Sheer drapery in Los Angeles, made to measure.
Linen sheers, voiles and open weaves that soften the California light and give privacy by day, alone or layered beneath lined drapery.
What sheer drapery does for a room.
A sheer is the gentlest of window treatments. It takes the glare out of strong daylight, turns a hard view into a soft one and gives privacy from the street through the day, all without making the room feel closed. In a city with as much sun and as much glass as Los Angeles, it is very often the first layer we propose.
Sheers are also the making of a contemporary room. A wall of glass that would otherwise read as a black mirror at night becomes, with a full sheer drawn across it, a luminous plane of fabric.
Fabrics for custom sheer drapery.
Linen sheers have a dry, natural texture and a pleasing irregularity in the yarn. Voiles are finer and smoother. Open and casement weaves have more body and cast a patterned shadow. Because a sheer hangs unlined in full sun, the fiber matters a great deal: polyester and linen blends hold their length and their strength rather better than pure linen or silk, as we explain in our guide to performance drapery fabrics.
Fullness, headings and hardware.
A sheer wants generous fullness, commonly two and a half to three times the width of the window, or it looks thin. For the heading, ripple fold gives clean, even waves on a slim track and is our usual suggestion for modern houses, while a soft pinch pleat suits a traditional room. Tracks may be fixed to the ceiling or recessed into it, so that the fabric appears to fall from the architecture itself.
Layering sheers for day and night.
By day a sheer gives privacy. By night, with the lamps lit, it does not. The classic answer is a double track, with the sheer nearest the glass and lined drapery in front of it to be drawn in the evening. Where the architecture is spare, a roller or solar shade concealed above the sheer does the same work. For wide spans we often suggest motorized drapery, so that a long run of fabric moves at a touch.
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.
Sheer Drapery: common questions.
Do sheer drapes give privacy?
By day, yes: a sheer screens the room from outside while keeping the light. At night, with lights on inside, a sheer can be seen through, so it is usually paired with lined drapery or a shade for the evening.
What is the best fabric for sheer drapery in a sunny room?
A polyester sheer or a linen and polyester blend. Sheers hang unlined against the glass, and these fibers resist sunlight and changes in humidity better than pure linen, cotton or silk.
Can sheer drapery be motorized?
Yes. Sheers are light and travel easily on a motorized track, which is a particular advantage across a wide wall of glass or at a window that is awkward to reach.
Sheer 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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