Ripplefold Draperies
Continuous, even S-waves on a whisper track - the modern signature for walls of South Florida glass.
The cleanest way to dress a wall of glass
Ripplefold - also written ripple fold - has no pleats. Wave and S-fold name the same look in Europe and Australia, though the tape, carriers and spacing behind each name vary by maker. On the Lutron and Somfy tracks we install, snap-tape carriers hold the fabric in a continuous, uniform S-curve from end to end - a soft, architectural wave that reads modern where a pinch pleat reads formal. It glides on a low-profile track, stacks tightly, and is the natural partner for motorization.
The short answer. Ripplefold drapery has no pleats: snap-tape carriers hold the fabric in a continuous, even S-wave on a low-profile track, so it reads modern where a pinch pleat reads formal, stacks tightly and motorizes naturally. Fullness is set by the carrier spacing on the track: 80% for a shallow contemporary wave, 100% for the balanced standard, 120% for deep folds, our usual recommendation for sheers on oceanfront glass. Every panel is built on 6-inch snap tape instead of the industry-standard 4 1/4, so each wave carries more fabric and holds its shape from the track to the floor. Ours are sewn in our own workroom to the track length and run on Lutron Sivoia QS or Somfy Glydea motorized tracks.
The look lives or dies on fullness and on the wave itself (the full explanation, with the makers' carrier pitches, tape spacings and stack charts, is in Ripplefold explained). Carrier spacing on the track sets the fullness: 80% for a shallow contemporary wave, 100% for the balanced standard, 120% for deep, generous folds - our usual recommendation for sheers on oceanfront glass. Every panel is cut and sewn to your track length in our Fort Lauderdale workroom.
The wave is set by the snap tape. Almost every workroom uses 4 1/4-inch tape; we build every panel on 6-inch tape, so each wave carries about 40 percent more fabric and holds its shape to the floor instead of going loose at the bottom. The Exotic Shades difference, explained.
Recently: Landmark Ranch Estates, Southwest Ranches - ripplefold through a new estate on Somfy Glydea 60 wired tracks, every one in a ceiling pocket: sheers up to sixteen feet finished flush to the floor, a wool-blend Kravet Couture drapery in the primary suite, and a theatre drapery in double-sided velvet. Also: a golf course home in Boca Raton - master bedroom ripplefold in Kravet Smart 35515-116 performance chenille, hung under a custom wood valance that hides the track.
Track, fullness & fabric
80 / 100 / 120% Fullness, 6-Inch Snap Tape
Carrier spacing on the track sets the fullness; our 6-inch snap tape gives a deeper wave than the standard 4 1/4 and holds it to the floor. We show samples of each so you can choose with your eyes, not a spec sheet.
Low-Profile & Recessed Track
Our tracks are among the thinnest available - and disappear entirely into a ceiling pocket or a Blindspace® channel.
Sheers & Wide-Width Goods
108" railroaded sheers mean a 20-foot wall in one seamless piece - see sheer draperies.
Bent & Curved Track
Ripplefold rides a properly bent curve beautifully - corners, bays, and radius walls in one continuous run. See track bending.
Motorized Ripplefold
Lutron and Somfy Glydea drive the carriers quietly on schedule, by app, or by voice.
Split, One-Way & Stack Planning
Where the fabric parks when open is decided per opening - center split, one-way draw, or stacked off the glass entirely.
Ripplefold vs. pinch pleat vs. Euro pleat
| Ripplefold | Pinch Pleat | Euro Pleat | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Silhouette | Continuous, even S-waves - identical open or closed | Tailored, structured columns from sewn pleats | Relaxed columns from a two-finger pleat tacked at the top |
| Reads as | Modern, architectural | Formal, classic | Contemporary, soft |
| Best for | Walls of glass, sheers, motorized runs | Formal living and dining rooms, traditional interiors | Linen, bedrooms, transitional rooms |
| Hardware | Low-profile track with snap carriers - rod not required | Rod and rings, or track | Rod and rings, or track |
| Motorization | The ideal pleat - carriers glide with almost no resistance | Possible, heavier glide | Possible, heavier glide |
| Stacking | Tightest and most predictable - from about a fifth of the track for light sheers to around 30% for heavier panels | Deeper stack | Moderate stack |
| Curved runs | Excellent - rides bent track through corners and radius walls | Limited | Limited |
All three are sewn to measure in our Fort Lauderdale workroom - see the full custom draperies range, or the pinch pleat page for the classic option. Unsure? We bring made-up samples of each style to the consultation.
Stack, pocket & measurement - the part that decides the result
Ripplefold is unforgiving of guesswork, which is why we measure and plan every run ourselves. Stack: allow from roughly a fifth of the track for light, unlined sheers to around 30 percent for heavier lined panels, and decide early whether it parks center-split, one-way, or off the glass on extended track. Fabric: on standard 4 1/4 in snap tape, 100% fullness means a panel about double the track length - at 120%, our usual call for oceanfront sheers, more again. Our 6-inch tape on the same carrier spacing puts more fabric into every wave. Pockets: for a fully hidden track we issue exact drywall-pocket or recessed-channel dimensions to your GC at framing stage.
Motorized runs ride Somfy Glydea or Lutron drives on our motorized curtain tracks - a single motor to about 36 feet, paired motors to about 72, including bent corners and curves. See the system working across a full residence in our Ritz-Carlton Sunny Isles case study.
How much wall the open drapery takes
The one figure every drapery quote should state and almost none does. Forest, whose tracks we install, publishes the stack-back for its systems at about 6 in per width of fabric for ripplefold, 7 in for pinch pleat and 5 in for an accordia fold. A width is one bolt-width of fabric, 48 to 54 in. Multiply by the number of widths your fullness needs and you have the wall the open drapery occupies. Lutron's own worked example in its drapery track specification (086123k, October 2025) runs deeper: on a 216 in center-draw track it shows about 30 5/8, 32 11/16 and 36 1/8 in of stack on each side at 80, 100 and 120% fullness, roughly 28, 30 and 33 percent of the track. Heavier lined panels sit toward the larger figure, which is why we confirm the stack for your fabric at the measure.
| A 20-foot track (240 in) | Fabric in the panel | Widths of 54 in goods | Stack-back, one side | Share of the track |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ripplefold, 80% fullness | about 432 in | 8 | about 48 in | about 20% |
| Ripplefold, 100% fullness | about 480 in | 9 | about 54 in | about 22% |
| Ripplefold, 120% fullness (our usual call for oceanfront sheers) | about 528 in | 10 | about 60 in | about 25% |
| Pinch pleat, 2x fullness | about 480 in | 9 | about 63 in | about 26% |
Forest Drapery Hardware 2026 track brochures (CS, CCS and the motorized systems), stack-back per width; the fabric column assumes standard 4 1/4 in snap tape at the labelled fullness. Our 6-inch snap tape makes a deeper wave than the standard 4 1/4 in tape, and we confirm the stack for your fabric and fullness at the measure. Railroaded sheers have no vertical seams and no widths; the stack then follows the carrier count, at about the same share of the track.
Split it, and each stack halves
A centre split parks half the fabric at each end: two stacks of about 27 in on a 20-foot ripplefold at 100% instead of one of 54. A one-way draw puts the whole stack on one side, which is the right call where the view is on the other.
Park it off the glass
Extend the track past the opening by the stack-back, and the open drapery clears the glass completely. At a Boca Raton home two motorized tracks were bent to follow a master bedroom's angled walls, so the blackout drapery travels round the corners and stacks completely clear of every window.
Or do not stack at all
Stationary side panels dress the glass without ever crossing it. In the den and social areas of the Ritz-Carlton Residences, Miami Beach, ripplefold stationary panels in an open-weave sheer frame the openings while the four bedrooms run a traversing sheer and blackout on tracks set level over ten-foot openings.
The pocket is sized to the stack
A recessed track needs a pocket long enough for the stack as well as the glass. At Landmark Ranch Estates every track sits in a ceiling pocket framed before the drywall closed, a roller behind a track in the bedrooms, and every measurement was taken inside the pocket on a live construction site.
Frequently asked
What is ripplefold drapery?
A pleatless style where snap-tape carriers on a track hold the fabric in one continuous, uniform S-wave. Because the shape comes from the carriers, not sewn pleats, the folds stay perfectly even open or closed.
Is ripplefold the same as wave or S-fold?
The same look, not always the same hardware. Ripplefold, ripple fold, wave and S-fold all describe a continuous S-shaped wave, and the names are used loosely. In North America it is usually built with snap tape on snap carriers - Lutron's track is specified as compatible with Graber snap tape at 4 1/4 in between snaps (Lutron 086123k) - while Silent Gliss builds its Wave option with a Wave curtain tape, hooks and glider cords (SG 7630 product information, April 2026). Carriers are made for their own track, so a replacement panel must match the system it will hang on.
Ripplefold or pinch pleat?
Ripplefold for modern architecture, walls of glass, and motorization; pinch pleat for formal and traditional rooms. We bring both to the consultation.
What fullness should I choose?
100% suits most rooms; 120% for sheers and for a richer look on tall glass; 80% for a tight, minimal wave. On standard 4 1/4 in snap tape, 100% means the flat fabric is about double the track length; our 6-inch tape on the same carriers puts more fabric in each wave (the math is here).
How much stack space do I need?
About a fifth of the track for light, unlined sheers. Lutron's own worked example for a 216 in center-draw track comes to roughly 28, 30 and 33 percent of the track at 80, 100 and 120% fullness, and heavier lined fabric stacks toward the top of that range. The stack can split center, draw one way, or park off the glass entirely - see the worked stack-back table.
Can ripplefold be motorized?
Yes - it is the ideal pleat for motorization because the carriers glide with almost no resistance. We drive it with Lutron and Somfy Glydea.
How long can a track run?
To about 36 feet on a single motor and about 72 feet with paired motors - including bent corners and radius curves in one continuous run.
Can the track be hidden?
Completely - in a drywall pocket at framing stage, or in a recessed channel. We provide the pocket dimensions to your GC.
Discerning homeowners, designers, and developers across South Florida trust Exotic with their most important spaces.
“I’m absolutely blown away and in love with my ripple food curtains !! Everything about them from the install to the fabric and quality . My house feels so much more like a home I couldn’t have asked for anything better . I recommend to everybody !”
“Exotic Shades & Draperies provided top service both effective and efficiently. Despite the job being complex, it was no match for the crew; extremely happy with my new drapes. The over all professionalism and keen attention to detail exceeded my expectations. Highly recommend them 10/10!”
“David was an excellent help setting the correct color drapes to match my walls perfectly. It was a great experience.”
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.
Ripplefold drapery in Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Boca Raton & Palm Beach
Ripplefold drapery in 80, 100 or 120 percent fullness on low-profile or motorized tracks - the modern S-wave for walls of glass, sewn in our Florida workroom. Our workroom and showroom are at 4539 Powerline Rd in Fort Lauderdale, our second showroom is South of Fifth in Miami Beach, and the same in-house team measures and installs from Miami to Palm Beach.
The signature look, made to measure
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.