Using Silk for a Drapery Window Treatment

Silk offers a stunning backdrop to any room. It is an elegant, timeless look and the intensity of color you can get from silk is second to none. Silk is one of the thinnest fabrics, but is very durable. It hangs best when a drapery company uses a heavy lining or even two linings called an interlining and outer lining. Silk is very moldable which makes it desirable for puddle treatments or anything with fullness. Puddled treatments are panels that come to the floor and rest several inches onto the floor. There are various silk fibers and one of the more popular ones is called Dupioni. Silk comes as solids as well as prints and plaids. Silk is not for every customer! It has inherent wrinkles and it does not stand up to sun very well. Hence why it is strongly recommended to have a heavy lining too..so the lining serves two purposes..it helps in hanging and it helps in sun protection. If you are a person who likes things to be crisp and symmetrical, then silk may not be for you. If wrinkling bothers you, then don’t use silk, but maybe a cotton based fabric. Silk fabric is not only used for drapery panels, but also valances. A pole wrap swag on a decorative rod would look terrific with side panels hanging below. If you want a full curtain to cover the entire window, silk is fine too. But again, keep in mind that it has the wrinkly feel and unlike panels, this will stretch across the entire window.   Is silk expensive? Like any fabric, it can be. However, with silk being imported into the United States, the pricing in today’s world is very reasonable. Some companies have solid color dupioni fabrics as low as $29.99/yard. Anything below $30/yard is really a terrific value. Don’t attempt to sew silk yourself. Leave it to experts from your local neighborhood drapery company. Let the decorator help you select an appropriate fabric and discuss the ways silk may or may not work for you.