by Christy Heitger-Ewing | photo by 360 Tour Designs


One of the best things about touring a Home-A-Rama (HAR) house is that it always has a few “wow” features that catch your eye. In the case of the 8,300 sq. ft. beauty built by Sigma Builders, featured in the 2022 First Internet Bank HAR at Chatham Hills, one of those “wows” happens the moment you step inside.

“Your eye is immediately drawn to the entryway’s architectural arches and domes in the front hallway,” says Erika Reimer, Director of Business Development at Drapery Street. Right off the entry is the study with striking dark walls, velvet drapery, and a spiral staircase that leads up to a cool and cozy hangout.

“This homeowner was not afraid of color,” says Reimer, the senior designer on the project. “They also liked natural organic shades, so we did lots of layering in the master suite, using Hunter Douglas organic bamboo woven shades.”

Oftentimes homeowners like to keep all the rooms fairly neutral by installing cream shades or wooden blinds, but Reimer says it’s fun to mix it up to meet your needs and style. The homeowners have two sons and a daughter. In the girl’s room, they chose fabric Roman shades with specks of blush and some trim to dress them up. The boys’ rooms, on the other hand, are darker. One thing all the kids’ rooms have in common, however, is simple, sleek room-darkening roller shades. The basement’s game lounge also includes dark, moody, textured printed drapery.

Some people think that shades and blinds need to stay the same throughout the home, but Reimer says that’s not so.

“How you use your family room is different than your master bedroom and garage. Window treatments between those spaces should coordinate and tell a design story, but they do not (and should not) have to be the same.”

Homes with a lot of hardwood or tile need fabric, texture, and textiles to warm up a space and cut down on echo; drapery helps with that. Blinds, however, serve a purpose. For example, if you have east-facing windows in the front of the house and that’s where your home office is located, you’ll want to filter out that light in the morning, so you’re not blinded.

“I just had a client who is a radiologist, and she needed an ultra-dark study in order to work,” says Reimer. “We layered to make that happen.”

Whether you want to create a cozy vibe or optimize the light in your home office, visit draperystreet.com and connect with the team at Drapery Street to achieve your window treatment goals.