Tips for dressing two-story windows

Two-story window treatments can be very tricky. Choosing fabrics, hardware, and trims should all be done with care and thoughtful planning for the best outcome. Here are some projects to get your creative juices flowing and some tips for a successful project.

Two-Story Ripplefold Panels

Two-story window treatments in a project collaboration with the talented Henck Design.Photo courtesy of Henck Design.

This beautiful Center City Philadelphia project was a collaboration with the talented Henck Design team. 

Photo courtesy of Henck Design

As you can see, this open concept space has a ton of windows! And of course, we didn't want to diminish the grandeur of this room by only dressing the lower windows, so the designer opted for two-story drapes.

These ripplefold panels were installed with a Kirsch ceiling mounted Architrac hardware, which is a very basic, commercial hardware.

We've found that designers really like using this hardware in projects like this, where you want a hardware that just blends in and isn't noticeable. It really lets the drapes take center stage!

When installing ripplefold panels, you have no room for negotiation when it comes to the length because of the nature of the hardware.

Your measurements and fabrication have to be exactly spot on.

Two-Story Blocked Panels

We installed window treatments in this entire home, but these two-story drapery panels were by far the most dramatic.

We utilized three-part color blocking with three different fabrics. You'll notice the length of each fabric block is very intentional, aligning perfectly with the window moldings.

Because this great room was so large and grand, we opted to dress all the windows with two panels. The panels are single width, because the windows themselves were narrow, and the windows flanking the fireplace were particularly tight on space.

This is one of our iconic projects and was featured on the cover of Window Fashion Vision Magazine a few years ago! 

To dress all the two-story windows, or only some of them? That is the question.

You'll want to consider the scale of the room and configuration of the windows for the best solution. Smaller, more intimate rooms will be overpowered by too many panels.

See more two-story window treatments on Window Treatment Friday Live!

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