Frequent Asked Questions

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Email Us: team@barnandwillow.com

Draperies

What does custom drapery mean and why should one buy custom?

Custom draperies are made to fit your window dimensions and your decor style. Draperies define the look of the room and in fact they make or break the room aesthetics. So it is important for your draperies or shades to have the perfect length and fullness so that it enhances the style of the room and not fall flat. Designers and lifestyle editors call window coverings as the soul of the room.

We know custom sizes are inaccessibly priced at other retail stores, but ours are not because we started Barn & Willow to make premium home decor more accessible.

What drapery styles do you offer?:

We offer these 7 styles: Soft Top, Rod Pocket, Two-Pinch Pleat, Three-Pinch Pleat, Euro Pleat and Grommet style.Below are descriptions of each of them:

  • Soft Top draperies make beautiful casual draperies, that can be opened and closed as the draperies are supplied with hooks to be installed with drapery rod rings. The soft top is considered a casual style that creates gentle folds for the drapery. The important part for soft top draperies is to select the right amount of fullness, so that when the drapery panels are drawn in, it forms fuller looking folds and gathers well instead of looking like a stretched sheet. Soft Top draperies automatically come with a rod pocket.
  • Rod Pocket draperies are ideal as stationary draperies, since they are designed to hang on a drapery rod on each side of the window. This results in the softening of the window outline as well as addition of texture to the room. Since it does not hang from rings it may be difficult to draw the draperies often. Rod Pockets are automatically included with all our Soft Top draperies.
  • Two-pinch or three-pinch pleated draperies feature pleats that are pinched either two or three inches from the top. Provides a structure and formal look. Great for living rooms or formal dining rooms.
  • The Euro pleated draperies are pinched at the top for a waterfall effect. Provides a modern structured look.
  • Grommet style offers a modern aesthetic with effortless style - it keeps a casual atmosphere while completing the room. Fabric extends about 1" above the hardware. The grommet rings are 2" in diameter.

What’s the ideal length of a drapery panel?

This varies, based on the look you want. Panels that are designed to hang to ½” above the floor are usually considered the most casual, while those that puddle on the floor give a formal, classic look. You may also choose a length that just break at the floor.

How are the draperies made?

Our draperies are made from the finest fabrics like certified 100% Belgian linens and Organic cottons sourced from the World's finest linen and cotton mills. Our window coverings are stitched on demand as per your specifications by our expert craftsmen in our stitch factory in India. We ship out all products within 10 business days.

Do you sell drapery rods and rings?

Yes we do. We sell drapery rods, rings and the accessories that go with the rods. You can see our Hardware Collection. All our draperies come with metal hooks that attach to the back of the drapery panel in order to hang from the rings. We provide 8 metal hooks for every 50" wide panels. For 100" wide panel we provide 16 hooks and so on.

How many rings will I need, and how do I attach them to the drapery?

We recommend 7-8 rings per 50" wide drapery panel. For pinch pleated draperies we recommend 10-12 rings per 50" wide drapery panel. First, you would have to insert the pointed edge of each hook into the back tape. We recommend that you place each hook about 6" apart (for a 50" wide panel). Then the hooks would hang from the rings on the rod. For a visual guide, you can refer to this installation video.

Roman Shades & Roller Shades

What are Roman shades & Roller Shades ideal for and what's the difference between Roman and Roller Shades?

Roman and Roller shades are great for adding structure and form to a room, and are highly functional if you’re looking to add privacy. It can be modern and casual or traditional depending on the style you pick. The main difference between a roller vs. a roman shade would be the material with which it’s made and hence the kind of look it lends to the space.

Oh and both can be inside or an outside mount style of shades. Roller shades are generally more efficient with filtering out light. If you’re looking for something more modern, simple and minimalist for your living room I would say go with roller shades.

What are the different styles of roman shades?

We offer four styles:

Flat Roman Shade

A flat base and a sleek bottom fold stack creates a modern minimalist look. Flat roman shades that are privacy lined will need some manual positioning of the bottom pleats as they are raised until the fabric develops a fold memory. For optimal use we recommend a blackout lining.

Pleated Roman Shade

Folds are spaced about 5" apart to create a structured pleated look. Very good for functionality and ease of raising up and down.

Cascade Roman Shade

This style is made with pleats and dowels stitched to create a well structured look. When raised, it folds to form a single stack

Relaxed Roman Shade

The relaxed style has a casual informal look, great for decorative purposes and to add some softness to your room decor. Stitched without any dowels, it creates a subtle curve at the bottom. Wider than 45" wide shades, may form more than 1 curve. Relaxed roman shades do have a tendency to fold inwards when rolled up, hence we recommend to use it for decorative purposes only. If you do prefer using a relaxed roman shade for a more functional use, we recommend going with an outside mount relaxed shade or ideally one of our other offered roman shades.

Roller Shades come in 1 style but you can select a regular roll or a reverse roll option when customizing

You can see the styles, customize a size and see prices here

What pull mechanisms do you offer for your roman shade and roller shades?

The pull mechanisms for our roman shades consist of either a stainless steel chain or a string cord. The minimum cord length for the stainless steel chain is about 39 inches and the string cord is 59.05 inches. If your shade length is shorter than the cord option you have chosen, then we will automatically use the shorter appropriate cord.

For roller shade we offer only the stainless steel chain option and it comes at different custom lengths depending on the height of the roller shade.

Is roman shade or roller shade hardware included with the shade?

Yes, we provide all necessary mount hardware to install the shades.

Customization

Do you make custom draperies and roman shades?

Yes absolutely!

You can customize the length and width, pleat style and lining preference. For customizing drapery start Here.For customizing roman shade start Here. For customizing roller shade start Here

How much will it cost to have my draperies and shades custom made?

The cost of the drapery or shades entirely depends on the fabric, length/width dimensions and the pleat style. You can customize and see prices reflect Here.

Why do your custom draperies cost less than that of other high-end home decor retailers?

We work directly with the factories that manufacture products for other high-end home decor brands. But by refusing to work with the fabricators, fabric wholesalers and traditional retail stores, we pass on the savings directly to you. Read Our Story Here

Lining

Are all your draperies lined?

That's totally up to you. Since every drapery and shade is custom stitched, you can customize it based on your preferences. If you want a complete room darkening effect, select a Blackout Liner to line the drapery and shade. If you want to just filter some light out then go with the Privacy Liner. The lining is always sewn directly to the drapery. We do recommend avoiding Unlined though in order to protect the fabric from too much sun damage over time.

Are your roman shades lined?

All our Flat Roman Shades are privacy lined, but you can select Blackout Lining when customizing the shade. For the other shade styles you can keep it unlined or go with privacy or blackout Lined

  • There might be small light gaps at sides to accommodate hardware.
  • When you stitch in a blackout liner, which is thicker than a cotton privacy liner, it results in few pin pricks on the side of the panels, from which light may come through.

What types of lining do you offer?

We offer Privacy Lining that is 100% cotton and provides privacy and partial sun blockage.

We also use Blackout Lining that blocks out light entirely. Since blackout lining is thicker than privacy lining, it results in added volume to the drapery panel. Interlining is a layer of blackout lining and a layer of privacy lining that provides additional sun block and insulation. Caution: Do not to iron directly on the blackout liner

Do liners have any impact on drapery how a drapery looks?

Yes. The lining adds a weight to the drapery and makes it hang better. With the exception of sheers, we recommend that draperies should always be lined. (unless it’s a sheer linen panel where the flow-y see through look is preferred). Lining adds a weight to the drapery and makes it fall better.

Can sheers be lined?

Yes. Sheers can be lined for additional privacy.

For our sheer linens, we offer off-white lining that complements the fabric.

Prices & Quality

Are your prices indicative of lower quality?

Absolutely not. We work closely with carefully selected fabric mill partners. While it's an overused phrase, our unique sourcing approach actually does remove the middlemen. After thoroughly inspecting and meticulously packaging each product, we ship directly to you.

Fabrics + Wash Care

Why do you mostly offer linens and organic materials for your draperies and roman shades?

We believe in the goodness of natural fabrics and we try to avoid as much toxins as possible all across. None of our Belgian Linens and the Organic cotton fabrics have any synthetic materials in them and the mills these fabrics are produced in is certified for being environmentally safe as well.

We think that linens are the most luxurious fabrics and transforms a space most elegantly. We love Cottons and Wool too.

Where do you source your linens?

Our Belgian Linen collection is 100% made in Europe, from plant to yarn to fabric. We will provide a Masters of Linen certification label with all of our Belgian linen products. Our Belgian Flax Linen Collection is sourced from Europe and finished in a European Flax Certified mill in India. See about our Factory Here

What are the weights of your fabrics?

Depending on the type of fabric, the weights differ. Please refer to the chart below:

Fabric Type

Weight

Belgian Sheer Linen

95 gsm

Belgian Flax Linen

296 gsm

Belgian Laundered Linen (Dark Gray)

265 gsm

Belgian Textured Linen (Oyster & Flax)

380-420 gsm

Washed Belgian Linen

295 gsm

Will there be fabric color variation from time to time?

There may be a slight difference in color due to variations between dye lots. If you are planning on ordering the same color for multiple window treatments in your home, we recommend that you order them all at once to ensure that the fabric is from the same dye lot.

Can I order fabric by the yard?

No, unfortunately we do not sell fabric by the yard, unless you are an interior designer. You can drop us a note at designer@barnandwillow.com for any questions or feedback.

How do I wash my draperies?

Professional dry cleaning is recommended (although all our linens are pre-washed and can be machine washed at certain temperature). For maintenance in between dry cleaning, just lightly shake the draperies or spot clean to remove any dust.

Unlined draperies or privacy lined ones can be hand washed in mild water temperature. Medium to hot temperature ironing recommended. Blackout lined curtains should always be professionally dry cleaned.

How do I wash roman shades?

Professional dry cleaning is recommended.

Measurement + Installation

How do I measure for drapery and shades?

Please see our measurement guidelines here.

I don't want my drapery to look flat when drawn in. How do determine fullness of the panel?

With draperies the rule of thumb is always to get appropriate fullness (recommended 2x or more fullness) to make sure the folds and pleats form well, creating a well gathered look. Here's how you calculate it: For Soft top draperies, measure the entire length of the drapery rod (if you have rods installed). If you don't have rods installed, measure the horizontal width of the window/door and add 8-10" on each side for rod to extent. The width you get should be the width of each of your panel to achieve a 2x fullness (always recommended for a well gathered, fuller look). You could choose to go with 1.5x fullness too.

Do you offer measurement services?

We recommend that you try services like ThumbtackTaskRabbit, or Angie's List to find a local installer.

Do you offer Installation Services?

We recommend that you try services like Thumbtack, TaskRabbit, or Angie's List to find a local installer.

Delivery + Returns

What is your return and exchange policy?

Since we custom stitch every drapery to fit your style and window measurements, we do not accept returns. Custom orders are placed for production within 24 hours of order placement and are built to your specifications. If you choose to cancel your custom order item(s) once it has been stitched and/or prior to delivery, we will process a refund back to you, with a 30% non-refundable restocking fee.
Once your order is delivered, order returns or exchanges due to customer preference cannot be accepted. For orders where a part of the order needs to be replaced we would gladly replace that for you. However we're unable to accept a return of the rest of order and offer a refund. 

If you find that your measurements were slightly off from what your original order was put in with, and the drapes or shades don't fit perfectly, not a problem! We will do our best to find the best and the quickest solution. If the drapery is too wide, we may be able to cut it down in width to the proper size for you at absolutely no charge (if the drapes were made with incorrect measurements from our end).  If it cannot be cut down, or it’s an issue, such as it is too narrow, or the length is incorrect, we will offer you completely new replacements drapery/shade or if you would like to select a different fabric, we will offer you to purchase a new product in the correct dimensions at 20% off. (Offer valid for 30 days after order date and must be replacing the original window treatment purchased). For roman shade hardware we cover warranty for up to 2 years and would cover track or cord related issues. Please email us at team@barnandwillow.com

For all non-custom products like our pillows and throws, if for any reason you don't love the product, we accept returns within 30 days of purchase for a full refund. You’ll need to arrange for return shipping. Please email us team@barnandwillow.com and we’ll respond with the next steps immediately

How long will it take for my order to ship and deliver?

All draperies and shades are custom stitched and shipped to you within 10 business days. For fabrics that are out of stock or in some very high order volume months it may take longer. All other non-custom products ship within 2 business days.

Can I cancel my order?

Yes. , If you change your mind within 24 hours of placing the order, just contact us at team@barnandwillow.com with your order number. We’ll cancel the order and issue a refund.

Design Assistance

Can you assist with design decisions?

Yes, we would love to work one on one with you to assist you with the right selection based on your decor style. Please drop us a note at designer@barnandwillow.com and we will get back in touch shortly.

Swatches + Sample Panels

Can we order fabric swatches?

Yes, absolutely. We offer free fabric swatches, which are shipped out within one business day. You can order them Here. We encourage you to hold the fabric against the wall, see the color in the room, and feel the texture so you can determine what works best for your decor.

What’s your TRY AT HOME Program?

If swatches aren't enough to make a decision try our sample drapery panels. With our TRY AT HOME program you can order up to 3 sample panels to see which suits your space. All sample panels are lined with privacy liner so you can get a better idea of how much light will be blocked. Each panel is $15 and you can keep it for up to 7 days. Once your window has met it's match return the sample panels with our prepaid shipping label. We require a valid credit or debit card for your order. After you've returned the panels we will refund you in full. Shipping both ways is on us! Sample panels are 25"W x 50"L and can be ordered here
We currently do not ship sample panels to Canada, but stay tuned. In the meantime try our free swatches

Our Pillow & Throw Blankets

Can the pillows and throw blankets be washed at home?

Yes, our pillows and throws are machine washable. Details will be in the wash care label.

Trade Professionals

Do you have a Trade program?

Yes, we do. We love to work with Interior designers. Please Join our Trade Program for exclusive trade discounts https://barnandwillow.com/pages/trade-program .