Why Swansea Homeowners Choose Us
Drapery is what Window Works is known for, and custom drapes in Swansea, MA have been at the heart of the store since 1988. Every pair starts with the fabric. You choose the cloth in our showroom or from samples at home, we measure the window and the wall around it, and the drapes are made to hang exactly where you want them, at the length you want.
The houses around town give drapes a lot to do. Cottages in Ocean Grove and Gardners Neck face Mount Hope Bay and take strong afternoon light and salt air. Hortonville farmhouses have tall, traditional windows with trim worth framing. The post-war ranches along the Route 6 corridor have broad picture windows and sliders that look bare without fabric. Many older cottages also have short, wide windows set close to the ceiling, which drapes can make look taller.
- Drapery and curtains made from the fabric up
- Lined, unlined and room-darkening options
- Measured in your home and hung by our own team
The Drapery We Make
Pinch pleat drapes
Tailored pleats gathered at the top, for a full, formal drape that hangs in even folds.
Grommet curtains
Rings set into the heading slide easily along the rod. Relaxed, modern and simple to open and close.
Sheer curtains
Light fabric that softens the daylight and blurs the view in, on its own or behind heavier drapes.
Lined and velvet drapery
Heavier fabrics and linings for warmth, darkness and the richest folds.
Valances
A fabric top treatment that finishes a window on its own or above a shade or blind.
Custom fabric decor
Pillows, duvet covers and some upholstery, in fabric that ties to your drapes.
Custom Drapes in Swansea, MA, From the Fabric Up
Making custom drapes in Swansea, MA starts with the cloth, because the fabric decides almost everything else: how the drape hangs, how much light it lets through, how warm it keeps the room and how it wears. Here is how we work through the choices with you.
Choosing the fabric
Linen and cotton give a relaxed, natural look and suit cottages and living rooms. Heavier weaves and velvets give deep, rich folds and suit dining rooms, bedrooms and formal rooms. Sheers soften light without blocking it. Prints and plaids bring pattern; plain fabrics let the shape of the drape do the work. You can see and handle the range in the showroom, and we bring samples when we measure, so you can see the colour in your own light.
Lining
Lining is one of the most important choices, and it is often overlooked. A standard lining gives the drape body, helps it hang in even folds and protects the face fabric from the sun. A room-darkening lining keeps a bedroom dim. An insulating lining adds warmth and helps a draughty room feel more comfortable. Unlined drapes let the light glow through the fabric, which can be just right in a living room with sheers.
The heading
The heading is the top of the drape, and it sets the style. Pinch pleats give a tailored, formal look. Grommets give a relaxed, modern one and slide easily. Rod pockets gather the fabric along the rod for a soft, casual look on drapes that are rarely moved. We will suggest the heading that suits how often you will open and close the drapes.
Length and fullness
Drapes can stop just above the floor, touch it or puddle slightly on it. The right length depends on the room and how often the drapes are drawn. Fullness, which is how much fabric goes into each panel compared with the width of the window, decides whether the drape looks generous or sparse. We measure the window, the wall and the height of the rod, so the drapes hang at exactly the length you want.
Where the drapes stack
When drapes are open, the fabric gathers at the sides of the window. That stack takes up wall space, and a full drape in a heavy fabric takes more of it. If the rod stops at the edge of the frame, the stack covers part of the glass and the room loses light. We plan the rod to run past the frame on each side, far enough that the open drapes sit against the wall and the whole window stays clear. On a window close to a corner or a door, we look at whether a single panel drawn to one side suits it better than a pair.
Ready to Get Started? Book Your Free Quote
Call the Swansea store for a free quote, or come and see the samples in person.
Drapes for the Houses Around Swansea
The same drape will not suit every house. Here is how we approach the homes we see most often.
Bay-facing cottages
The rooms in Ocean Grove and Gardners Neck that look out over Mount Hope Bay get hard afternoon sun. A lined drape protects the face fabric and the furniture from fading, and drawn in the afternoon it takes the heat out of the room. Drapes also pair well with a roller shade or a solar screen behind them, so the shade handles the glare during the day and the drapes add warmth and privacy at night.
Salt air settles on fabric near the shore. We will talk through fabrics that stand up to it and how to keep them fresh.
Short windows near the ceiling
Many older cottages have short, wide windows set close to the ceiling. Drapes are one of the best ways to make them look taller. Hung from a rod mounted high, close to the ceiling, and falling to the floor, they draw the eye up and make the window look larger than it is. Mounted wide, past the sides of the frame, they can be drawn back clear of the glass so the room keeps all its light.
Hortonville farmhouses
The tall, traditional windows in Hortonville farmhouses suit drapes that frame the trim rather than hide it. Pinch pleats in a linen or a heavier weave look right in a farmhouse dining room or parlour. In bedrooms, a room-darkening lining makes a big difference in rooms that get the early sun. Drapes over plantation shutters or a roman shade work well in these houses, giving both a practical layer and a soft one.
Route 6 ranches
The post-war ranches along Route 6 often have a wide picture window at the front and a slider at the back. A pair of drapes on a long rod softens a broad picture window and gives the room the height it can lack. On a slider, drapes on a rod that extends past the door let you pull the fabric fully clear of the opening, so the door is easy to use. In the bedrooms, matching drapes keep the house consistent.
Drapes With Shades, Blinds and Shutters
Drapes often work best as part of a layered window. A shade or blind does the practical work, controlling light and privacy through the day. The drapes add colour, softness and warmth. A cellular shade behind lined drapes is one of the warmest combinations for a cold room. Sheers behind heavier drapes give you soft light by day and privacy at night.
Because we make both the drapes and the shades, blinds or shutters, everything can be chosen together and measured on the same visit, so the drapes hang clear of the hardware and the colours suit each other.
Fabric beyond the window
We also make pillows, duvet covers and some upholstery through our custom fabric decor service. That means the fabric at your window can carry through to the sofa, the bed or a chair, so the room looks planned as a whole.
How Your Order Runs
We stay in contact with you from the first question until the drapes are hanging. A typical order for custom drapes runs like this.
- You call or use the form, tell us which rooms you have in mind, and book a free quote.
- A specialist comes to measure each window in your home, along with the wall, the ceiling height and where the rod will go.
- You choose the fabric, lining, heading, length and hardware, with samples at home or in the showroom.
- You receive a quote, room by room.
- Your drapes are made to the measurements taken in your home.
- Our team hangs them, dresses the folds so they fall evenly, and shows you how to open and close them.
Across the SouthCoast and the East Bay
Swansea is home, but we measure and hang drapes in 25 towns across the SouthCoast of Massachusetts and the Rhode Island East Bay. Each town has its own page, such as custom drapes in Somerset. Every town we cover is listed on this page.
Caring for drapes
Vacuum drapes now and then with a soft brush attachment, working from the top down. Most lined drapes should be cleaned by a professional rather than washed at home, because washing can shrink the fabric or the lining unevenly. We will tell you how to care for the fabric you choose.
What Sets Window Works Apart
Window Works is a family business, founded in Swansea in 1988 and now in its second generation. For over 37 years, custom drapes in Swansea, MA and across the SouthCoast and the East Bay have been the store’s specialty.
- Drapery specialists who know how each fabric will hang
- A showroom fabric range to see and handle in daylight
- Measuring in your home and hanging by our own team
- Warranties offered on the products we sell
- In constant contact with you until the job is done
See the full range we make, from blinds to shutters, on our window treatments page.
Custom Drapes Questions
What makes your drapes custom?
Each pair is made from the fabric you choose, to the measurements we take in your home, with the lining, heading and length chosen for the room.
Should my drapes be lined?
Usually, yes. A lining helps the drape hang well and protects the fabric from the sun. We will also talk through darker and warmer linings for bedrooms and cold rooms.
Can drapes make a short window look taller?
Yes. A rod mounted high near the ceiling with drapes falling to the floor draws the eye up and makes the window look larger.
Can I have drapes with shades or shutters?
Yes. We make both, so the two can be chosen together and measured on the same visit.
Can you make pillows to match my drapes?
Yes. Our custom fabric decor service makes pillows, duvet covers and some upholstery in fabric that ties to the window.
How do I get a quote?
Quotes are free. Use the call button or the form on this page and tell us which rooms you have in mind.
Book Your Free Quote
Use the call button to book a free quote for custom drapes in Swansea, MA, arrange measuring in your home or ask about installation, or send the form and we will be in touch. To see the fabrics in person, come into the Swansea showroom; the contact page has the directions. Window Works holds a 5.0 rating on Google.