Dear Joe,
I've been looking at a lot of decorating magazines lately, and have seen some new draperies that are different. They do not have the usual pleating at the top but seem to have a soft corrugated look. I tried to find them in the stores, but none of the sales people seem to know what I'm talking about. Where can I buy these?
— Searching
Dear Searching,
The style of drapery that you are talking about is called 'ripple fold.' They are not really a new idea. Ripple fold draperies were popular some time ago, but fell out of favor with the return to elaborate drapery treatments. They have always been a wonderful compliment to contemporary interiors, and are still as fresh today as when they first hit the scene.
Ripple fold draperies are made by sewing a special tape to the top of each drapery panel. On the back of the tape are snaps. These are connected to special glides on a traverse rod, all specifically made for this type of treatment.
The reason that you have not been able to find them in the stores is that they are not available as ready-made draperies. They have to be custom made. The choices of fabrics that will really work for this type of treatment are somewhat limited. The fabric has to be of the right weight and fiber content in order to hang and move correctly. But when you hit on the right combination, it makes a stunning finish for a room.
Dear Joe,
I just moved into a new space. I'm going to replace my sofa and some other furniture, but this may take a while. In the mean time, I hate the color on the walls. I want to go with something in sort of light green. Should I go ahead and paint or should I wait for the new furniture?
— Bobby
Dear Bobby,
The safest bet is to wait until you have selected the new sofa and other furniture. It is far easier to match a paint color to fabric than to try to find a fabric to match the paint color. Paint can be custom mixed to whatever color you want. This is one of the secrets to a well-designed room.
Pre-painted rooms are often a challenge for me in my work. Many of my clients decide on paint colors as soon as they move into their new homes. After that, they call me in to find furniture, window treatments, and other decorating components. It can be done, but it is far more challenging to try to find fabrics to coordinate to the paint colors (even if they are neutral tones like off-white). It takes a lot more time to search out just the right shades of color. Deciding things in this order also limits the number of choices.
Find your furniture first. Using a sample swatch, you can select the color for the walls and paint the room while you are waiting for the furniture to arrive.
Dear Joe,
What are the hottest colors in decorating?
— Trendy
Dear Trendy
The biggest look this season has been light blue and dark brown. Designers are using many soothing shades of blue including ice blue and aquamarine. Rich coffee and deep chocolate brown have been the biggest choices in furniture finish and coordinating fabrics. Dark brown has become the new 'black' in interior design.
E-mail jos.riceinterios@att.net . In the subject box, fill in 'WCT Design.' Rice is an interior designer who offers full decorating services. With 23 years of experience, he specializes in 'hard-to-treat' windows. Contact Joseph Rice Interiors, Inc. (773) 271-2361