Decorating isn't dead; you just have to look in the right place
This holiday season, decorating victims and their enablers can choose among lots of fine reads. For example, there's an entire category of books on star decorators of the 20th century. Most of these titles are not where one would turn for advice on "how to," but they do provide plenty of information, pictures and gossip on "who by." They can also be splendid sources of inspiration for real-life projects.
Q. Is decorating dead? When I look in design magazines for inspiration on window treatments, all I see are bare glass walls or contemporary - which is to say minimalist - window dressings. What about those of us who live in traditionally designed homes? Specifically, I'm looking for ideas for a small window on a staircase landing. It's a source of welcome light during the daytime but at night it looks like a scary black hole. Have you got a suggestion?
A. Let me first say that decorating definitely is not dead, not even in contemporary interiors. I don't know what magazines you've been flipping through, but it seems to me that elaborate window coverings are fairly common these days. One issue, I grant, is the difficulty of finding a drapery workroom able to produce a custom treatment. Perhaps I should say "costume treatment" because drapery of this kind does resemble a tailored, high-style ball gown. Lots of handwork - draping, trimming and fitting - is involved in making the final product.
Assuming you can find a qualified drapery workroom, ideas on styles and practical solutions can be gleaned from a number of books devoted to window coverings. Some are filled with examples of traditional treatments, too. And what's more traditional than an English country-style interior that includes a magnificent window treatment? When in doubt, turn to the best, I say. And it's a fact that the English really know how to dress a window.
You can see some superb samples of this expertise in "John Fowler: Prince of Decorators," a book by Martin Wood recently published by Frances Lincoln. Fowler helped change the tastes of Victorian England and became one of the most influential interior designers of the 20th century. He actually invented what's now known as the English Country style. The accompanying photo, which appears in Wood's book, shows a drapery treatment that's not meant to cover a staircase window but rather to frame it.
Perhaps this window is similar to yours in its dimensions. While you may not care for this particular treatment, its underlying aim does merit consideration. You've got the ideal solution as can be seen, decoratively framing a window with the fabric, leaves the window uncovered during the day and gives it an attractive drapery treatment at night that will make that scary black hole vanish.
Send your general interior design questions to Rita St. Clair at rsca@ritastclair.com.