Family Room Drapes

Drapery panels in my family room

      We have been in our house for over 25 years and never had drapes in the family room.  We had gotten cellular shades for there and had to replace them a few years back as the strings broke and we couldn't fix them anymore.  Originally we used this side as our eating area so drapery panels didn't seem like a big deal.  Probably 10 years ago I bought fabric to make the draperies but never found the time.  About 5 years ago we had a motorized rod installed, I thought that would give me the incentive I needed.  Finally I realized that there was no way I could handle the multiple widths and finally hired someone to make them for me.

Before the panels

Stacked off the glass

     You can see the motor in the right hand side of the before photo.  It never really bothered me to not have draperies, I liked the openness of the room but now that they are made and hung up, it really seems to complete the room.

Motor housing

Closed drapery panels

     When my husband and I installed the draperies we had a few obstacles to overcome.  In order for the panels to go all the way to the wall, I had to remove the last hook on the right side of the drapery panel so that I could cover the motor. I used Jewel's Tape to secure the panel to the front of the motor housing.  On the left side I had to install an eye hook to the wall and move the last pin out of the pleat and into the very end of the panel and then attach it to the wall.  Now I have wall to wall draperies in my family room.  I specified two finger pleats with less fullness so they would stack back off the glass leaving it as open as it was before.  I have attached a movie showing the drapery panels in action.