Historically Accurate Window Treatments & Bedding

In February 2022, Owens-Thomas House & Slave Quarters saw the completion of its first major room restoration since 2014 with the opening of the Girls’ Bed Chamber. Generously supported by the Friends of the Owens-Thomas House, the southwest bed chamber on the home’s upper level has been beautifully reimagined as the primary space for George and Sarah Owens’s three daughters, Mary, Sarah, and Margaret.

The room has been restored to its 1830s finishes of lavender-gray walls, faux grained baseboards and window panels, and white trim, recovered through paint analysis. Cyndi Sommers, former assistant curator of decorative arts, worked with FOT Board member Chuck Chewning and Savannah Window Fashions to select blue and white toile, a popular fabric during the period, for upholstery and bedding. 

Thistle Hill Weavers, a firm that specializes in making reproduction fabrics on historic looms, created dimity for the window and bed curtains and the “Venetian carpet.” Dimity appears frequently in Savannah probate inventories and newspapers advertisements from the early nineteenth century, and Savannah merchants often advertised these colorful floor coverings among their imports from England, despite their name.

These new, old finishes provide a stunning setting for some of the excellent portraits in Telfair’s collection, such as Jeremiah Theus’s rendition of Peggy Wagner holding a peach. Other objects in the room, like a 1830s miniature blue and white porcelain tea set, gesture to the Owens daughters’ preparation for domestic futures even in play.

A bedroll visible beneath the daybed serves as a poignant reminder of the six unnamed enslaved girls under ten who are listed as living on the site in the 1840 US Census, some of whom may have been forced to stay in the room with the Owens girls and serve them throughout the night.

In October 2022 Owens-Thomas House & Slave Quarters saw the completion of its second major renovation, the Boy's Bed Chamber. Recently installed this Fall, the project included historically accurate window treatments and bedding.

This floral fabric is one of my favorite patterns, and I'm so glad we finally had the chance to make it come to life. The green backing with pink flowers is for a very special project that we've been working on; The Boy's Bedchamber at the historic Owens-Thomas House in downtown Savannah. ⠀

Pink used to be considered a masculine color during the late 1800s and early 1900s, so it was a perfect choice to be used as the bedding in The Boy's Bedchamber. Attention to detail is so very important for historical accuracy, and we're so honored to partner with the curators at the Owens-Thomas House with custom window treatments and bedding.

For the window treatment installation, Savannah Window Fashions oversaw the mounting of the drapery hardware, as only authorized museum personnel can drill in to the property's walls.

We also had the pleasure of fabricating and installing the draperies in the Owens-Thomas House dining room.

In 2019, we created an elegant reinterpretation of the drapes currently on view in the formal dining room of the Owens-Thomas House. The materials used along with the style of the drapes were inspired by illustrations of draperies during the time in which the home was built.

During the research process, Telfair staff were able to locate and examine tassels and drapery tiebacks original to the home during the 19th century.

It has been an honor working on these projects with the Owens-Thomas House staff and curators. I have a passion for historical architecture, and I love the details that went into designing and fabricating these window treatments and bedding.

Our workroom is equipped to offer complete full-service support, from design, to measurement, to fabrication, and professional installation. We are also the only workroom in Savannah with expertise and experience in historical window treatments. We’d love to help you with your next window treatment or soft furnishings project - schedule a consultation call and let’s talk soon!