Window Speak: Choosing the Right Trim For Your Windows

Sunshine Drapery sliding glass doors window treatment

We're help you to decide on how you would like your customized draperies and window treatments to appear in your home. Today, we are talking about the many different types of trim for custom window treatments. We will separate the 10 main types of trim into two sections to explain what they are and how they are generally used in customizing drapes.

Flat Types of Trim

The flat types of trim are smooth and flat without any part of it hanging down loosely. Common types are:

Picot Braid: Characterized by the small looped or scalloped border
Flat Braid (aka galloon): Available in a variety of fibers and varying in size from 1.5-3 inches, it is characterized by a woven flat braid
Cording: Characterized by thick twisted cords that either work alone or are added as an accent to a fabric tieback
Jacquard Border: A flat, woven pattern that ranges in size from 2.5 to 6 inches

The flat types of decorative trim can be used at the top for an accent, for tie backs or for a combination of trim at the bottom and along the leading edge. The leading edge is the inside vertical edges of two drapery panels that touch each other. It gives a pop of color and texture whether the panels are closed or they are opened and hanging or when they are used with tie backs in a gentle flowing manner. They may also be used as trim that is placed horizontally on the decorating fabric drapes a few inches from the bottom, a few inches from the top or in both positions. On larger windows with three or four drapery panels these flat trim choices may be added to both vertical sides of each panel as a leading edge and an ending edge for trim. Some people like to have two contrasting fabrics on their drapery panels for a custom design. There is a main fabric with a thick horizontal area of about 30 inches across a few inches from the bottom. Then they can add two horizontal stripes of the trim a few inches from the top of the panels and a few inches below that one.

Hanging Trims

The category of hanging trims includes braids and fringes that are attached to material at the top flat area and then they hang downward in a loose fashion. The main types are:

Fan-Edge Braid: Characterized by the looped cords in an undulating pattern sequence
Fringe: Characterized by a “skirt” of twisted cords and available in a variety of styles, including Campaign, Brush, Bullion, Looped and Tassled

Decorative trim such as the hanging types can connect two separate colors that are coordinating in your draperies. The hanging style of these two trims lend themselves to a focal point as trim on the bottom of a valance or a trim for a cornice. Either group of trims can be a fashionable and beautiful bottom trim on top of window treatments such as balloon drapes, swags, and valances of any type. Our expert designers can help you decide exactly how you want your custom drapery and window treatments made. Sunshine Drapery has a huge variety of drapery and decorating fabric from which to choose your perfect window treatments.