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.

Drapery Design Books I LOVE, Not Just for Valentine's Day

I'm a reader of books.  Regardless of the success of Kindles and Nooks and iPads, there is something most sensual about the heft and feel of a design book.  The pages are crisp, the photos are clear; I can almost touch the textures in the photos just looking at them.

Several years ago Stephanie Hoppen came out with a delightful book called The New Curtain Book.  This book features the work of numerous designers including daughter Kelly and Vicente Wolf.  Even though it's subtitle is "Master Classes" this is not a fabrication or how-to book.  What it is, is a visual romp through some incredibly outrageous draperies tempered with beautiful, crisply understated designs by interior designers on both sides of the Atlantic.  Hoppen gets an "A" for this master class!








Jackie vonTobel has written 2 books to date on window treatments and bedding.  She is a designer in Las Vegas, and after years of drawing out designs for her customers, she decided to publish them.  These design directories are encyclopedia idea books for drapery workrooms and homeowners alike.  Jackie's pen and ink drawings are subtlety colored to encourage the viewer to visualize the treatment in her own home.  And now Jackie had embarked on a line of custom designed fabrics.  You can see her fabrics and follow her blog at www.jackievontobel.com .



Indulge in these visual treats this Valentine's Day.  They will expand your design options, not your waistline.