Two-Story & High-Ceiling Curtains
Ripplefold curtains on ceiling tracks for double-height windows and walls of glass - sewn in our own Fort Lauderdale workroom and installed by our own team, with the seams, the weight and the scaffold planned before a single panel is cut.
A two-story window is not a tall regular window
At 18 to 25 feet everything changes: the fabric gets heavy, wide-width cloth no longer reaches the floor without a seam, the hardware carries real load, and nobody dresses the window from a ladder. That is workroom and installation work, so we keep both in-house: every panel is sewn by our five seamstresses in Fort Lauderdale and installed by the same team that measured it.
For most two-story windows we recommend ripplefold on a ceiling track: even waves from the ceiling to the floor, the tightest stack and the easiest drapery to motorize. Layer a sheer behind a lined drapery and one wall handles the glare by day and the privacy at night. We do this in double-height living rooms, foyers and great rooms from Miami to Palm Beach County.
How much do two-story curtains cost? A 16 ft two-story wall with a ripplefold sheer and a lined ripplefold drapery on two ceiling tracks is about $6,800 installed in our standard drapery, about $8,000 with both layers on battery motors and about $8,500 on smart-hub motors. Budgetary and before tax, scaffold access included; the firm price follows the free measure. Prefer a classic look? Classic treatments are priced further down.
One double-height living room, two layers
A sheer on the inner ceiling track filters the afternoon sun on the glass doors and the window above them; a drapery on the outer track closes the whole wall at night. Both are ripplefold, so the folds stay even from the ceiling to the floor.
Ripplefold first, and the options around it
Ripplefold on a ceiling track
Our first recommendation for a wall of glass: even waves from the ceiling to the floor, the tightest stack and the easiest drapery to motorize. The look in the photos above - see ripplefold draperies.
Sheer and drapery, layered
Two ripplefold tracks: a sheer for daytime glare and privacy, a lined or blackout drapery for the night. The pairing most double-height living rooms end up with - see sheer draperies.
Motorized ripplefold
Anything that has to open and close at 18 feet should be motorized, and ripplefold glides with almost no resistance. We install Somfy Glydea and Lutron Sivoia QS drapery tracks and program them to a remote, a keypad, an app or a schedule - see motorized drapes.
Stationary side panels
Panels that frame the glass and never travel. The least hardware at height and the most budget-friendly way to finish a tall window, often paired with a motorized shade on the glass itself.
Pinch pleat on a decorative rod
For traditional rooms: hand-tacked pleats on a statement rod sized and bracketed for the span - see pinch pleat draperies.
Classic arched treatments
Prefer a Mediterranean look? We also build arched medallion panels with a center swag and tassel tiebacks - classic treatments, further down.
Fabric that survives 20 feet of South Florida sun
Built on 6 in snap tape
Standard ripplefold tape puts 4 1/4 in of fabric in each wave and the wave goes loose in the bottom third - on a two-story panel, the 6 feet everyone sees. We build every ripplefold panel on 6 in snap tape, about 40% more fabric per wave, so it holds its depth to the hem - see 6 in snap tape.
Line it
Unlined panels on tall, sunny glass fade and weaken quickly. A lining protects the face fabric, adds the weight that makes 20 feet of cloth hang plumb and keeps the folds even when you look up at them. Every option in the drapery lining guide.
Seams planned, never across
Wide 118 in goods are woven to run sideways, so they stay seamless only to about a 110 in finished drop. A two-story panel is sewn from vertical widths instead, with the seams placed in the folds where they read least - never a seam across the panel.
Interline at estate scale
A soft interlining between face and lining gives a two-story panel the body of a much heavier cloth and quiets a glass-heavy room. It is the couture step on silk-look and linen fabrics.
Weight decides the hardware
A lined two-story drapery is heavy. Forest tracks are rated from 3 to 8 lb of fabric per foot and Somfy's Glydea ULTRA 60 moves up to 132 lb, so the track and the motor are chosen from the weight of your actual fabric - see drapery hardware.
Choose from real books
Our drapery fabric library lists in-stock designs, and we bring designer books to your home. Request samples to see them in your own light.
What we measure on a two-story window
The drop at every point
At each bracket and at both ends of the track. Sloped ceilings, arches and floors that are not level change the length across the window, so one number is never enough.
Face and fullness
The width each panel covers and the fabric behind it: for ripplefold, set by the carrier spacing at 80, 100 or 120%; 2 to 2.5 times for pleated and gathered panels.
Where the fabric parks
Stack-back and clearance: chandeliers, ceiling fans, speakers, return-air grilles and sprinkler heads in the path of a traversing drapery. Worked figures in stack-back, worked.
The hem line
Float about 1/2 in off the floor, break 1 to 2 in on it, or puddle 3 to 6 in. On polished stone, a float or a light break keeps the hem clean.
The ceiling and the wall
Concrete block, wood framing or drywall over steel decides the anchors. Ceiling tracks and brackets go into the structure, not just into the drywall or the plaster.
Access and the room
Furniture, a piano or a staircase under the window decides scaffold or lift and what has to move before install day. The full method: how to measure.
How we install at 20 feet and up
Access
A scaffold or a lift, never a ladder leaning on glass. Planned at the measure and itemized on the written quote.
Protection
Floors covered under the scaffold, the work zone cleared, heavy pieces moved in advance.
Track
Ceiling tracks, brackets or rods laid out from the measured template and anchored into the structure.
Hang and dress
Panels snapped or hung, folds trained and steamed so they fall evenly from the heading to the hem.
Program
On motorized tracks: limits, groups and schedules set, and the remote or keypad handed over.
Walkthrough
Old treatments and hardware removed and disposed of, the room put back, the system shown to you.
The same in-house team that measures your window installs it; we never subcontract the installation.
What two-story curtains cost
A worked example, installed, budgetary and before tax. It includes measurement, fabrication in our workroom, the tracks, the scaffold a window this tall needs, installation and removal of the old treatment. On your own quote, access is itemized after the free measure.
Two-story wall, ripplefold sheer and drapery on two ceiling tracks
16 ft wide, 19 ft drop: ripplefold sheer and lined ripplefold drapery, center opening, in our standard drapery.
| Operation | What it includes | Installed |
|---|---|---|
| Manual | Two ceiling tracks, baton draw, both layers sewn in our workroom | about $6,800 |
| Motorized, battery | Both layers on rechargeable motors, one remote | about $8,000 |
| Motorized, smart hub | Both layers on smart-hub motors, app and voice control | about $8,500 |
What moves the price
- The drop: fabric and sewing grow with every foot of height.
- Width and fullness: more glass means more widths of fabric.
- Fabric grade, lining and interlining.
- Hardware: ceiling tracks, decorative rods, or medallions and holdbacks.
- Motorization: one motor for each traversing layer.
- Access: scaffold or lift, and what has to move before install day.
How a two-story project runs
A photo and a height
Start with a photo of the window and its rough height - enough for a first budget range.
Free in-home measure
Every point of the opening measured, the ceiling and the wall checked and access planned, with fabric books in hand.
Written quote
Options side by side - fabric, lining, manual or motorized - with access itemized.
Sewn in our workroom
Cut and sewn by our five in-house seamstresses in Fort Lauderdale; typically 3 to 4 weeks after the measure, varying with fabric availability.
Installed by our team
Scaffold up, tracks set, panels hung and dressed, motors programmed.
Service
We service the drapery and the motorized systems we install.
Prefer a classic look? Arched medallion drapery with a swag
Ripplefold is what we recommend for most tall windows, but some rooms call for a traditional treatment: a Mediterranean great room, a formal foyer, an owner who loves the look. We build those too. The most requested is the arched medallion treatment - a row of decorative medallions set in an arch above the window, two long panels gathered onto them, a swag across the middle and tassel tiebacks pulling the panels open. Built well, it still looks grand; built cheaply, it dates fast, with thin unlined fabric, a seam across the panel and scallops that sag unevenly between the medallions.
- 1Twelve medallions set on the arch and spaced evenly, six per panel.
- 2Panel tops cut to the curve of the arch, so every scallop between medallions hangs the same.
- 3A center swag spanning the 56 in gap between the two panels.
- 4Tassel tiebacks on holdbacks pull the panels clear of the doors.
- 5Fabric widths run vertically and the seams fall into the folds; no seam crosses the panel.
Worked example: a 184 in by 280 in arch
How we size the treatment in the drawing, the same way we size yours at the free measure.
| Item | Worked example |
|---|---|
| Overall width | 184 in between the outer medallions |
| Panel face | 64 in each side, before fullness |
| Center swag | 56 in (184 - 2 x 64) |
| Fullness | about 2.4x: three widths of 54 in fabric per panel |
| Drop | 280 in (23 ft 4 in) at the peak, shorter at the outer medallions, so every medallion is measured |
| Cut length | about 301 in per width, with the hem, heading and squaring |
| Face fabric | about 55 yd of 54 in goods including the swag; about 29 yd if a 118 in solid can run vertically |
| Lining | about 52 yd; interlining the same again |
| Hardware | 12 medallions, 2 holdbacks, 2 tassel tiebacks |
| Access | scaffold: the arch rises above the glass, so no ladders |
Classic arched medallion pair with a center swag
The worked example above: 184 in wide, 280 in (23 ft 4 in) at the peak, two 64 in panels, a 56 in swag, 12 medallions and 2 tassel tiebacks; installed, budgetary and before tax, scaffold included.
| Fabric | Construction | Installed |
|---|---|---|
| Faux silk | Unlined panels, lined swag | $6,900 to $7,700 |
| Designer faux silk | Lined panels and swag | $10,200 to $11,500 |
| Luxury designer fabric | Lined and interlined | $18,600 to $21,000 |
Real silk is beautiful and fragile in direct sun, so on a south or west window we steer classic treatments to a good faux silk. Updating an existing one? If the medallions are sound, we can reuse them in their own holes - on a faux-finished or Venetian plaster wall, new holes are hard to touch up invisibly. We replace drapery rather than alter panels made by another workroom. And if the style has had its day, the same opening takes a ripplefold sheer and drapery on a ceiling track, or panels on a bendable track shaped to the arch - see Forest curtain tracks.
More of our tall projects
Two-story curtains, frequently asked
How much do two-story curtains cost?
A 16 ft two-story wall with a ripplefold sheer and a lined ripplefold drapery on two ceiling tracks is about $6,800 installed in our standard drapery, about $8,000 with both layers on battery motors and about $8,500 on smart-hub motors. Budgetary and before tax, scaffold access included; the firm price follows the free measure. Classic treatments are priced the same way: a 23 ft arched medallion pair with a center swag and tassel tiebacks runs $6,900 to $7,700 unlined, $10,200 to $11,500 lined in a designer faux silk and $18,600 to $21,000 lined and interlined in a luxury fabric.
Why ripplefold for a two-story window?
It hangs in even waves from the ceiling to the floor, stacks tighter than pleated drapery - about a fifth of the track - and glides on a motor with almost no resistance, which is what you want when the top of the drapery is 18 feet up. We build every ripplefold panel on 6 in snap tape, so the wave keeps its depth all the way to the hem.
How long should curtains be for a two-story window?
Hang them from the ceiling or just under the crown and finish them to float about 1/2 in off the floor, break 1 to 2 in on it, or puddle 3 to 6 in. On a 20 ft ceiling that is a panel close to 240 in long, so every two-story panel is made to measure.
Can two-story curtains be motorized?
Yes. We install Somfy Glydea and Lutron Sivoia QS drapery tracks, fabricate and motorize single tracks up to about 30 feet wide, and choose the motor from the weight of the drapery: Somfy's Glydea ULTRA 60 moves up to 132 lb.
How do you install curtains on a two-story window?
From a scaffold or a lift, never a ladder leaning on glass. The track or the hardware is laid out from the measured template and anchored into the structure, then the panels are hung, dressed and steamed. Access is planned at the free measure and itemized on the written quote.
Do two-story curtains need lining?
In South Florida, yes. A lining protects the face fabric from the sun, adds the weight a long panel needs to hang straight and evens out the folds. Interlining adds body on silk-look and linen fabrics.
What fabric works best for tall windows in Florida?
A polyester or linen blend, a performance weave or a quality faux silk, lined. Real silk is fragile in direct sun on a two-story window, even lined. Every fiber is compared in our curtain fabric types guide.
Can sheers be made 20 feet tall?
Yes, from vertical widths. A 118 in wide-width sheer is woven to run sideways and stays seamless only to about a 110 in finished drop, so a two-story sheer is seamed vertically with the seams placed in the folds.
How long does a two-story drapery project take?
Turnaround after the measure is typically 3 to 4 weeks, varying with fabric availability; a special-order designer fabric sets its own date.
Do you install in Wellington and the rest of Palm Beach County?
Yes. Our own team measures and installs from Miami to Palm Beach County, Wellington, Palm Beach Gardens, West Palm Beach, Boca Raton and Delray Beach included, and across Broward from Weston and Parkland to Fort Lauderdale.
Do you also make classic drapery for tall windows?
Yes. Ripplefold is our first recommendation for tall glass, but we also sew pinch pleats on decorative rods and arched medallion panels with a center swag and tassel tiebacks - see classic treatments.
How do you dress an arched window?
Either treat the arch as part of the glass and hang ripplefold from a track at the ceiling, or follow the arch: medallions or holdbacks set on the curve with the panel tops cut to it, or a bendable track shaped to the arch.
How many yards of fabric does a two-story drapery need?
It depends on the style and the fullness. Our classic worked example, two 64 in panels and a 56 in swag at 280 in, takes about 55 yards of 54 in fabric plus about 52 yards of lining; a 118 in solid that can run vertically cuts the face fabric to about 29 yards.
Can you reuse my existing medallions or rod?
If they are sound, yes, in their own holes. On faux-finished or Venetian plaster walls that avoids touch-ups that never quite match.
Do you alter or re-line drapery made by another company?
No. We replace it with drapery from our own workroom, and removing the old treatments and hardware is included.
Discerning homeowners, designers, and developers across South Florida trust Exotic with their most important spaces.
“Very happy with my new pinch pleat drapes! Exotic Shades & Draperies came to my condo in Fort Lauderdale with many fabric options and a variety of material. I wasn’t sure what to choose, but they gave me great guidance on the fabric and style. The result is perfect more privacy while still keeping plenty of natural light. Highly recommended !”
“Exotic Shades and Draperies made is to easy for me to change up my bedroom design for a new aesthetic i’ve been really wanting. They helped me choose a new look for my curtains and installed them very quickly. Thank you david for helping me throughout the process. i highly recommend if u want high quality drapes or shades”
“The experience with Exotic Shades Draperies was excellent. The shades are high quality and custom fit. They are really careful with details. We bought sheer curtains and they offered us a better price than all the other companies we contacted, and their work was flawless. It was a pleasure working with Dave and Alex.”
Exotic Shades & Draperies, Fort Lauderdale and Miami Beach
Exotic Shades & Draperies is a South Florida window-treatment company that designs, sews and installs its own work: Lutron and Somfy motorized shades, custom draperies sewn in our Fort Lauderdale workroom by five in-house seamstresses, plantation shutters and blinds. Established in South Florida in 2024, backed by more than 20 years of window-treatment manufacturing and installation experience. Lutron certified dealer, Somfy Expert, Crestron and Control4 integration. The same in-house team measures, installs and programs every project; when shading has to integrate with another control system, we bring in our smart-home partner Adom Smart Home.
Fort Lauderdale workroom and showroom
4539 Powerline Rd, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309 · 954-881-9331
Miami Beach showroom
500 South Pointe Dr #150, Miami Beach, FL 33139 · 954-872-9007
Where we install
Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties: Miami Beach, Sunny Isles and Aventura through Hollywood, Fort Lauderdale and Pompano Beach to Boca Raton, Delray Beach and West Palm Beach, with projects in the Caribbean and New York.
How a project runs
Free in-home measurement, a written quote from the same engine as our published prices, fabrication in our own workroom, installation and programming by our own team, and service on the systems we install.
Two-story curtains in Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Boca Raton & Palm Beach
Ripplefold and classic curtains for double-height homes across Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach County - from Miami Beach and Coral Gables through Weston, Parkland and Fort Lauderdale to Boca Raton, Delray Beach, Wellington and Palm Beach Gardens - sewn in our own workroom at 4539 Powerline Rd in Fort Lauderdale and installed by our own team. Our second showroom is South of Fifth in Miami Beach.
Tall windows, done properly
One free hour with our team routinely saves owners thousands in avoidable mistakes. Book a private, complimentary consultation - we bring fabrics, samples, and honest answers.