How Expensive are Custom Drapes?

A lot of people get very nervous when they hear "Custom Drapes".  Visions of dollar signs dance over their heads and they often assume the prices are extravagant. 

But they know that a room is never really 'finished' until there is something decorative on the windows, and off they head to find something ready-made.  And they might find panels that will be "okay" and maybe they're not quite the right length or quite the best color for the room, but hey, you have to have something on the windows, so this will be better than nothing.

So I thought I'd compare the cost of a ready-made panel from a very popular store and catalog to a custom-made panel.  I don't want to name names, so we'll just say this source rhymes with "Lottery Darn".  There you can buy a dupioni silk panel, lined in cotton with a rod pocket top.  One panel, which is 50" wide and 96" long currently costs $139.00.  It comes in 8 colors. It will have a thin cotton lining and pillow-cased side hems.  It will come to you folded up into about a 10 x 12 package.  (Wrinkles.) (You will have to iron it.) (And there might still be creases.)

If you choose to get custom drapes, you can select from a myriad of colors, in your own home, so that you can be sure your color is exactly what you want to enhance the decor of your home. 

 If you have 8-foot ceilings, you may want drapes that are only 92 inches long.  Or if you have 9-foot ceilings you may want drapes that are 103" long.  With custom, you get exactly what you want.  But let's compare apples to apples here, so we'll use that same 96" length.  You will need 3 yards of fabric.  Similar weight dupioni can be bought for $30.00 per yard.  Add in high quality lining and labor and you get a custom-made silk panel for $136.00.  Imagine that:  the exact color you want, the exact length you want, turned and blind-stitched side and bottom hems to ensure your panels hang beautifully for less than a ready-made panel. And no ironing!

(and that price doesn't even include the 20% sale that is currently running at LFCDS.)

There's that cha-ching you're looking for!