The honest truth: most people hate buying drapery
If you’ve ever put off finishing a room because “I still need curtains,” you’re not alone. For many homeowners, drapery is that last, nagging detail that never gets sorted — not because they don’t care, but because the process of buying drapes feels confusing, expensive, and risky.
Surveys show that over 90% of people feel stressed or overwhelmed trying to hang their curtains, citing everything from tricky measurements to dealing with ladders and tools. And that’s just the installation part. Before you even get there, you’ve likely wrestled with online size charts, fabric names you don’t understand, and wildly different price points that are hard to compare.
At Morningside, we believe beautiful drapery should feel like a pleasure, not a project. To fix it, we first have to be honest about what’s broken.
Frustration #1: Measuring feels like a high-stakes math test
Most people will happily shop for a sofa or rug online — but when it comes to drapery, they freeze. Why? Measurements.
Window sizes are inconsistent. Terminology like “return,” “stack back,” and “inside/outside mount” adds layers of complexity. Experts warn that incorrect measurements can lead to disproportionate coverings, misalignment, and expensive reorders. It’s no wonder so many homeowners second-guess themselves.
Morningside’s view:
We see measurement as a design problem, not a customer problem. Instead of expecting you to learn the trade, we’ve redesigned the process:
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A simple system with three finished widths to choose from
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Clear guidance on where to measure and what number to enter
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Support from real humans if you’re unsure
You shouldn’t need a tape measure and a minor in geometry to order drapes.
Frustration #2: Choice overload disguised as “options”
Walk into a traditional showroom (or scroll a big-box website) and you’ll be offered hundreds of fabrics: every shade of grey, multiple textures that look similar online, and headings you’ve never heard of. In theory, more choice is good. In practice, it’s paralyzing.
Online guides frequently warn about “common mistakes” when buying curtains: choosing the wrong width, picking thin or see-through fabrics, or ending up with a style that dates quickly. When you’re staring at 300 swatches on a screen, it’s incredibly hard to know what’s right for your space.
Morningside’s view:
We don’t believe in endless choice. We believe in edited, timeless choice.
Our collection is intentionally small and tightly curated:
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Neutrals and textures that work in almost any room
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Fabrics tested for drape, light control, and longevity
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Styles that won’t feel “over” in two years
We do the heavy lifting upfront, so you’re not scrolling through overwhelm.
Frustration #3: No one really explains why good drapery costs what it does
If you’ve ever had sticker shock pricing drapery, you’re not crazy. Custom window treatments can feel expensive, especially compared to ready-made panels.
Industry experts point out that drapery pricing is heavily driven by fabric and labor: wider and longer panels require more fabric (often 6–10 meters or more per window once you add fullness, lining, and hems), plus the skilled time it takes to cut, sew, and finish each panel.
At the same time, cheap ready-mades often cut corners on fabric quality and fullness, leading to panels that are thin, skimpy, and quick to fade. So the customer is stuck between “too cheap and disappointing” and “beautiful but intimidatingly expensive” — without much context.
Morningside’s view:
We’re transparent about what you’re paying for:
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Premium fabrics with the right weight and hand
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Built-in fullness so panels actually look luxurious
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Careful, workroom-level construction
And because we operate without traditional retail markups, you get designer-grade drapery at a fair, direct price.
Frustration #4: Long, unpredictable lead times
Many custom drapery projects still quote 4–8 weeks or more from measurement to installation. Delays from fabric availability, workroom backlog, or shipping can add even more time. Some brands now market themselves specifically on “faster than 12-week wait times,” which shows how normalized long delays have become.
For a homeowner eager to finally finish a room, this feels like a never-ending project.
Morningside’s view:
Our goal is to bring custom drapery into a timeline that makes sense for real life. By streamlining choices and production in our own workroom, we target weeks, not months, for made-to-order panels. (Check current lead times on our product pages.)
Frustration #5: Installation stress and “what if I mess it up?”
That same survey that found 91% of people feel stressed about hanging curtains listed exactly why: measuring, drilling, ladder work, and the fear of installing something crooked. When you’ve invested in good drapery, the last thing you want is to ruin the effect at the final step.
Morningside’s view:
We bake install support into the experience:
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Clear, visual guides with simple diagrams
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Hardware guidance so you choose the right rod or track
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Help connecting with professional installers if you want someone else to handle it
You shouldn’t have to white-knuckle your way through hanging your drapes.
The future of buying drapery: less friction, more feeling
At the end of the day, drapery isn’t about fabric and hardware — it’s about how your home feels. Softer. Calmer. More complete.
We think the process to get there should feel the same way: calm, clear, guided, and human. That’s the standard we hold ourselves to at Morningside.
If you’ve been putting off ordering drapes because it just feels like a lot, you’re exactly who we built this for.
