modern Archives - Custom Drapery Designs

2016 rings in design promises

New years, like new rooms to design, hold so much promise and anticipation—blank canvases with infinite possibilities. Making the end results the absolute best they can be requires using the highest quality products available. Custom Drapery Designs loves opportunities to discover new products and the inspiration they bring.

As we showed in December, CDD appreciates handmade items and searches for companies that take pride in craftsmanship and discover innovative ways to blend traditional techniques with modern touches. Tuell and Reynolds in California fits that description perfectly.

tuell-and-reynolds-ross-drapery-hardware

College friends Randy Tuell and Victoria Reynolds introduced their hand-crafted fire screens, furniture, lighting and sculptures in 2003. Working out of an old feed store, this team of designers and artists produces simply stunning metal work and creates each piece specifically for each client. In addition to the items they are most known for, Tuell and Reynolds produces sleek and stylish drapery hardware. With five styles of hardware and four finish choices for each, these rods make the perfect choice for many designs.

Marjorie Skouras Design is another California company committed to handcrafted, detailed designs that give homage to the traditional in the modern and bring a global flair to any room. Marjorie’s style “is rooted in the traditional, but has evolved over the years into a slightly surrealist realm, and playfulness is a constant element.” She uses semi-precious materials throughout her products and showcases color in delightful ways.

Recently, the turquoise stone tiebacks caught the eye of CDD’s lead designer, Stephanie Freeman. “Upon entering this new showroom—Cory Pope and Associates—I was immediately struck by the vivid colors of these unique pieces,” Stephanie shares. “There is no better example of the fashion and design industry relationship than truly making semi-precious stones into jewelry for your windows.”

Bright colors, like those in these lovely beads, pair nicely with Pantone’s Colors of the Year. That’s right COLORS, plural! The soft, gentle brushes of color in Rose Quartz and Serenity set a tranquil mood for 2016 and promise an even more amazing year of design than 2015. The decisions to embrace two colors this year and to go softer in hue were intentional to contrast against the conflicts and stress of the world in which we live.

“Joined together, Rose Quartz and Serenity demonstrate an inherent balance between a warmer embracing rose tone and the cooler tranquil blue, reflecting connection and wellness as well as a soothing sense of order and peace,” said Leatrice Eiseman, Executive Director of the Pantone Color Institute®.

IWCE — Lori Carpenter, owner of The Grapevine Home in Arkansas; Marcia Boatwright, owner of Blinds, Drapery, & Design in Oklahoma; Brenda Baxter, owner and principal designer of Custom Drapery Designs in Texas; and Stephanie Freeman, CDD’s lead designer enjoyed catching up and sharing inspiration during the 2016 Kitchen & Bath Industry Show and International Window Coverings Expo in Las Vegas.

Brenda Baxter, CDD owner and principal designer, discovered even more amazing products to use and companies to partner with in the new year during the International Window Coverings Expo and Kitchen & Bath Industry Show in Las Vegas and the Dallas Total Home & Gift Market, both in January. So many new inspirations to uncover!

CDD looks forward to incorporating some of these new ideas in a huge project this year. Brenda and her team will be redecorating the window treatments in the more than 6,000-square-foot ballroom at Tanglewood Resort & Conference Center in Pottsboro, Texas. Overlooking Lake Texoma, this resort is a go-to destination for any occasion; and CDD cannot wait to highlight its inner beauty while perfectly framing the outside scenery.

blog - 02/01/2016

Custom Drapery Designs delights in the importance and prominence of texture in design. This lovely detail transforms a flat design to a multi-dimensional experience; and, many times, accessories offer the best examples of texture.

During Brenda Baxter’s trip to Paris in September, she collected new and exciting products with which to add extra dimensions to future designs. (See last month’s blog sharing some of the inspiration she brought back across the ocean.) Her hotel even got her creative juices flowing and inspired her to snap this photo while resting from her walking tours of the city. Hotel d’Aubusson may very well inspire some upcoming designs! The lobby boasts magnificent elegant draperies which perfectly complement the rustic beams. And, ideally placed accessories bring it all together to make a perfectly-designed package.

Art provides a great starting point for adding depth to a design. Like we saw last time, many fabrics are art pieces in themselves and create an extra dimension or make a fantastic statement to set a room apart. This lovely example of Graffiti Art fabric from Jean Paul Gaultier adds a pop of modern flair to an older furniture style. This chair coupled with a solid drapery background brings both elegance and fashion to any room.

Brenda browsed several showrooms in Paris, including Èlitis. She was particularly drawn to their Artémis and Algaé collections with larger-than-life prints on cotton-linen mix sheers. These flowy fabrics provide the perfect canvas for
watercolor-inspired designs. Artémis brings a pop of color through its detailed flowers. Algaé mimics the colors and shapes of elements in nature from lily pads on a pond to moss encircling a great tree to the variations in color shades in the waters in a lake. These collections bring the outdoors in and add the illusion of stepping into a magical spot somewhere in the great expanse of nature. Close your eyes and you can almost hear the mystical notes of fairies and dryads.

Pillows, throws and rugs join art as great starting points for a design. Custom pillows can mimic the colors and textures of a room’s draperies and add depth and warmth to any space. These lovely pillows on display in the Lelievre Paris showroom show the range of possible options with this accessory—dark colors, light colors, patterned, simple, decorated with tassels and trims…the possibilities are as varied as people and their styles! Lelievre embraces the history of fabrics and carries those ideals into modern times with rich, luxurious fabrics and sensuous silks paired brilliantly with timeless solids.

Pairing more busy patterns with solids offers great design potential. And, don’t shy away from lighter colors…even white or off-white—be prepared to hear much more on that in 2016! Also, check out these simply elegant stonewashed linen pillows from the Èlitis Veda collection. We love the contrast of the deep violet with the white and the detailed decorative stitching along the seams—simply making a statement! A careful mixture of textiles adds dimension to a room as well. A great design can mix and match silks, linens and velvets through the use of properly-placed accessories. The depth and added dimension multiple fabric types bring to design opens the door to a new horizon for interior styles. Pairing rugs and throws that play off one another in texture and style pumps up a design.

During a recent installation, Custom Drapery Designs chose some new trimmings from Stroheim to add some custom pizzazz to a room. Brenda chose this Nuage in Moss trimming by Charles Faudree. An interior designer and philanthropist, Faudree passed away in 2013; but not before making a great impact on the design community. Within his collection on Stroheim’s website he is quoted as saying, “You can have a lot invested in throw pillows with trims and fringes. But, it’s the frosting on the cake; the detail that really makes a room…it’s important.”

While touring the Èlitis showroom in Paris, Brenda swooned over their decorative pillows. She looks forward to using a number of them in upcoming designs. These “art pieces,” as she refers to them, come in a variety of sizes, highlighting the company’s signature large patterns and solids with tiny lip cord accents that add a signature finishing touch. It’s these exquisite couture details that Custom Drapery Designs seeks out for our clients and their designs. It’s in life’s little details that the greatest beauty often lies.

One final way to achieve great depth in design is through textured walls. That’s right—texture comes across in way more than fabrics! Stamped wallcoverings, like this one from Èlitis, simply tie a room all together and add depth in a surprisingly refreshing way. These wallcoverings feature “natural plant materials in wood, bamboo and paper mâché” and create “a world of walls made up of simplicity and sophistication.”

While modern technologies allow many new textiles and colors and patterns, handmade items retain their unique values. Clients do not mind waiting for fabrics that are hand-painted or hand-sewn. Handmade rugs, like we saw in a previous post, are in high demand. The stories behind these pieces and the obvious attention to detail in the work make for timeless additions to any room’s design. Join us next time for a closer look at the beauty of handmade textiles and get ready to chat with some industry leaders whose commitment to handmade captured CDD’s attention.

blog - 12/08/2015

Design trends transcend time and space—Part 2

In our July blog, we explored some timeless styles and trends and visited some industry leaders. Their fabrics offer Custom Drapery Designs the quality, beauty and breathtaking statements with which we love to grace our clients’ homes. This month we dive deeper into our world of interior design fashions and the styles that speak today.

Gary Searle, Vice President of Sales and Merchandising for Lee Jofa and Brunschwig & Fils, provided us a wealth of information on the modern interpretation of traditional design at a presentation we attended in May. He went on to share with us the latest 2015 collections. We caught his excitement and fell in love with the lovely patterns and varied fabric choices he shared. We found this Talavera cotton and linen print from Brunschwig & Fils particularly lovely.

The Lee Jofa and Brunschwig & Fils partnership beautifully marries timeless classics with modern twists. It all goes back to Zelina Brunschwig’s mantra: “Good design is forever.” Mrs. B was so right, and those carrying out her legacy with the companies today continue her focus. Textile artists and designers carefully choose just the right colors to present the best interpretation—or re-interpretation—of those timeless designs. In this video, Stephen Elrod, Vice President and Creative Director for Lee Jofa and Brunschwig & Fils, explains the process of reviving designs.

blog - 08/17/2015

Design trends transcend time and space

Make the Old, Fresh!

We’ve glimpsed the future of interior design fashion, and we can’t wait to share it with you! These new trends marry perfectly with Custom Drapery Designs’ approach to each project. Today’s emphasis is a modern interpretation of traditional design—utilizing layers, personalization and mixtures—capped off with exquisite trim and embellishments to bring it all together and to provide our clients with one-of-a-kind exquisite couture details.

Custom Drapery Designs Cloth in Dallas, TX

This is what we’re all about—amazing styles. They excite and drive us to create the best spaces for our clients. And, to provide the best in design, we look to the best in the textiles business for inspiration and for show-stopping quality. Brunschwig & Fils certainly believes in quality, and their fabrics bear witness to their commitment to good design. In fact, their mantra—”Good design is forever”—which was first uttered by Zelina Brunschwig (better known by those who loved her as Mrs. B), encapsulates the heart of today’s new design trends.

Long known for color, many of the Brunschwig & Fils fabrics today bring stylish neutrals to the design table as well. The company has actively carried the great designs of the late 1800s and early 1900s throughout the decades while making them fresh all along the way.

Mrs. B, daughter-in-law of the company’s founder, infused her passion for lasting looks into the business when she took the lead in 1941 while her husband, Roger E. Brunschwig, fought in World War II. Her resourcefulness and creativity carried the company through the somber time of war, and the company remains an industry leader today. Their story is one of perseverance and passion and love of lasting style. This video explores the Brunschwig & Fils history and Mrs. B’s influence that is still felt today throughout the design world:

Design Trends Of Spring 2014 by Custom Drapery Designs

blog - 07/17/2015

Clients inspire passion for couture

Happy 2013!! With the new year comes a new look for our website, a reflection on some of our inspiration and a renewed commitment to the excellence Custom Drapery Designs, LLC has always exhibited. Visit our updated site and take a moment to browse our galleries and watch a few videos highlighting many of our products. Let us know what you think; we always love to hear from our friends!

For me, design is far more than an occupation; it is a passion. I have always been fascinated with the art of fashion—constantly sketching on receipts, napkins and other scraps of paper during lunches, church services and road trips. So, it only seems natural that, as an adult, I have discovered the world of drapery design as an outlet for my passion for the art of couture fashion. In the words of legendary fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent, “In fashion we’ve reached complete freedom of expression. There is a spirit of total liberation and freedom.”

In October, I found myself surrounded by history and beauty as well as fashion and inspiration in London. I also found new ways to express my passion for couture while studying and exploring “The Golden Age of Couture: Paris and London 1947-1957,” an exhibit at the Victoria & Albert Museum.

So, what is couture? It is a creative expression through the medium of fabric which combines the skilled construction techniques of a high level of quality and workmanship, exacting standards, a delicacy in composition, a level of technical complexity requiring skillful handling and classical antiquity brought together using fabrics from only the top manufacturers. In short, “Couture is the marriage of design and material.” Christian Dior, the great fashion designer of the 1940s and 1950s, knew what he was talking about and used his knowledge of and passion for couture to expand local fashion into a global phenomenon, spreading his name worldwide and opening the door for many more designers.

Dior and other designers—Laurent, Jean Desses, John Cavanagh and Sir Cecil Beaton—during the “golden age” of fashion history (1947-1957) defined couture with exceptional sense of color, mastery of feminine tailoring, simplicity of line, fragility of work, mastery of manipulating fabrics and fascination with cut and construction. A few examples of their ground-breaking techniques include selecting texture in fabrics such as chiffon, embroidering on delicate silks and utilizing precise and intricate pleating to create luscious volume and graceful movement.

“The true representatives of fashion are often those whose surprising originality leads them to a very private outward expression of themselves.” I love this quote from Sir Beaton! In every project, Custom Drapery Designs places great focus on our clients’ individualism through window treatment design made from quality textiles. We highlight each delicate detail with unwavering attention to a couture quality of workmanship. Our inspirations range from larger-than-life, billowing historic costumes to the runway’s current fashion of soft gathered swags which seem to envelope the model in a breath. And, I can often be found perusing couture fashion boards on Pinterest or Au fil des passions, a favorite Facebook page.

Art, design and fashion are my passions. I search through the lens of these passions to draw from all aspects of life the inspirations that wed my clients’ individuality to produce the designs I create in their homes and offices. I love interior design because, through it, I transform my clients’ homes and offices “to a very private outward expression of themselves.”

One of the intricate details that sets our projects apart and allows for further distinctiveness is variety in the poles, finials, tie backs, swag holders, tab holders, cornices, brackets and rings we choose. Three new favorites are Deco & Deco Premium Hardware; the Jackie Von Tobel for Helser Brothers, Inc. drapery hardware collection; and Fabricut Modern Surfaces drapery hardware collection.

Deco & Deco™ by Krish Deco LTD manifests elegance and class in this sleek, sophisticated collection of drapery hardware. The beauty of this hardware shines through its finishes with Murano glass hand-made in Italy, brushed nickel, bronze, solid brass and antiques; and the versatility lies in both traditional and contemporary models.

Jackie Von Tobel and Helser Brothers prove to be a great team with a hardware collection that breaks the rules and allows for even more customization. Von Tobel said, “When I first began talking with the fabulous Helser Brothers about a collaboration, it became clear to me that this was a fantastic opportunity to create a fresh new line that would address the versatility required for today’s window treatment designs. It was a chance to think out of the box and design hardware that would be able to be used in many different configurations rather than having each piece be pigeon holed for one use.”

In this collection, finials find homes as tie backs or swag holders; and tab holders fill in as rod brackets or join together as cornices. Pieces called “tassels” can be ordered and used individually within treatment designs as trim or attached to rings to enhance the design. We adore the tear drop accent piece above and look forward to incorporating that in upcoming designs! This collection can find a home among both modern and traditional décors with metallic or hand-painted finishes.

Fabricut’s Modern Surfaces Collection expands upon its Modern Fusion Collection, adding two new metal finishes as well as uniquely innovative finial designs and promising to be “the ultimate in modern décor.”

By using industry leaders such as these three companies to tie together each project with new and exciting facets, Custom Drapery Designs strives to be your choice for “exquisite couture details” in 2013 and many years to come.

blog - 01/20/2013

Design goes natural

Summer’s sun, shorelines and sand spawn a desire to get back to the basics, to wrap oneself in nature and brace for colder weather. Custom Drapery Designs embraces this inspiration and brings nature indoors with three new natural fabric and natural color collections: Schumacher Sheers Radiance, Robert Allen’s Naturals and Kravet’s Echo Design. Your home has never felt this warm and inviting!

For the less-is-more aficionado, sheer might be the best option to let the light shine in your world. F. Schumacher & Co., a fifth generation, family-owned company, offers you the new Radiance collection of sheers. With 60 style and color options, your look awaits you whether you prefer the more traditional lace or modern weave textures. In addition to natural colors such as oyster, ivory and ecru, natural fibers of cotton, linen and wool provide an added dimension of texture. Please your eyes as well as your touch with ethereal eyelet, extraordinary embroidery and expertly-clipped madras gauze. This collection ensconces nature in luxury and introduces it to your home.

If texture and layers strike your fancy, try on Robert Allen’s new Naturals collection for size. Surround yourself in comfort, with attitude. Inspiration for colors like pearl, mineral, saddle and toast arise from such natural locations as the sand on a pristine beach, the warmth of freshly turned earth and the unexpected meadow afire with the glow of a million wildflowers. With more than 300 upholstery or multi-purpose options, the Naturals collection has just what you’ve been yearning for in your home.

Christy Almond, vice president of design for Robert Allen, reflected, “Naturals is less of a collection and more of a lifestyle. We want everyone to feel like they can layer and combine the different patterns in a uniquely personal way. It’s all about making it your own.”

Picture the Mediterranean with its rugged cliffs, bright blue waters and olive green landscape. Now, bring this image home with Kravet’s Echo Design’s newest collection of linen prints and woven fabrics—Mediterraneo. Providing a sophisticated range of “sun-bleached” colors, this collection captures the casual elegance and warm spirit of a Mediterranean afternoon. The essential elements of an Echo Design collection—color, print, pattern and texture—unite magnificently in this latest collection of outdoor fabrics for Kravet. Bring outside in and bask in the glow of Mediterraneo.

blog - 11/01/2012

Selections for every style

One of the most exciting parts of our job is sharing new fabric and design trends with our clients; another is helping them find just the right fabric and hardware. We think you just might share our enthusiasm once you see some of the latest options for decorating the world around you.

Sometimes it’s the details that add huge flair when it comes to decorating. Brimar’s selection of grommets is more extensive than ever. With round and square metal-finished, decorative and enamel-painted brass options, Brimar has a grommet for you! Nature inspires the colors and textures in Calvin Klein Homes’ new collection of trimmings; and only Kravet has them!

Robert Allen recently released its Modern Library Collection. This eclectic fabric selection alone has enough style options to please almost any taste with designs showcasing both bright and muted colors and patterns ranging from bold and daring to intricate and minute as well as traditional prints with a modern flair. The options include 113 designs between two color schemes: Magenta/Prussian/Sunset and Slate/Twine/Pool. With the diversity in the Modern Library Collection, feminine meets masculine; and they live in perfect harmony!

Another collection offering an impressively wide variety comes to us from Fabricut. Collier Campbell–the sister duo which has been wowing the design world since the early sixties–has released their third and final collaborative collection: Exotic Inspirations. Like the Modern Library compilation, this Collier Campbell selection of diverse fabrics provides an option or two for just about every style. Whether you want warmth, calm, inspiration or elegance, you can find it in the thirteen patterns and their four distinct color themes: cinnamon and stone, duck egg and sand, peacock and emerald and white and bright. With options like these, prepare to let your imagination run wild! All of us in the interior design world grieve with Sarah Campbell on the recent loss of her sister, Susan Collier, and celebrate her life through their Exotic Inspirations collection.

If you’re all about the cheerfulness and playfulness of bright colors, the new Lilly Pulitzer for Lee Jofa Fabric Collection may be just what your home needs. For more than a half century, Lilly Pulitzer’s creativity has brightened homes around the country; and, today, Lee Jofa brings her cheery selection to you. It’s certain to bring a smile to your face and a glow to your home on the bleakest of days!

Fabric adds fun and flair to any room, but we can’t forget what holds it all up and keeps it in place–HARDWARE! Brimar does not disappoint with its elegant Versailles Drapery Hardware, an updated look made with an ancient art form–water gilding. Artists carefully hand-craft each of these stunning masterpieces by layering gesso, red clay and gold or silver leaf. Precise polishing provides an antique finish to the pieces as well. Four finishes are available: antique gold, silver and bronze gilt as well as hand-painted dark walnut. The meticulous work certainly pays off, making Brimar’s Versailles Collection a must-have! Another Brimar option worth viewing is its dramatic and practical Cabana collection of corrosion-resistant hardware–made to withstand outdoor use by the salty sea, it’s stunning enough to find its way inside. This collection will keep rust at bay while providing a classic look that’s hard to ignore. While you should use it outside or in your bathroom, you’ll find yourself wanting to utilize it throughout your living area.

You may wonder if the right style for your home or office exists–maybe everything you’ve seen before this blog is too dull, too bright; too obvious, too forgettable; too modern, too old-school. Whatever your eyes desire, Custom Drapery Designs, LLC, will help you find just the right decor to match your lifestyle.

blog - 08/12/2011

2016 rings in design promises

Design trends transcend time and space—Part 2

Design trends transcend time and space

Clients inspire passion for couture

Design goes natural

Selections for every style

Recent Posts

Subscribe To Our Blog

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Hours of Operation:

Address:

Navigational Links