Drapery Design Books for a Lazy Day

The laws of physics may require that window treatments hang down, and not fly off at odd angles to the walls.  And because of that, some might think that all window treatments are essentially large pieces of fabric hanging on the window.  These books show that the physics of window treatments are more like quarks.  We see their flavors -up, down, and mostly charmed, - in unique and highly artistic designs.

Brian Coleman is editor-at-large at Arts&Crafts Homes magazine.  He is also a licensed, practicing psychologist.  And he has written a whole bookshelf full of books on window treatments, gardens, Aesthetic art tiles, and great homes of the British Isles.  Three are suggested here.

Window Dressings is full of close-up shots of draperies and soft furnishings in homes around the country. Drapery fabricators and drapery designers especially love this book as our talents are displayed on every page.

The Scalamandre family has been fabricating silks and  hand-crafting extraordinary trims for over a century.  Their fabrics have been used in the US Capitol, the White House, the Hearst Castle in San Simeon, CA, as well as numerous governors' mansions and prestigious homes.  Coleman offers a peek into the history of the family-owned company - and lavish photos of Scalamadre fabrics and trims gracing the interiors of some very fortunate homes.  Scalamandre is a visual feast!






Coleman's third book on my personal hit parade features the work of a favorite designer - Barry Dixon.  Dixon's designs are restrained, warm, and incredibly personalized.  This book features several homes he has designed and each is unique.