Pinch pleat drapery in Los Angeles.
The tailored classic: hand set pleats, generous fullness and proper lining, for formal rooms and traditional houses.
What is pinch pleat drapery?
In a pinch pleat heading the fabric is gathered into groups of folds at regular intervals and stitched, so that the fullness is fixed permanently into the top of the panel and falls from it in deep, regular columns. A stiffening band within the heading keeps it upright and crisp. It is the heading most people picture when they think of fine drapery, and it has dressed the best rooms for generations.
Two finger, three finger and Euro pleats.
The three finger pleat, also called the French pleat, is the fullest and most formal. The two finger pleat is a little leaner and looks well in rooms that are traditional without being grand. The Euro pleat is pinched at the very top instead of a few inches below it, which gives a more relaxed, current line. Each can be hung from rings on a decorative rod or from a concealed track beneath a cornice.
Where pinch pleats belong.
Pinch pleats suit rooms with tall ceilings, moldings and furniture of some presence: the Spanish, Georgian and Regency houses of the Beverly Hills Flats, the estates of Holmby Hills and San Marino, and the period houses of Hancock Park and Pasadena. Interlined in silk, wool or a heavy linen, they give a room warmth, quiet and a sense of occasion. The fabric is everything here, and our guide to natural fiber drapery sets out the choices.
For a cleaner, more contemporary alternative, see ripple fold drapery. For the making of either, see custom drapery.
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.
Pinch Pleat Drapery: common questions.
How much fabric does pinch pleat drapery need?
Generally two to two and a half times the width of the window, and sometimes more for a three finger pleat in a light fabric. That fullness is what gives the deep, even folds for which the heading is known.
Can pinch pleat drapery be motorized?
Yes. Pinch pleat panels can be hung from a motorized track, either exposed or concealed behind a cornice, and operated by remote, keypad, app or schedule.
Should pinch pleat drapery be lined?
Almost always. Lining protects the face fabric from the sun and helps the pleats to hold their shape, and interlining adds the body and softness that make a pinch pleat look as it should.
Pinch Pleat 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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