We’ve been making gorgeous custom drapery for over 35 years and this year we are celebrating 20 years as the business we are today!  The question we often get about custom drapery is “Why is the price point so much higher than readymade drapery?”  If you have had work done in your home or purchased custom products (cabinetry, furniture, mouldings etc) you know it’s worth the investment and so here are a few reasons why custom drapery specifically is worth the higher price point.

Perfect finish at the floor @thelesliestyle

Every drapery order is made specifically for you!

We pride ourselves on making products with a very low tolerance for variances so they fit perfectly every time.  Each order we manufacture is made just for you in Canada, and we pay a living wage to our very talented team of sewists.  We can’t compete with offshore sweatshops that mass produce ready-made drapery and we don’t want to!  Plus, more time is taken in production than if we were mass producing one size fits all sizes.

Our bespoke, Canadian manufacturing costs more in labour, overhead, and cost of goods because each item isn’t rushed through, it’s one of a kind and made right here at home!

For drapery to look beautiful and luxurious it needs to fit correctly.  You’ve likely seen drapery that is store-bought and it is either pooling on the floor or hung like flood pants and often they don’t close fully.  NOT OK!

When you invest in custom drapery they will finish perfectly at the floor and close fully and hang perfectly and provide jobs for hard-working, talented Canadian women and that’s why it’s worth the wait until you have it in your budget.

Custom drapery uses premium fabric and lining!

Readymade drapery is often made with low quality, second run fabrics, and linings.  When you order our custom drapery you get premium, designer quality luxury fabric.  We select our fabrics based on the highest standards and we buy it in small batches to ensure consistency.  Every fabric we stock is from suppliers we have long term relationships with and this means you get a high quality, designer level finished product every time.

Our linings are all premium quality and treated for water and stain resistance and we have tested them for stability, hang and overall quality over the many years we’ve been manufacturing drapery.  All of our linings are a substantial weight and provide protection for the face fabric along with the desired light blockage.  Custom fabrics and linings are second to none and will have longevity and beauty in a way that readymade drapery just can’t compete with.

Great fabric and lining make perfect drapery!

Sky high drapery custom made by us.  Photo courtesy of Coco and Jack

Custom Drapery Can Be Made To Fit Those Unique Windows

Everyone has that one window in their home that is “tricky.”  There is an arch or an angle or a bulkhead that just doesn’t jive with readymade drapery.  Plus, many of the homes being built now have super high ceilings and high ceilings mean high windows!

Readymade drapery comes in standard sizes usually up to 108″ long which simply won’t do for those extra long windows or windows with special shapes or considerations.

Our custom-built drapery assembly tables can handle up to 240″ long drapery and every size in between.  We can get accurate lengths at any height!  Our team is highly skilled in those “tricky” windows that need angles or cutouts.  If your wall has a bulkhead or any other intrusion into the window area we can custom shape the top of your drapery to suit it as well.  These are options you just don’t have when purchasing drapery off the shelf.

Custom drapery just fits and looks better because they are sewn correctly and the fullness of the fabric is lush!

You can tell right away if a home has been correctly fitted with drapery.  The hardware is placed properly on the wall, the drapery is sized correctly to make the windows look larger and taller without blocking the view and light pouring through the windows of the home.  The drapery will have the correct fullness which means the folds created by the pleats are big enough to look lush both when open and closed.

Readymade drapery often is not pleated or if it is the pleats are skimpy and sad-looking.  The pleats will be made identically so the drapery has a clean, tailored finish with perfectly hanging folds and easy function.  Custom drapery finishes correctly at the floor and this will be uniform across the window and throughout each area of the home.

Perfectly placed hardware with an elbow for a bow window area.

Always remember we are happy to help guide you through the measurement and drapery selection process!  I hope you will rely on us to make sure you understand our products and their characteristics to be sure they will be a perfect choice for your home.  If you need help with sizing, colour, hardware, pleat style, lining choice or anything at all please reach out and we will be more than happy to work with you to get perfect drapes and shades.  Find more on this topic on our YouTube channel here.