I. CUSTOM DRAPERY
Drapery measured, sewn, and installed by us.
Floor-length and pooled drapery panels, valances, jabots and swags, Roman shades in flat-fold, hobbled, balloon, and relaxed style. Measured on-site, fabricated in our workroom on Colvin Street, installed on-site. Trade-only fabric library access with the major fabric houses. COM welcome with no markup.
II. PANELS
Pleat, length, and lining, to the room.
Floor-length, pooled, sill-length, apron-length — measured on-site. Pleat styles include pinch (2-finger or 3-finger), French (top-attached), goblet, inverted box, and grommet-top. Linings: standard cotton blackout, interlining for body and insulation, blackout for media and bedrooms, fire-rated where required (theaters, hospitality). Hardware coordinated with your designer or sourced from our trade lines (Forest Drapery, Kirsch, Lutron for motorized rod systems).
III. ROMAN SHADES
Flat-fold, hobbled, balloon, relaxed.
Roman shades in four major styles: flat-fold (crisp horizontal pleats, contemporary), hobbled (continuous horizontal folds when raised or lowered, soft), balloon (gathered bottom with arched bottom edge), and relaxed (soft curved bottom, casual). Cord, continuous-loop, or motorized lift. Light-blocking or sheer fabric. Mounted inside or outside the casing. We measure each window individually — drapery is never one-size.
IV. FABRIC
Trade library, designer-grade, no COM markup.
Trade-only fabric library carries Schumacher, Brunschwig & Fils, Pierre Frey, Kravet, Lee Jofa, and Donghia for residential; Maharam, Designtex, Momentum, Architex for contract / commercial; and outdoor-grade Sunbrella, Crypton, and Perennials for sun rooms and screened porches. Designers visit the fabric room by appointment. COM (customer's own material) is welcome — we log it, photograph it, condition-report it, and yardage-confirm before any cut. There is no markup on COM.
V. MEASUREMENT & INSTALL
On-site for both. Drapery that hangs right.
We measure on-site, not from designer-supplied dimensions alone. The rod placement, the drop, the pool depth, the return around architectural projections — all of it is verified at the install location. Drapery off by even 1/2 inch pools wrong on the floor; that detail is the difference between drapery that looks designer-grade and drapery that does not. Install is included in the project price across the DC metro for residential clients.
VI. COST & TIMELINE
$600 to $3,200 per pair + fabric. 4 to 6 weeks.
A standard panel pair (8 to 10 foot drop, single width per side, lined, pinch-pleated) runs $600 to $1,200 plus fabric. Pooled drapery, motorized hardware, or interlining adds 30 to 60 percent. A 10-window project (mix of panels and Roman shades) typically runs 12 to 16 yards of 54-inch fabric and 4 to 6 weeks from fabric arrival. Roman shades start at $250 per window plus fabric. Measurement is free across the DC metro.
Frequently asked
Do you do on-site measurement?
Yes — by us, on-site, no charge across the DC metro. We verify rod placement, fabric drop, pool preference (just touching, slight break, deep pool), and return depth around any architectural projections. Designer-supplied dimensions are honored but verified — wall-to-rod variance of 1/2 inch makes drapery pool wrong on the floor.
What pleat style should I choose?
Depends on the room. Pinch-pleat (2- or 3-finger) is the most traditional and works in 80 percent of rooms — formal living, dining, bedrooms. French pleat (top-attached) reads slightly more modern. Goblet pleat is dressy, best for formal dining. Inverted box pleat is clean and contemporary. Grommet-top is casual, best for media rooms and family rooms. Antonio recommends based on the room and the fabric weight at the consultation.
Can I bring my own fabric?
Yes — COM is welcome with no markup. We log it on arrival, photograph it, condition-report any defects, and confirm yardage before cutting. Most fabric house trade reps ship directly to our workshop; the standard ship-to label is in our trade folder.
How much fabric does drapery actually use?
A pair of standard 8-foot-drop, single-width pinch-pleated panels uses 4 to 5 yards of 54-inch fabric. Pooled drapery (8 to 12 inches of fabric pooled on the floor) adds 1 to 2 yards. Interlining roughly doubles fabric use. Pattern repeats on printed fabrics add 20 to 40 percent to handle matching. We yardage-confirm at the in-home measurement before any fabric is ordered.
Do you handle motorized drapery?
Yes. We coordinate motorized rod hardware (Lutron, Somfy) with the drapery fabrication and the designer or AV integrator. Hard-wired or battery-powered, smartphone- or remote-controlled. Best for tall windows, multi-panel walls, and rooms where drapery needs to coordinate with shades and lighting.
Are Roman shades washable?
Most are not — the lift mechanism and lining stiffen the shade and washing distorts the pleat memory. Spot-clean only. For washable window treatments, tailored slipcovers (on bench seating) or cushion covers in performance fabrics are the better choice. We will tell you up-front which applications wash and which do not.
Do you work with designers?
Constantly. Designer-trade pricing on labor, fabric library access, COM workflow with no markup, direct communication through the project. We are recognized at the Washington Design Center directory. Designer-trade visits to the workshop fabric library by appointment — call Jose Rugerio at jarugerio@bergerieupholstery.com to schedule.
