Annie, Thanks so much for your advice. Interesting point about the euro pleat looking best with a substantial hand fabric. Perhaps that makes a case for lining the drapes.

I like the look of the euro pleat and I just did this with my dining room. My fabric was heavier than yours and as such I did not interline. I love the way they turned out. It really is a nice tailored look.

I would line them. The fabric seems just a bit sheer, and with your dark woodwork, a lining would prevent the window frame from possibly showing through. I wouldn't interline, them, however; just choose a nice lining as close to the fabric color as you can get.

Looking at the width of your current panels and your nicely covered radiator, I am guessing that you don't plan to close them - they'll hang straight at the edges of the windows?

Mamorella -- thanks for the vote for the euro/tailored pleat. Have you posted pictures on GW of your new dining room drapes?

My3dogs -- Thanks for your suggestion about the lining. I think you are right. You are also correct that I don't plan to close the drapes completely. When closed they will cover the two smaller windows in the window trio. The full expanse of the three window unit is 108 inches. I am planning on each side panel of drapes to "close" to about 33 inches. (The side panels I have right now feel a bit skimpy to me. And because they aren't pleated they don't look great when they are "closed".)

Just want to tell you I love the drapery material. I would have the draperies lined. Your table and sideboard are lovely and I have never seen a chandelier like yours before-very pretty!

I hope you come back with finished pictures.

Francoise, I hadn't gotten around to posting dining room pics, as the dining room isn't "done". But here are a couple:

Mamorella --

Your new dining room drapes (and dining room) are gorgeous!

The wonderful green leaf fabric looks beautiful with your gray walls. I love the way the clear curtain rod echoes the ghost chairs.

Thanks so much for posting the pictures. It gives me a much better sense of the european pleat in action.

I hope that GW will see more pictures of your dining room when you are ready to show it off.

IMO it all depends upon whether or not you want to showcase the rod. The pinch pleats that hang so that the very top of the rod shows look a bit fussy and confusing--- as do the Euro pleats that show the entire rod. Again, just my opinion, but I think a beautiful fabric curtain, lined so that it hangs properly and is beautifully sewn with constructed pleats of any kind should not show the rod (except the ends of the rod and the middle, of course). The unbroken line of the fabric (rod behind it) gives a much cleaner and more tailored look.

Francoise, thanks so much! I love the drapes. I actually wanted to wallpaper in that print ( a la Beverly Hills Hotel) but it wasn't in the budget, nor did it flow as well with the rest of the first floor. Maybe one day! So these drapes are my compromise. I will definitely post more pics soon.

Kswl, I agree with you on the rod issue. I wanted to showcase my lucite rods. I feel they are a bit of jewelry in the room. But in all my other rooms, showcasing only the fabric is the goal.

Mamorella -- I love the fact that you drew your inspiration from the vibe of the Beverly Hills Hotel. You've created a fun and glamorous destination for partying in your own home for sure.

kswl -- very interesting point about showing (or not showing) the curtain rod. I hadn't even thought about that. Now I will!

I've just flipped through a small stack of House Beautiful and Elle Decor from the last year and see that curtain rods are almost always showing. So I guess that showcasing the rod is the current "look" and perhaps is part of the current appeal of the euro/tailored/parisian pleat.

Thanks! Now I'll need to consider whether the exposed rod is the right look or not for what I'm trying to achieve in my dining room. If I decide to cover the rod I assume that I'll need my drapes to be at least three or four inches longer -- so I need to decide before I order the drapes.

Cyn427, Thanks the suggestion to line the drapes. I think that I will.

And thanks for the complements on the dining room. The chandelier is a cheap vintage find (late 1920s) from a second hand store in Red Bank, NJ. It has set the tone for much of the room. The pedestal table is a 1940s Baker Furniture (also second hand) and the side board is a circa 1900 store counter. The only things new in the room are the Crate and Barrel chairs (dragged into the room after the cats destroyed our beautiful upholstered chairs) and the picture rail from West Elm. Oh yes, and the roller shades and hopefully soon the new drapes!

"Hand": does that mean weight?

francois, I just love your dining room. That chandelier is so awesome. Why do I never find "cheap" beauties like that? :) I love the long shelf for artwork/photos.

I love love love your drape fabric! I would line it, as it shows off the pattern better, but doesn't darken the room. I had to Google both pinch and Euro pleats. I have plain panels where I added those metal hooks so they open with soft pleats. I did discover that, depending where I put the hooks, I could make the rod show or disappear. Of course, it affects the length.

I think in general I like the rod not showing (except ends and middle).

Your dining room is gonna be awesome!

I went with the goblet pleat on my dining room drapes. They are on a large wood w/finial rod and they are hung with rings. I'm very happy with the goblet style versus the standard "pinch pleat". I also had mine made a bit longer so I could do a little puddling...My home is not traditional in style - I am going for a more transitional look, but I did want my DR drapes to be more on the formal side.