DESIGNER’S GUIDE TO DRAPERY HARDWARE

Drapery hardware can make or break a successful window treatment. It’s essential to understand their limitations and the pros and cons when it comes to choosing the best hardware for the window treatment. Don’t make drapery hardware an afterthought in your custom window treatment projects.

1. START WITH A PLAN

Because each of your clients has a different budget, it is about you picking the right drapery hardware partners for your product mix. Because there is a wide and diverse selection of hardware available, think Good-Better-Best when selecting your vendors. Don’t sell nightmares. It is not about selling cheap, but selling solutions.

2. HAVE THE RIGHT SALES TOOLS

Today’s decorative hardware products can add up to thousands of dollars in custom window treatment projects, yet we show the client a picture in a catalog, often not to scale, a 2” square finish chip and verbalize how it will look great, improve function or solve a problem. No wonder we get pushback from clients on the value of custom hardware. Treat the drapery hardware category like other product categories. First you need to have the essentials -price guides, catalogs, template kit, measuring tools, cheat sheets, etc. Then customize your sample kits by crafting a drapery hardware designer bag that at the very least contains:

• • Catalogs on a mobile device like iPad.
• • Finish samples- a minimum of 2 sets per vendor
• • Ring Key Set- best selling rings labeled by vendor; size.
• • Bracket Key Set- best selling brackets labeled by vendor, size.
• • 1-12” pole/rod in each diameter
• • Specialty pieces- specific to a treatment style, mounting system or window challenges.

3. MEASURING AND DRAPERY HARDWARE GO HAND-IN-HAND

Before you make your final hardware selection and begin measuring, you should make some decisions to assure success. First, determine the area you want to cover. This establishes where to measure for rod face width (bracket to bracket). What’s the treatment’s footprint? Is there enough space to make it work? Tip: Start with this guideline- window trim to trim width measurement + 8 inches = bracket to bracket.

Next up- decide where you want to mount it- this determines the finished length of the treatment. Mounting the treatment at the wrong height is a common mistake. Height rules supreme. Mounting on the frame is a no-no. A rule of thumb is to mount the rod up at least 4”-8” above top of trim. If you are doing a ceiling mount, keep in mind your finial height. Nothing’s worse than that perfect finial that can’t be installed on the rod at the height you want.

Third, will this treatment function or not or does it have limited functionality? Will it be hand drawn, cord drawn or motorized? What direction will it draw? This determines what kind of hardware set or system you’ll need.

Finally, determine how many layers. How far out will you or can you come? Will your chosen bracket work for the needed projection/return? What about rod clearance? What about the return- how are you going to handle it? Is the center support going to interfere with the movement. Once you’ve made these decisions; THEN it’s time to choose the hardware.

4. SPECIFY SOLUTIONS

Choosing the wrong hardware is one of the top ten window covering mistakes. The treatment is the star, but the hardware is important, too. Think about the style and how it marries with the design; consider functionality and use specialty applications to solve challenges. Give the client all the reasons why they must choose your recommendation to avoid disasters and never let the customer buy their own hardware. Read “no telescoping rods sold here”.

Drapery Hardware is a broad subject, here are some tips and trick to help you be successful.

~ Designers should know the weight limitations of each track to be used and how to drapery weights. A quick formula is weight of fabric X linear foot of rod; then compare to vendor’s specs in your catalog. If the rod won’t hold the weight either choose another option or order more brackets.

~ Use cut-to-measure tracks instead of white traverse rods whenever possible. They are heavy duty, hold more weight, can be bent, have ball bearing carriers and drapery stacks better because the panel hangs below the rod.

~ All cord draw tracks MUST have appropriate child safety warning tags and tension device.

~ Rod measurements are usually from base of finial to base of finial. You need to add 3” to bracket to bracket length to accommodate the last ring between the bracket and finial.

~ The last ring always goes between the bracket and base of the finial on decorative hardware. (AND returns are attached to the wall.)

~ The larger rod/pole diameter means more hanging weight with less brackets. Rods also increase in rigidity as they increase in diameter. But all rod strength is dependent on the mounting surface.

~ Eyelet rings are designed to work with drapery. Clip rings are not recommended for heavy treatments. If you have to use them either remove the clip or know that they add approximately ½” to the finished length of the treatment.

~ Grommets were not designed to function, but if you must; make sure you order the correct rod size. The grommets’ inside diameter needs to be at least 40% larger than the pole used.