Curtain Call! Part I --Draperies...

... and, um, Portieres --Long, cool drink

Mammy: What you up to wit' Miss Ellen's portiers?
Scarlett: You're gonna make me a new dress.
Mammy: Not wit' Miss Ellen's portiers. Not while I got breath in my body.
Scarlett [grabs the curtains and tears them down]: Great balls of fire! They're my portiers now. I'm going to Atlanta for that three hundred dollars and I've got to go looking like a queen.
Mammy: Who's goin' to Atlanta wit' you?
Scarlett: I'm going alone.
Mammy: That's what you think. I'se goin' to Atlanta wit' you. Wit' you and dat new dress.
Scarlett: Mammy, darling....
Mammy: No use to try to sweet talk me, Miss Scarlett. I'se known you since I put the first pair of diapers on you. I said I'm goin' to Atlanta wit' you and goin' I is.

Of course, "drapes" is incorrect (as my mother made abundantly clear: "draperies, dear, not drapes,")  but "portieres" as Mammy in Gone with the Wind calls them is accurate -- they cover a doorless opening.

Portieres, draperies, whatever....Done correctly, they can float like a tall, cool drink of water or billow like a ball gown.  Done incorrectly they are like lank, stringy hair that should never have been allowed to grow long.

They are the easiest window treatment to transition from traditional to modern. They take their cue from the rod they hang from -- wrought iron, gilt, lucite, wood; and how they attach to that rod -- rings, grommets, rod pocket, fabric tabs.  Talk about diversity!  But I drone on...let's let the photographs make the point.

It helps to have soaring ceilings, and this first group of flowing draperies shows how to take advantage of them:

In a Brooklyn townshouse, designer Kathryn Scott's draperies hanging from a simple wrought iron rod are the epitomy of cool elegance.  (photographer unknown)

For a house in the Hamptons, Paul Siskin of Siskin-Valls draped a huge bay window with yards and yards of pale celadon fabric.  (photo: Antoine Bootz for House Beautiful) 

Above and below:  In a Manhattan maisonette designed by Christopher Maya, cool, blue draperies cascade down the double height walls of the living room.  They are bordered on the edge and bottom with a woven tape -- a subtle, but elegant touch.  (photos: Eric Piasecki for House Beautiful)

In designer Bill Sofield's Manhattan apartment, the luxurious cashmere draperies offer the most  beautiful and stylish insulation imaginable. (photo: Laura Resen for House Beautiful)

In an Atlanta home, designer William Peace uses a silk/wool blend for floor to ceiling draperies that are  cleverly attached above and behind what appears to be a suspended ceiling. (Veranda; photographer unknown) 

And now on to portieres.  They soften entrance ways, are always stylish and offer a practical way to divide rooms or define a space.  They can be a mere backdrop or exhibit personality.  Here are some that I love:

Benjamin Noriega-Ortiz works magic in a Manhattan apartment using creamy silk to soften the architecture and hide unsightly doors.  Also notice the gossamer Roman shade and draperies reflected in the mirror.  (photo: Metropolitan Home; photographer unknown)

Benjamin Noriega-Ortiz again, but in a much more traditional vein.  These beautifully embroidered portieres frame an archway.  (photo: Peter Margonel for House Beautiful)

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John Saladino, a master of modern soft draping, uses a variation in style with a portiere that separates living from dining area.  (photo: Antoine Bootz for Veranda)

In his former Montgomery, Alabama, home, architect Bobby McAlpine uses gauzy white portieres to great effect in a guest bedroom. (photo: William Waldron for House & Garden)

This is a fun, casual look and a great solution to separate the living area from home office space.        (source unknown)

Next post:  Draperies that billow.


Thanks for reading, everyone!