Why are French Return Rods a Popular Choice for Window Treatment?

French Return Rods have been a fashionable choice in window enhancement for some time now. What makes them special?

The French Return Rod gets its name from “Poteau de draperie”, which is French for drapery pole. You may think that because the rod has a French name, it may be palatial in nature, yet the “French pole” was simply used to present the fabric as the star of the show, and in window dressing or tapestry presentations the French preferred to have the focus on the design or artwork in the fabric.

What is a French Rod?

French Return Rods have two distinct characteristics. They don’t use finials, and they return to the wall. These features contribute to their simplicity and limit the light gap that normally appears where the drapery panel reaches the end of a standard drapery rod.

Modern simplicity has been trending for over a decade, and the simple elegance of a return rod provides a durable and lasting drapery hardware installation which will endure the cyclical nature of home décor fashion.

An important aspect pertaining to French Return Rods has to do with the how they are constructed. It’s important that the curve in the return portion of the rod is continuous if you want to have your curtain panels open and close without getting hung-up on a splice located in the curve of the return portion of the rod. It can be aggravating to attempt to close a grommet panel and have one or more grommet openings get hung-up this way.

Another important aspect with French Return Rods has to do with the wall thickness of the rod itself. The old saying “you get what you pay for” applies here, and you don’t want to get a rod that is susceptible to bowing or bending from heavier drapery panels or under excessive traversing conditions.

A good French Return Rod should be powder coated so if you desire to move metal drapery rings or grommet panels across it, you don’t have to worry about abrasion or scratching. Powder coating also provides corrosion protection and allows you to confidently install the rod in windows that may perspire condensation or in outdoor conditions such as in a gazabo or veranda.

The return wall bracket on French Return Rods should be designed to hold the rod firmly, and quality return rods are designed to hold longer panels and heavier fabrics as compared to a suspended drapery rod.

Customizing French Rods

When shopping French Return Rods, we would like you to consider the custom return rods manufactured by TMS-Menagerie. Menagerie French Return Rods are manufactured in 5/8”, 7/8”, and 1-1/4” diameter sizes with 1mm and 2mm thick walls. They are powder coated in 5 distinct finishes with solid metal end brackets, standard and passing support brackets, and with standard and passing metal drapery rings.

Selecting TMS-Menagerie as your source for French Rods will gain you access to our French Rod Smart Wizard, where you can build a French Rod precisely to your requirements.

Innovative French Rod Passing Brackets

Recently, Menagerie developed an innovative passing bracket (VP-Passing Bracket), that allows baton pull panels to pass over a French Rod center support bracket at multiple angles. This bracket allows you to extend the length of a French Return Rod and wand pull a one-way drapery panel that can stack on either side of the rod.

A video introduction to the VP-Passing Bracket is below:

For more innovative window treatment options, along with coupon codes and discounts on Menagerie products, register today.