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Archive for the 'Measuring' Category

Upholstered Headboards – What Height to Order

Monday, September 28th, 2009

When it comes to upholstered headboards, customers want advice on how high to order their headboard. Our standard upholstered headboard is a total of 44″. The leg is 18″ and the fabric headboard is 26″. On the tall end, the leg is 18″ and the board is 40″ for a total of 58″. So with such a range of choices, the best advice we can give is to consider the scale and symmetry of your room and bed size.

Let’s start with the twin upholstered headboard. The scale of a twin bed is on the small side. The headboard has to work with the bed(s) and its surroundings. We believe that the standard height works well here. Chances are that you will have two headboards in the room and you don’t want them to completely overpower the room. You should consider adding a few inches if you plan to add a nice selection of pillows.

You should notch up the height on a full size upholstered headboard. The width of the mattress warrants a taller board to balance the scale of the headboard. You should consider the range of 44″ to 48″. Think about the pillows you will add and the height of the ceiling.

For a queen size upholstered headboard, you should be looking at 50″ or more. The bed is a bit more substantial, you will have pillow shams and more decorative pillows. You want balance with all the other elements of the room.

King size upholstered headboards should go to the limit at 58″ whenever possible. It is the latest fabric headboard design trend for good reason – it looks great! Tall king size fabric headboards are in nearly all the high end boutique hotels. Regarding scale, if you were able to fit a king bed in your master bedroom, chances you can easily accommodate a tall headboard. If you love lots of pillow shams and oversized decorative pillows, you can really go crazy and not hide your beautiful new upholstered headboard.

To really get the height right, we recommend using blue painters tape on the wall where you will have the headboard. Take the tape and outline the size of the headboard. Step back and take look. Move the tape to a couple of different heights. You’ll know when it right.

Posted in Measuring, Technical Information, Trends, Upholstered Headboards | No Comments »

Extra Long Shower Curtains & Liners

Thursday, September 24th, 2009

Just like with clothing, shoes or anything else, one size does not fit all.

Are you having a hard time finding a shower curtain that fits your shower or bathtub?

If you have high ceilings or a custom shower stall you may face this common problem. We can make your extra long shower curtain from the standard 72” long all the way up to 100” long. Our custom made extra long shower curtains are a #1 seller and you won’t have to sacrifice style for your space!

Some older homes have original claw foot tubs. While these tubs can be a beautiful focal point in your bathroom room, they are often extra wide and standard shower curtains just won’t fit. If you also have high ceilings, you are in luck. We can make your custom shower curtain extra wide AND extra long to solve your shower and tub problems.

We have now added extra long, extra wide and extra long & extra wide liners cut and sewn to your exact size to protect your new custom shower curtain. It’s that easy! Our shower curtain liners come in several colors. They are made of 3 gauge vinyl, have reinforced grommets, a magnetic hem and are mildew resistant. You can transform your bathroom with our custom shower curtains and now protect your curtain with one of our custom liners.

Posted in Bathroom Decorating, Measuring, Shower Curtains, Trends | No Comments »

How to measure Drapery Width & Length

Monday, August 3rd, 2009

Measuring for Privacy and Light Control

These measuring instructions are for drapes in that you plan to use as operating drapes for privacy and light control as opposed to stationary or decorative drapes (panels). A Two-Way draw splits the drapery and the fabric is drawn to the left and right with a center opening. A One-Way draw is a single drapery panel stacking all the fabric to the left or the to the right. One side stacking is common on sliders and French doors.

Step One Width Measuring

If you have existing curtain rod, measure the width from bracket to bracket. This is your ordering Width. If you are installing new hardware, first determine where the drapery hardware brackets are to be mounted. We recommend that you add at least 4″ beyond the outside edge of the window frame on both sides and 4″ above the top of the window frame. If you want to expose more glass when the draperies are open, extend the brackets farther from the side of the window frame. If your drapery is to stack to one side, then you should add a minimum of 8″ on the stacking side. Once you locate the brackets, measure from the outside edge of one bracket to the outside edge of the other. This is the “Bracket to Bracket” or “Width” that you will need to note. Also remember to check that you have wall clearance to accommodate the rod and the decorative finials. If your Bracket to Bracket measurement is 52″, you would select 52″ from the Width pull down on your drapery product.

Step Two Length Measuring

Standard or Traverse Rod Length Measuring For draperies using a standard curtain rod or a traverse rod, measure from the top of the bracket or rod to the finished point that the draperies will hang. If the drapery is going to the floor, deduct 1/2″ for floor clearance. This is the Length. If you are replacing an existing drape and are happy with the length, then measure the existing drape and order the same length. Decorative Hardware Length Measuring For draperies using decorative hardware (rod and rings) measure from the top of the rod to the finished point that the draperies will hang. Then measure the outside diameter of your ring and deduct that amount. This is the Length. Do not make a deduction for floor clearance. For hardware using thin metal rings measure from the top of the rod to the finished point that the draperies will hang. Then measure the outside diameter of your ring and deduct that amount. If the drapery is going to the floor, deduct 1/2″ for floor clearance. This is the Length If you are ordering draperies with our decorative rings sewn on, measure from the top of the rod to the finished point that the draperies will hang. If the drapery is going to the floor, deduct 1/2″ for floor clearance. This is the Length. We will make the allowance for the rings.

“Take-up” for Rod Pocket & Tab Style Drapes

Measure from the top of the rod to the finished point. If the rod pocket drape has heading, add this to the length. On these styles, you will need to add an allowance for take up which is caused by the rod width. Add the take up to your drapery length based on the rod you are using and the guideline provided below. This is the Length. If you want the bottom of the drapery to rest or “puddle” on the floor, you can create a break at the hem by adding 2″ to 3″ to the Length. For a full “puddle” effect, add 8″ to 18″ depending upon the amount of puddle desired.

Rod Type	Drape Pocket or Tab Size	Take Up Amount
1″ Sash Rod	1-1/2″	1/2″
1-3/8″ Pole	3″	1″
2″ Pole	4″	1-1/2″
2-1/4″ Pole	5″	1-3/4″
2-1/2″ Flat Continental Rod	3-1/2″	1/2″
3″ Pole	6-1/2″	2″
4-1/2″ Flat Continental Rod	5-1/2″	1/2″

Stacking Considerations (Approximate)

Stacking is the width dimension of a drape when it is in the fully open position. To create a drape header style, the fabric is gathered to form a pleat. The workroom uses materials such as buckram to stiffen the header to form and maintain the style. When the drape is opened, the header does not compress or gather the way a shower curtain would. Therefore, if you want to clear the glass of the window when the drapes are open, you need to add additional width to your casing to casing measurement. The chart below will give you approximate stacking amounts for a range of window widths (casing to casing). Here are a couple of examples:

1. Casing to Casing Width =	60″
Stacking Amount =	20″ (10″ each side)
Width to Order =	80″ (60″ + 20″)

2. Casing to Casing Width =	100″
Stacking Amount =	33″
Width to Order =	133″ (100″ + 33″)

Casing-to-Casing Width	Drapery Stacking	Approx. Width to Clear Glass
24″	8″	32″
40″	13″	53″
60″	20″	80″
80″	28″	88″
100″	34″	134″
120″	40″	160″
140″	48″	188″
160″	54″	214″
180″	60″	240″
This chart does not apply to relaxed drapery styles such as the Flat Panel Drape. The header is not pleated and therefore the drape will stack more like a shower curtain.

Posted in Drapes, Measuring | No Comments »