This is the first part of a series of articles that will become a guide for Architects and Designers for specifying Draperies and Window Coverings. My name is Neil Gordon and I have been in the Window Covering industry for over 25 years. My firm, Decorating with Fabric, a Drapery and Upholstery Workroom in the New York Metropolitan area, serves Architects and Designers. It is my intention to cover all types of treatments including blinds, shades, shutters, draperies, valances and more. Hopefully you will use this guide as a resource in your planning and specifying of successful draperies and window coverings.
Introduction
The famous acronym GIGO is from the computer world and stands for: Garbage In – Garbage Out. GIGO has never been more appropriate then in my world of custom drapery design and fabrication. I am referring to receiving little or no instructions in the form of a work order, purchase order or specification and being expected to fabricate what is in the mind of the architect/designer (A/D) and consequently communicated to the client.
I have owned and run a drapery and upholstery workroom for the past 25 years. What I have seen over and over again is poor design planning, where the A/D hustles through the details of the drapery project leaving potential problem areas unaddressed. The architectural and interior design firms that I work for are fortunately rescued from this doom because of my direct involvement; others I surmise are not and the results are very costly mistakes.
I will address what I consider to be the necessary ways to Communicate Successful Drapery Design. I have broken them down into a two step process of Design and Documentation, with the ultimate goal of having a better grasp on how to communicate effectively what the client’s expectations are and then matching them up with what is ultimately fabricated and installed. This is done by allowing the A/D to be able to identify the critical areas with careful planning in order to avoid surprises and to feel comfortable in specifying hardware, mechanisms, structural pockets and fabrics. For the A/D the two areas of Design and Documentation all need to be addressed in the planning stage.
From Function to Style
In the book by Erik Larson: The Devil in the White City, there is a quote by the famous architect Daniel Burnham where he offers a more forceful point then the original often quoted statement of “Form Follows Function”. To emphasize his argument on the design of the 1892 Chicago World’s Fair he demanded that “Function Dictates Form”.
This is so true when it comes to commercial drapery and window coverings. Where as in residential treatments, many times function is overlooked in exchange for form or design. In commercial applications the treatment must function successfully over and over again depending upon its tasks. Even before form or style is considered, function must be determined. The A/D will identify in consultation with the client the function requirements of the window coverings by addressing such needs as: light control, privacy issues, stack-backs, mechanisms, mounting and then finally style selections.
Documentation and Communication
After the design decisions are completed they must be documented in the specifications so all parties can understand them. These parties are: The A/D, the Client, the General Contractor and the Drapery Consultant. This entails providing the information necessary to fabricate the finished product in the form of clear specifications and detailed drawings. Included would be the type of construction of the treatment, the hardware and control mechanisms, the structural pockets and stack-backs, the desired fullness, the lining selections, installation instructions and care and maintenance information. I will now go into detail on each of these items.
Next article on The Elements of Successful Drapery Design