Outdoor drapery in Los Angeles.
Drapery for loggias, pool cabanas, pergolas and covered terraces, made in solution dyed performance fabric with hardware that stands up to the weather.
An outdoor room deserves to be dressed.
Southern California lives out of doors for most of the year, and the loggia, the pool pavilion and the covered terrace are furnished as carefully as any room in the house. Drapery completes them. It gives shade from a low sun, shelter from a breeze, privacy from a neighboring house and, not least, the sense of an enclosed and comfortable room.
Fabrics that live outside.
Indoor fabric will not survive a season outside. For outdoor drapery we specify solution dyed performance fabrics, most often acrylic, in which the color runs through the whole fiber, so they hold it in full sun, dry quickly and resist mildew. They are now woven in textures and colors that sit happily beside indoor cloth. We set out the reasons in our guide to performance drapery fabrics.
Hardware, weights and wind.
The hardware matters as much as the cloth. Rods, tracks, rings and fixings must be of materials that will not rust or stain the fabric, such as stainless steel or coated aluminum. Hems are weighted so that the panels hang straight, and tie backs or discreet anchors at the columns hold them when the wind rises. Near the sea, in Malibu, Pacific Palisades and Manhattan Beach, salt air makes these choices more important still.
Where an outdoor room needs to be closed completely, roll down security shades can be combined with drapery, one for protection and the other for pleasure.
From selection to installation.
Consultation
We begin with the room itself: how it is used, where the light falls through the day and what you would like the windows to do.
Selection
Fabrics, materials, finishes and hardware are chosen together, so the treatment suits both the architecture and the furnishings.
Measure and Make
Every opening is measured precisely and each treatment is made to that measure, never adapted from a stock size.
Installation
Our installers fit and adjust every treatment, so it hangs true, operates smoothly and is finished properly.
Outdoor Drapery: common questions.
What fabric is best for outdoor drapery?
Solution dyed acrylic is our usual choice. The pigment is part of the fiber, so the color resists fading in full sun, and the fabric sheds water, dries quickly and resists mildew. Solution dyed polyester and olefin are also used.
Can outdoor drapery be left up all year?
In Southern California, generally yes, provided the fabric and hardware are made for outdoor use. We advise tying the panels back in high winds and rinsing them occasionally to remove dust and salt.
Do outdoor curtains give privacy?
They do. Drawn across the open side of a loggia or cabana, lined or closely woven outdoor panels screen the space from neighbors and from the street while still allowing air to move.
Outdoor Drapery: further reading.
Performance Drapery Fabrics: How the Synthetics Stand Up to the Sun
Performance drapery fabrics for Los Angeles homes: how polyester, acrylic, olefin, nylon, viscose and acetate stand up to sun, sea air and wear.
Wool, Linen, Cotton and Silk: Natural Fiber Drapery in Los Angeles
A guide to natural fiber drapery for Beverly Hills and Los Angeles homes: how wool, linen, cotton and silk hang, age and stand up to the California sun.
Protecting Art, Floors and Furniture From the California Sun
The light that makes Los Angeles so beautiful is also hard on everything it touches. How window treatments protect what you have collected.
Transform your space with custom solutions
Tell us about your windows and the way you live with them. We will guide you from selection to installation.
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