's see. On a lot of these, like, a lot of them are split. You leave like a third or two thirds. I love things in thirds.

[Suzanne]

This is like a third.

[Corey]

This is a double hung.

[Alice]

Yeah.

[Corey]

Let me show them this. This is a powder bath in the Washington, D.C. capital Heights project. And this is a double hung window. You can see there's three panels there. And so they chose the top line as their break to hang their rod and then the cafe rod. And you could see any guest could go in here.

[Suzanne]

Inside of the inside mount.

[Corey]

Yeah. And anybody would be comfortable going in and using this bathroom. Because even though that top part is probably hanging out in that 8 foot, 7 foot level, most people are 6ft and under. So you might see the top of their head. Yeah, yeah. Unless you have a super tall pervert in the neighborhood that's looking like.

[Alice]

Looking in your window.

[Corey]

Like one of those basketball players from the Wizards is outside looking in. Then he could see you going to the bathroom. Yeah, yeah, perhaps so. So that is like with the. With the window grids.

[Suzanne]

I like the inside of the windowsill too. Yeah. Super cool.

[Alice]

You can use. I mean, there's like fancier almost tension rods, you know, that you can like sandwich between those. Keep it nice.

[Corey]

This is like a tension rod inside mount. This is tiger oak. This is a patterned Roman. And I actually love this pattern.

[Alice]

And we did this above the tub. And we also did it because there. We should post it above their sink. We put the sink in front of the window because we're like, really? When you're brushing your teeth, you don't need to actually look into a mirror. Like, I'd rather look outside. And we did a little cafe curtain right above the sink. And it's so cute.

[Corey]

So cute. And then you know what they did that was so smart? They put mirrors on the walls next to that with no sink. So actually, when you're getting ready, you don't have to put your curling iron in the sink.

[Suzanne]

That is such a good idea.

[Corey]

It was genius.

[Alice]

Needs to be watching themselves while they brush their teeth. They. Yeah.

[Corey]

And nothing happens. Also, you don't need to pay for two sinks. Just pay for one. Y'all brush your teeth in front of that window. Enjoy it. And then you don't really need a sink otherwise. You just need a lot of counter space.

[Alice]

Okay. This isn't in that episode.

[Suzanne]

And to be close to a mirror, I don't want to be two and a half feet away from a mirror.

[Alice]

No. And I'd be getting wet all over your, like, crisp shirt that you just got dragged.

[Suzanne]

Oh, it happens all the damn time, right?

[Alice]

All the damn time. Every single day.

[Corey]

Definitely. Another thing besides. Besides the cafe curtain. Sorry. One last honorable mention. Is this one in a kitchen? We love a cafe curtain in a kitchen.

[Alice]

Also, Manchester. You guys, this is so cute.

[Corey]

You just lean forward and just open that little thing, but otherwise, you're letting light in. You're blocking the ugly driveway or whatever's out there. So you're softening that view like you wanted to know, Chris.

[Alice]

So we just added a little petticoat to the house, and, like, there's nothing cuter.

[Corey]

Yes. The other option would be from. This is a drapery workroom. But I know Hunter Douglas has another option, and it's called top down, bottom up, which is when it's kind of like a reverse roman, when the fabric's on the bottom, and then you can draw it upside down up to the top of the window. Or you can draw it down so that you can see out while you're in the tub, but nobody can see you naked from. From the neck down.

[Alice]

Yeah. So, yeah, it can be almost act almost like a roman if you wanted to operate it that way. Or it can just, like, operate as a cafe curtain. So this. But that, like, bar sounds in the center of. And then it can just kind of.

[Suzanne]

Like, it moves off of. Okay, that's cool.

[Alice]

Yeah. So it's great. Especially I think this is, like, this was a little. This is our Tahoe tree house. And there was a golf course just right there in, like, the middle of mountains. Beautiful. But all these golfers would, like, swing by, you know, on the trail, so.

[Corey]

She just hated it when they were looking at it.

[Alice]

Perverts.

[Corey]

Yeah.

[Alice]

Anyway, top down, bottom up.

[Corey]

That's so great. So those are some great options for you, Chris, to be able to get that privacy and let the light in. Our favorite options. I hope this helps. If you guys have any questions that you want answers to, send those in. And we will be able to dedicate an episode to giving you as much information as we can about it. Just like the straight. I just wanted to give a shout out because our very best sale just started three days ago, and that is the best sale of the whole year where it's site wide and you can get anything you need in any category, any project you're working on, it's the best time to buy. And so you guys go and just get whatever you need. Shop your hearts out. Alicelanehome.com yeah, and it's gonna run through the end of the month so it's a really good time to be able to make decisions. And I have to say if you need help, we have a free interior design service called Home furnishing Design where they are doing the furnishings. They have the entire Alice lane playbook, all 200 vendors on speed dial and they can get in and design your home. Sofas down to the inch, rugs, customize things they can work on whatever you need help with and give you the confidence to move forward. So if you need help, jump in and get that help right now so you can still get those things on sale. It's just such a fantastic time attacking the game. Yeah, it really is. It's like taking advantage of the system. It's inside baseball is what it is. Yeah, definitely. So that's@alice lanehome.com so shop that. And if you don't mind, leave us a five star review. We would love it. And Corey, how do they do that?

[Suzanne]

So you on Apple podcast, you're going to leave a review there. You go to our show page, there's Dear Alice and then and where you can read the reviews, there's a little like either blue or purple icon right above them says write a review. Click on that and fill out your review and submit it.

[Alice]

We read them. We do, yeah.

[Corey]

And we love it. So thank you so much and thanks for tuning in. And next week tune in for more about draperies, what to avoid, what to do, what we're loving. We're gonna share all of those those in that inside scoop with you on that and we'll catch you guys. Hey, thanks for listening. If you like our show, please leave a five star rating.