Curtain Speech

Have you ever heard an interior designer talking about draperies and wondered if he or she was speaking in a foreign tongue? Terms like “jabot,” “swag,” “goblet pleat,” “inner lining,” “tieback,” “fullness ratio,” “return,” “stack” and “puddle” are enough to make your head spin. Never fear: If you become familiar with a few of the basic terms, you’ll not only be able to understand your interior designer better, but you’ll be better equipped to articulate what you like and don’t like about window treatments.

Is there a difference between curtains and drapes? Arguably, yes. Curtains tend to be lighter and less formal, like bathroom curtains or kitchen curtains. They are also generally window length rather than full length, and are not lined.

Café curtains like these exemplify the light, airy, informal feel of curtains. A café curtain covers only a portion of a window — usually the bottom two-thirds. It is the perfect application when you want a simple treatment that allows a lot of light, and when all of the window does not need to be covered for privacy.

These, on the other hand, are drapes. Floor length, more formal, more gravitas. Drapes like these are almost always lined, and are sometimes inner lined as well. That extra lining inside the drape is often a lightweight flannel. Not only does it give the fabric a lovely “drape,” but it’s a great insulator when the panels are closed. Drapes can be operative, which means they open and close, or stationary, which mean they do not move and are decorative only.

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Curtain Speech