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Featuring winning looks from our 2013 Ingenuity Workroom competition.

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2 | VISION

7/8.13VOLUME 34 / NO. 4

THIS ISSUE / WORKROOM FOCUS: INGENUITY COMPETITION WINNERS & MORE

14 Make Your Passion Profitable Talk about budgets before you talk about design. By Steve Bursten

16 Playing the Client ‘Dating’ Game The benefits of mutual attraction with your clients. By Maria Bayer

18 Building Your Potential Business Funnel Pay attention to a few key numbers in order to build your bottom line. By Gail Doby

20 The Evolution of Social Media Spring Fashion Week social media events that can be adapted by designers. By Deb Barrett

24 New WFCP Workroom Certification Leaders Jill Ragan Scully and Terri Booser take on roles with WFCP.

26 Fashion-Forward Finds In Chicago Some of the top textile designs seen at NeoCon this past June.

32 IWCE: Vision’13 The Construction Zone Goes Hollywood The innovative designs from the CHF Alumni Showcase as featured in New Orleans.

46 2013 Ingenuity Workroom Competition Winners The Workroom of the Year and all other winners from this year’s Ingenuity Workroom competition.

EVERY ISSUETHIS ISSUE 4 Viewpoint: What We’re Loving Now Comments from contributors.

6 Viewpoint: Our View President/CEO Grace McNamara

8 Viewpoint: InfoBar Blind and shade industry report statistics from IBISWorld.com.

10 Viewpoint: I’m Officially Obsessed With Kristine Gregory on designer Barry Dixon. 63 Product Showcase

64 What’s Next

On the cover:From one of several designs submitted by Scot Robbins in the 2013 Invision Design and Ingenuity Workroom awards that led to his winning Workroom of the Year. This was his most personal project, a makeover for his own guest bathroom. See more on page 49. Design, workroom and installtion by Scot Robbins, Scot Robbins & Company. Photog-raphy: Gene Wilken.

A lovely detail from a complicated piece of design by Monique Becker, CWTC, of Becker Window Fashions, Inc. See more of her award-win-ning project on page 52.

VISIT US AT BOOTH #801

4 | VISION

WINDOW FASHION VISION MAGAZINEPresident & CEO • Grace McNamara • [email protected]

Vice President/Circulation Director • Peggy Yung • [email protected] Director • Susan Schultz • [email protected]

Managing Editor • Nichole Day Diggins • [email protected] WFCP Director & Trend Specialist • Deb Barrett • [email protected]

Office Manager • Rhianna Huizenga • [email protected] Manager • Gabriela DesRochers • [email protected]

SALESAdvertising & Trade Show Director • Shannon Leclair • [email protected]

Publisher’s Representative • Kerri Caldwell • [email protected] Senior Account Executive • Karen Griffiths • [email protected]

Account Executive • Susanne Nutzel-Young • [email protected]

IN THIS ISSUEContributing Writers: Deb Barrett, Maria Bayer, Steve Bursten, Gail Doby, Kristine Gregory

DESIGNERS & WORKROOMS FEATURED IN THIS ISSUEMonique Becker, CWTC, Lisa Berryhill, Joanna Braxton, Jacki Dell, Judith C. Ellis, Tina Fontana, Sue Fresconi, Elizabeth Gerdes, Yasue Ishikawa, Emma Leitschuh,

Debra Martin, Judy Peters, Scot Robbins, Jill Ragan Scully, Sherri Stouffer

2013 EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARDDonna Elle, Donna Elle Seaside Living

John Fitzgerald, ComfortexNeil Gordon, Decorating with Fabric

Joyce HoltSusette Kubiak, Drapery Connection

Rory McNeil, TechStyles Window Covering Products Inc.Tom Perkowitz, B&W Window Fashions Inc.

Jane Shea, Blinds Unlimited

CIRCULATIONNCS Fulfillment Services • 877/344-7406 • [email protected]

Window Fashion Vision® (ISSN 0999-7777; USPS 708930) is published six times a year,

by AIM Communications LLC, 4756 Banning Ave., Suite # 206, White Bear Lake, MN 55110;

NEW NUMBERS: Tel 651/330-0574; Fax 651/756-8141. Visit our website at www.wf-vision.

com. Periodicals class postage paid at St. Paul, MN and additional offices. Postmaster:

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WF-VISION.COM

Window Fashion Vision magazine makes every attempt to credit each person involved in

the process of creating a window covering and will not be responsible for crediting any

person whose name, company or participation did not surface during the information-

gathering process. Crediting disputes between parties other than Vision magazine are

solved at the discretion of those involved.

WHAT WE’RE LOVING NOW …

Scot (High [on] Life)All I can say is “Wow”! This is my ‘jubilee’ year and I love all the wonder-ful experiences I’ve had so far. It’s hard to believe that I've turned such a major chapter in my life, but, life is what you make it. I have my faith, my family, a

blessed career, a beautiful home and friends that love me for who I am. I am happy and authentic and my future is going to be exciting. Life is great and I'm ready for it!

Monique (Squared Up)I love the Square Regis-ter on my iPad. It allows me to use my iPad for mobile credit card pur-chases when I am in the client’s home. I can also use it in my showroom as a cash register. It has great charts for data and

sales reviews. It was free to sign up and has a flat fee of 2.75% for each swiped transaction with no monthly fee. It’s made accepting credit cards incredibly easy, manageable, and cost effective.

Judy (Knit Wit)I have fallen back in love with knitting. I first learned from my seventh grade English teacher. I recently had the honor to attend her 100th birthday party and she reminded the students in attendance that she took the time to

teach us to knit because "working with your hands keeps your head on straight". I purchased a few skeins of yarn after the party and am enjoying every minute I find to knit. Thank you, Mrs. Harris!

We’re on Facebook twice!facebook.com/wfvisionmagazine and facebook.com/vision.iwce

Keep up with all the IWCE: VISION ’14 New Orleans tweets @IWCEVISION

Check out our Pinterest Boards Follow us and re-pinpinterest.com/wfvision/

Elizabeth (Baby Love)I have always been inspired by nurseries. I started my business making crib bedding for friends and the word spread. The fun fabrics I get to use and the details I get to incorporate, always get my creativity juic-es flowing. I just love the final

product of a complete custom crib set and the finished look of the entire nursery. My latest nursery client told me I had “complete creative control”. That was all I needed to hear—my excitement for work that week was phenomenal!

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6 | VISION

ummer has finally arrived in Minnesota! So what’s the big deal, you may be thinking…Well it took until July to ar-

rive! I’m not complaining though, con-sidering the weather the rest of the country is having—floods, fires, torna-does and the like. Our thoughts go out to those of you that live in the areas hardest hit by the crazy weather. We have been busy developing and planning a variety of educational pro-grams for you to take advantage of this summer. Our new WFCP Color Certi-fication Program developed with Kate Smith of Sensational Color is a com-prehensive and really fun program to help you increase revenue potential by becoming the color expert in your area. Color consultation can help you get your foot in the door and add window cov-erings as well as other home furnish-ing products to the ticket. Consumers

will pay to get the right colors for their home! Visit wf-vision/education for more information.

Becoming a certified professional in any field is an added testament to your expertise and gives you credibility with clients and peers. This summer, we are offering you the opportunity to get cer-tified with our popular Fast Track pro-grams, WFCP Design and Workroom Certification. These six week courses are the perfect “summer school” projects to jump start your business this fall. Don’t miss these live and personal programs this summer—they will make a differ-ence for your business in the future. Although it seems ridiculously early to even think about 2014, we are already busy putting our IWCE: Vision ’14 semi-nar and exhibit hall programs together. A friendly reminder that the industry show will be almost three months ear-

lier than in past years—February 4-6, 2014 in Las Vegas! This is due to the in-credible opportunity for our industry to co-locate with the Kitchen & Bath Show (KBIS) but also the International Build-ers Show (IBS) under the Design & Construction umbrella. One show badge will give you access to all three events!

On a personal note, our family welcomed our newest addition, Vivienne Diana on the first day of summer, June 21. Some of you may remember that I adopted my four daughters, Paulina, Magda-lena, Bogusia and Ania from Poland 20 years ago. In fact, our 20 year Airplane Day (the day we flew home from Po-land) was this past June 27th. Bogusia is the mother of my two granddaughters, Gracie and Vivienne. How time flies! I truly hope you are all having a won-derful summer! V

Grace McNamaraPresident and CEO

The Fleeting Joys of Summer

Take advantage of every opportunity!

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8 | VISION

InfoBarBlind & Shade Industry Report

A report by IBISWorld released in March 2013 contains confirms some of the positive market information shared in last issue’s InfoBar.

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VIndustry SnapShot:

All information shown from IbisWorld.com, industry report 33792, published March 2013,that tracks “the major products as services in this industry as blinds,

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10 | VISION

Kristine Gregory on Barry Dixon

I’m Officially Obsessed With

I am officially obsessed with designer Barry Dixon. From the

first time we met in 2008 when he was in High Point pro-

moting his first book Barry Dixon Interiors, I was smitten.

Over the years, I’ve discovered that I’m not alone. Plenty of

my peers feel the same way, for good reason. Whether it’s

an English country home in the mountains of Virginia or a

beach-front Caribbean villa in St. Bart’s, Barry has a way of

infusing his warmth into every interior and every style. The

rooms he creates are stylish but never sterile. ¶ Barry is the

consummate Southern gentleman and regularly welcomes

guests to his own home, Elway Hall, in Warrenton, Virginia.

The 106-year-old stone Edwardian mansion sits amidst roll-

ing hills and wooded acres. Inside, Barry has performed

magic. Furniture of his own design is showcased along with

antiques gathered from his travels. His trademark nailhead

trim outlines the elegant curves of his chairs. I was fasci-

nated by the ingenious use of simple drapery panels that are

hung not at the windows but from metal rods at the ceiling to

divide rooms and create intimate spaces. There is not a cor-

ner in Elway that is not camera-ready—I bet even his broom

closet is beautifully arranged! The coolest thing is that Barry

has a stunning line of fabrics though Vervain, a furniture col-

lection by Tomlinson/Erwin-Lambeth and accessories avail-

able through Arteriors. This means we all can incorporate a

bit of Barry Dixon style in all our designs. V

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TOP LEFT: I’ve had the pleasure of meeting Barry several times over the years and love to hear him discuss the inspiration behind his designs during his showroom presentations.

LEFT: For a seating area at a client’s home in Cornith, MS, Barry used a smaller ver-sion of his Robertson bench, his adjustable martini table and those amazing room dividing sheer panels hung from grommets. Photo by Erik Kvalsvik.

WF-VISION.COM | JULY/AUGUST 13 | 11

LEFT: A rear view of Elway Hall which features a glimpse of the porch. Like the rest of his home, the porch is welcoming and comfortable. There are flowing drapery panels on all sides to offer privacy and screening from the weather as needed.

BELOW LEFT: I love the columns that turn to reveal hidden bookcases. The Norma chair at the table is a neat design upholstered to look like a slipcover but with Barry's signature nailhead trim. The fabric on the table skirt is Ankasa. Photo by Erik Kvalsvik.

BELOW: A detail shot of the window treatment fabric and some of the lovely decorative touches that Barry always adds to a room. Photo by Erik Kvalsvik.

FOLLOWING PAGE, TOP: This dining room for a client in Maryland features De Gournay wallcoverings and Fortuny drapery with his own Albemarle dining chairs. On either side of the fireplace are jib doors that access a pantry and service area, covered in the same De Gournay wallcovering. Photo by Erik Kvalsvik.

FOLLOWING PAGE, LOWER LEFT: A detail shot of the cartridge pleat stationary panels and swags from the dining room. Photo by Erik Kvalsvik.

12 | VISION

Kristine Gregory, Bedeckers Interior Effects, Inc bedeckers.com

Blog: bedeckersinteriorblog.com kristinegregoryartist.blogspot.com

Pinterest: pinterest.com/bedeckersie

Facebook: facebook.com/bedeckers

Twitter: twitter.com/Bedeckers

CLOSER LOOK

Kristine Gregory, Allied ASID, is principal of Bedeckers Interior Effects, Inc., an interior design business established in 1995 providing custom furnishings, window treatments, and product specification for both residential and commercial projects. Kristine is the only de-signer in the Richmond, Virginia area who is an expert in both the psychology of color and personal organization. She is a popular pre-senter who speaks frequently on these topics to consumer groups, clubs and organizations. Kristine is also a professional artist currently working in watercolor.

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14 | VISION

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ou’ve invested years to develop your design skills, product knowledge and technical experience. Your

commitment to excellence gives you the ability to create unique designs your customers love. Your hard-earned skills bring years of happiness to a home-owner. But does it bring you the profit you deserve?

Understand Your Core ClienteleIf you are happy where you are, forget this article and read another. To profit from this you must learn a new skill, make a change in the way you ap-proach every customer. Virtually ev-ery window fashions business owner can sell twice as much in half the time with a good system. Even better, you can sell at higher pricing, giving you much more income from each customer. With a good system you can likely increase your income about $1,000 a month. Maybe a lot more!

The starting point is to understand there are many customer segments. Some are price conscious. Some enjoy the process of searching store after store for the perfect fabric, then taking it to a workroom. Other customers have less time, they want the convenience of a professional to be responsible for the entire process. Another segment is not confident in their decorating and they need your expertise.

Customers with different motiva-tions must be treated differently.

Budget first, beauty last

Make Your Passion

But, on average, only about 20% of homeowners have the income to af-ford beautiful custom window treat-ments. That means 80%—four out of five shoppers—will tell you your price is too high if you’re dealing with all of these potential customer segments in the same way. Once you understand that, you can alter your selling approach.

Switch Your Selling StyleYou don’t want to turn away shoppers who can’t afford a ‘premium package’. Instead, find out what they can afford. Before pricing, educate them about the long term happiness they will experience when they stretch to have something unique and personal.

For example, many designers start with the beautiful aspects of the de-sign, believing that if the customer falls in love with the fabric she will be so excited she will find the money to own it. While this approach may work, it it has a flaw. Unless you already clarified a budget, you are never certain what the customer is thinking about money until you present the price. If you price too high, you lose the sale. If you price too low, you leave money on the table. This system fails to optimize both your and your customer’s in-vestment in the process. Budget First, Beauty LastIs the customer thinking $1,500— $3,000 for a window, or $3,000—$5,000? Or more? What is the design

look she wants—simple and func-tional or ornate and embellished? You need to know this before you measure windows or show fabrics! If you wait to ask budget questions un-til you present your design, the odds are you’ll be too high or to low.

When you learn to get the budget up front you will increase your closing rate. You will increase the average size of sale and you will have more profit on every sale you make. You can likely earn another $10,000 a year and some business owners have earned over $100,000 per year when their staff learned to put budget questions first.

When you get the customer’s budget before you select fabric and products, your customer will like you more and will shop you less. You’ll sell more and earn more profit as the proper reward for your passion for design. V

Steven C. Bursten has more than a half century of experience in window covering shop-at-home sales, marketing and manage-ment. He founded

the world’s largest interior decorating franchise, co-founded the International Window Coverings Exchange of major industry retailers, and co-founded the Exciting Windows! national network.

by Steve Bursten

WHAT’S

TREND?YOUR

fabrics. trimmings. hardware. 800.945.3838 www.trend-fabrics.com

16 | VISION

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ow, you may be thinking. Well, you don’t want to attract just any client, but the ones who will love

working with you, and with whom you will love working, too.

Winning clients is a two-way street. Most people believe that they have to make the client like them, but the reality is, you have to like them in return. Otherwise you may be setting yourself up for a disappointing and often unsuccessful relationship.

Let’s start with the end in mind. What do you ultimately want from your cli-ent relationships? Business, yes. But you really want more than that. You want clients who sing your praises and tell others about you. You want clients who love you enough to help you build your business on referrals. That’s business nirvana.

Which clients do you think will be most likely to tell others about you—the ones you took just because you wanted their business? Or the ones who you love working with as much as they love working with you?

Building Client-Vendor Relationships As with real-life relationships, the best ones are those that are mutual. The first step when you meet with a prospective client is to remember that you’re evaluating them as much as they’re evaluating you. Remember what it’s like to go on that first date? Yes, you want the other person to like you, but you’re also sizing them up as

The long-term value of mutual attraction

Playing the Client Game

to whether they will be fun, interesting and possibly even a good long-term partner. It’s no different when it comes to winning clients. You should be evaluating them using similar criteria.

How do you evaluate prospective cli-ents? What factors and criteria do you use to determine whether they would be a good fit? If you’re not sure, then you’re not alone. Many business own-ers have not taken the time to do this, yet it can yield amazing results.

Make Your Interest Clear.When you’re clear on which clients you want, you’ll be amazed at how quickly you can attract those clients to your business. The first step is to create an Ideal Client Profile. Detail all of the characteristics of your Ideal Clients, and then use that as a filter in which to evaluate prospective clients.

Not only can you use this profile to identify Ideal Clients, but you can also use it to attract Ideal Clients, too. Use the profile when developing your marketing plans, writing emails, newsletters, brochures and proposals and on your website, expecially for your Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ).

Using this approach allows you to speak directly to the audience you most want. And when someone feels like they’re truly heard and understood, they’ll fall in love with you. Are you see-ing the similarities?

What Goes in an Ideal Client ProfileMost start with demographic and psy-

chographic details. Demographic details would be something like “married women, 45-60 years old in the L.A. area who hold executive positions.”

Psychographic details relate to person-ality, values, interests and lifestyles. An example might be “cup-is-half-full peo-ple who love spending time with their family and have them over regularly for Sunday dinner and board games.”

The more comprehensive a profile you can build, the more likely you can appeal to your Ideal Client and attract them like a magnet. And the more Ideal Clients you attract, the more quickly you can build your business on refer-rals and achieve that oh-so-fabulous business nirvana.V

Maria Bayer, the Authentic Sales Coach for Design Success Uni-versity, teaches interior designers how to win ideal clients quickly and make more

money without being ‘sales-y’ using her Six-Figure Success Formula. This formula, which helped Maria close over $25M in business, recently helped a designer win a $400K remodel project.To learn more, register for a complimentary three-part series at dsu-id.us/idgethired. You’ll receive an invitation to my upcoming webinar where I’ll give away a complimentary copy of DSU’s Ideal Client Profile, valued at $79, to all who attend.

by Maria Bayer

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18 | VISION

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et’s determine why you’re not getting the business you need or want in order to consider yourself ‘successful’

in the business of design.

According to our annual Interior De-sign Fee and Salary Survey, most de-signers get 5 – 10 calls per month. That is an important benchmark you need to watch in your business. I recom-mend tracking this and other metrics in your business. This helps you better understand your ‘funnel of potential business’ and helps you determine your potential income. A simple way to do this is to create a spreadsheet with the following details:

Step 1: In rows 2 – 13 list the months of the year.

Step 2: In column 1, track how many Unique Visitors your website receives each month using Google Analytics (a free service). If you don’t have the code for Google Analytics on your site, please ask your webmaster to add it for you.

Step 3: In column 2, log the Calls you receive from prospects.

Step 4: In column 3, track the Pos-sible Prospects (those who fit your ideal client profile and for whom you are a potential fit.)

Step 5: In column 4, track the Pros-pect Meetings you had either at your studio, their home or elsewhere.

Understanding your business metrics

Building Your Potential Funnel

Step 6: In column 5, note the Clients Won.

Step 7. In column 6, note the Per-centage of Clients Won. This is done by dividing the numbers in column 5, row 2, by the number of Possible Prospects in column 3, row 2. Copy the formula for column 6 in each row of the spreadsheet.

As the saying goes, “what you monitor you can improve” and that’s why you need to know these numbers.

Most designers are lucky to win one in 10 or one in 13. If you only get five calls a month, and your win rate is one in 10, then assuming all of the callers are viable prospects, you will get one new client every two months, or six new clients per year.

The Role of Your WebsiteYour website is the first point of contact for most prospects, and if your copy is well written, your site is attrac-tive and your work is good, then the phone should ring for you. If it’s not, here are some factors to consider:

If your website traffic is low, then you need to consider hiring a Search En-gine Optimization (SEO) specialist to get you on the first page of the search engines for your city.

If your call volume is low and your website traffic is fairly high, then you need to work on your website text and overall presentation.

If 50% or more of the callers are not good potential prospects, you need to work on the message your website delivers. (Please note that if you have a Flash-designed site, your website won’t show up in search engines because the system that looks for content relevant to the search terms, like “interior designer Denver” cannot ‘read’ Flash-designed pages.)

Assuming you get enough calls from your website or from referrals, if you have difficulty closing prospects, or getting them to sign a contract with you, then that’s where you should focus on improving your skills. The more clients you can win out of the potenial prospects, the more money you will make.

Your bank account tells the real story. If you aren’t earning what you want to earn, then you need to improve your qualification and closing skills. V

Gail Doby is Chief Vision Officer and Co-Founder of Design Success University. Get the 2013 Interior Design Fee & Salary Survey eBook at www. interiordesignfees.com and receive

an invitation to the popular complimen-tary webinar “How to Avoid Interior Design Fee Fiascos…and Attract Your Ideal Client” after you download your free book.

by Gail Doby, ASID

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ocial media has become a fundamental aspect of contemporary marketing. The discussion is no longer

about whether you need to be on social media, but what tactics will make the most impact.

As social media evolves it is less about jumping on every new site or app that comes on the scene and more about what works for your specific clientele. It’s about which platform to choose and how you use those platforms.

Lessons can always be learned from other industries; for window covering pros we especially turn to the fashion industry. Just as we look to the runways for window fashion inspiration, we can gain insight from how the fashion industry is using social media. In true trendspotting fashion, let’s examine several social media trends forecast for 2013/2014 by Worth Global Style Network (WGSN), a leading trend re-source, and see how you can capitalize on them in your business. Social SophisticationThe most successful social media fashion brands run focused, effec-tive, integrated campaigns that garner higher engagement and long term customer loyalty. These brands are moving away from gimmicky posts and contests to smaller, targeted con-versations. For the independent busi-ness owner who already wears many hats, consider hiring a social media assistant rather than a design assis-

New standards for customer engagement

The of Social Media

tant to coordinate, create and curate your social media approach.

Magnetic ContentContent is king—although this is not so much a trend as a vital component of any interactive marketing. Content is a no-brainer for fashion and home fashions because of the volume of rich, creative visuals we can draw from. Key takeaways are:

• Create and put out content that people want to share

• Find a balance between “what you love” and “what you sell”

Jeff Ramsey, Founder e Marketer, says it best, “It’s about turning targeting

by Deb Barrett

on its head. Rather than hunting you should be fishing. By creating mag-netic content you draw people in.” In other words magnetic content en-gages your customers and tells a story. At London Fashion Week this past February, TopShop did just that with their integrated campaign featuring Google plus hangouts with TopShop creative team, a live model cam walk-ing the runway and more.

Another Fashion Week social media coup was the digital autobiography of Net–a-Porter founder Natalie Massenet. She told her story using Instagram—a timeline of her career that included 120 shots, quotes, cap-tions and integrated Net-a-Porter’s new offerings.

ABOVE: Natalie Massenet’s Instagram CV was part of her presentation at the Vogue Festival during New York Fashion Week. She also posted many of the images to a special Pinterest board.

OPPOSITE PAGE: The highly acclaimed “instant” Dunk in the Dark ad Oreo™ put together in re-sponse to the SuperBowl™ blackout was actually part of a series the company and its agency had been working on for over a year, creating daily posts on Facebook relating to special events, custom-er Facebook “likes” and other current events.


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Steal This Idea:Use Net-a-Porter’s digital CV idea to create your own career bio. Shar-ing your history and skills with customers —both potential and existing—is a truly personal way of showing why and how you got into and love to design window cover-ings. I am taking a different spin —using the digital timeline idea to build a history of window fashions for my clients—showing them what

was hot in the ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s for their education and entertainment.

Real TimeReal Time is about creating timely reactions to current events, news or trending topics to place your brand front and center. Twitter calls it Con-tent @ the speed of culture. One of best examples of this is the Oreo cookie Su-per Bowl ad in reaction to the blackout “You can Still Dunk in the Dark”.

That ad received tremendous re-sponse and critical acclaim, but that seemingly “instant” work was the re-sult of a lot of behind the scenes plan-ning and work by a team put together by the agency and Nabisco to develop just that type of “real time” work. For those of us attempting to do it without big agency support, it means making a social media commitment and working on timelines that are somewhat foreign to us. Surveys show that online customers expect a response within 30 minutes and that 83% will abandon a purchase if this type of online customer service is poor. The bottom line is engagement with the new consumer who expects instant gratification, shorter lead times and immediate responses. Can you handle that? If so, how will you do it?

Native AdvertisingNative advertising is about creating promotions that are part of the fabric of social media through promoted posts or tweets and sponsored stories.

22 | VISION

Deb Barrett, Window Dressings Inc. debbarrett.com windowdressingsinc.com

Blog: design-confidential.com

Pinterest: pinterest.com/dz9confidentialpinterest.com/inspiredwindow

Facebook: facebook.com/deb.a.barrett facebook.com/WindowDressings

Twitter: @windodressings

Houzz: houzz.com/pro/windowdressinginc

CLOSER LOOK

This content doesn’t look like ads. It appears in the stream and reads like any other piece of content, replacing pop-ups, banner ads and the like. Re-finery 29, a fashion and lifestyle blog and online reseller, is a great example of this approach. The main consider-ation is that you need to recognize the fine balance between information and infomercial, or your audience will be quick to remind you!

Personalization61% of customers say they would swap privacy for personalization. What that means is that they are looking for relevant content delivered to them in real time. No more email blasts to your universe—and this does not mean just adding a personal field like their first name to the message! Personalization can be a very power-ful tool for us in the interior design industry—it’s cost effective, delivers a wow factor and fits the custom experi-ence we are selling.

What is critical to the success of this approach is that you need to re-ally know your client—who they are, what they want, how they want it. It requires precise targeting of your market. This is the disconnect for a lot of people in our industry (and frankly, I often see this as the major stumbling block to moving our industry for-ward). All the SEO, social media and other marketing will never succeed if you don’t have this fundamental knowledge of your core clientele.

One example cited in the WGSN report was once again from Topshop, which built personalized video of Kate Bosworth wishing fans of the retailer a Happy Holiday by name. From a data-base of seven million, Topshop drilled down to select 200 names of top cus-tomers to receive this special message.

Steal This Idea: Do the same for your clients with a holiday message, birthday wishes; congratulatory messag, etc. Note: Don’t get hung up on trying to create the perfect video by obsessing on a

script, where to film, and other pro-duction details. The most successful videos are usually those created from a smartphone.

Crowd SourcingUser generated content is often self-perpetuating and usually creates the best result. Consider the almost “instant” success of platforms such as Instagram, Pinterest and, more spe-cific to our own industry, Houzz.

Tiffany and Co. recently did a “What Makes Love True” campaign paying for and shooting video that received 1000-8000 views. However, when the company opened it up to user gener-ated content—asking customers to share their true love story—the aver-age crowdsourced (unpaid) picture got 16,000 likes on Facebook.

Steal This Idea:Early adopters in our industry have taken to contest and campaigns on platforms with success, but there are still huge opportunities here. Why not play off the Tiffany idea for a crowd-sourced campaign—“What Makes a Great Window Treatment” or “Passion for Window Fashion” or even “My Big-gest Decorating Mistake”? After all, there are literally hundreds of “Ugly Sofa” contests out there...why not an “Ugly Window” contest?

Video Video is the next “frontier” for social media, based on the growth of smart phones and tablets. YouTube claims 100 hours of video are posted to its site every minute. That’s a 77% in-crease since 2011. Video clips, wheth-er it’s Instagram, Vine or Animoto, are about capturing a moment, a thought or an inspiration.

During Fashion Week in both New York and London, brands like Calvin Klein, Paul Smith and Matthew Williamson dropped their usual strict security guide-lines to experiment with behind-the-scenes looks at runway shows, sneak peeks at collections and even using video previews as a commerce platform.

Steal This Idea: Create little windows into the design process, your brand experience or how you work. Even a six-second (the Vine limit) motion capture shot of a widow covering can be compelling. Not to mention it is the only way to really show motorization!

These trends can give us food for thought in our quest for engage-ment with customers. If we give them something that is both emotional and shareable, ultimately our return on our investment should be great. V

Deb Barrett combined her twin pas-sions—design and windows—when she founded Window Dressings, a couture window treatment and soft furnishings firm near Chicago, IL. As a nation-ally known award winning designer, she has built a reputation for finding creative solutions to challenging design problems through cutting edge couture treatments. Her fascination with what’s around the corner has led to her cur-rent roles as trend strategist, consultant and design blogger. Deb will be presenting The Digital De-signer series online in August. For more details, visit debbarrett.com/webinars

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24 | VISION

FCP, the Window Fashion Certified Professional program, the industry’s first

and most-recognized educational and training platform, recently announced new leadership appointments for the Workroom Certification program. Jill Ragan Scully, WFCP Expert, has been named Workroom Certification Direc-tor and Terri Booser, WFCP Expert, has been named as a Senior Advisor for the Workroom Certification program.

The two will be responsible for creat-ing new and revising existing courses and curriculum materials—which will be available in several formats—team-

ing with sev-eral highly skilled edu-cators. They will also be instructing many hands-on courses through the WFCP pro-gram as well as the Fast Track series. The WFCP Fast Track Certification course allows

professionals to test for the Certified Specialist in just six weeks.

Jill Ragan Scully is the current owner operator of Impressive Windows & Interiors, a full service design and fab-rication studio specializing in overall

Expanded education opportunities now available

New WFCP Leaders

VIEW

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design, soft furnishings, and window treatments located in Hastings, MN. Scully has extensive education and experience in fashion, apparel, textiles and design with more than 15 years experience in the design and decorat-ing industry. She is a highly sought educator and speaker, sharing her passion for design and soft furnishing fabrication. In addition to her WFCP Expert status, Scully also holds several cer-tifications and is a member of many industry organizations, such as:

• CHF Career Professional• Certified Professional Decorator (CPD)• Certified Color Consultant (CNRCC)• Former Window Fashions Advisory

Board Member 2009-2013• Window Coverings Association of

America (WCAA), Twin Cities local chapter President 2009-2012

Terri Booser is “honored to be part of the WFCP family, to support the continued elevation of professional-ism and education for the workroom component of our industry.”

She brings to the WFCP program more than 23 years of knowledge encompassing design, fabrication, and installation from her fabrication studios. She also has eight years of extensive experience in education with the Custom Home Furnishing Academy, holding positions of Career Professional™ Instructor (2005-2013), Curriculum Director (2009-2013) and Executive Director (June 2012- May

2013). She is credited for CHFA’s cur-riculum revision and format develop-ment for the Career Professional™ window treatment program.

Along with holding this position, Booser is the current owner of the Studio of Drapery and Fabrication Arts, a full service window treat-ment and soft furnishings fabrication studio, servic-ing retail clients in the Houston area and wholesale clients nation-wide. Booser also is the Construction Zone Coordi-nator for the annual International Window Cover-ings Expo, and has been since 2008.

Booser is a current member of the Win-dow Coverings Association of America (WCAA) and is founder and past Vice-President of the virtual chapter.

“We’re honored that Jill and Terri have agreed to take on the leadership of the WFCP Workroom Certifica-tion program, “said Grace McNamara, president of AIM Communications, which runs the WFCP curriculum.

For more information on all the WFCP offerings go to: wf-vision.com/educationhome. V

Jill Ragan Scully

Terri Booser

Think global. MeeT us worldwide. www.rt-expo.com

R+T is the number 1 trade fair worldwide. It is an industry meeting place, industry barometer and inno-vation platform. Successful satellite trade fairs have also established themselves in Moscow, Shanghai and Istanbul. Experts from all over the world meet to enter new coop-eration ventures and do business. All according to the motto of R+T:

Think global – meet us worldwide.

RT_Anz_WindowsFashionMag_212,73x276,23_global_e.indd 1 03.07.13 09:57

26 | VISION

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Forward Finds in Chicago

NeoCon, June 10-12, 2013

There is no doubt that the contract design business is feeling more confident these days—restaurants are once again

filling their seats night after night, new hotels are opening while others are investing in upgrades that were put off due

to the last downturn. ¶ NeoCon, the show for contract designs held annually at Chicago’s Merchandise Mart, registered

yet another year of increased attendence, new showroom openings and new product introductions, demonstrating that

the slow recovery that started in 2010 has sustained itself. Following are some of our favorite new discoveries that, while

made for the contract market, feel right at home. V

PALE SKINS The BAREly There collection from Edelman Leather features a range of subtle greys and sophisticated pastels in a variety of finishes.

FUTURE’S SO BRIGHT Modern Couture is a collaborative effort between DwellStudio and Robert Allen Contract. It features a full range of hospitality textiles, including upholstery for seating and walls as well as indoor/outdoor options from Sunbrella Con-tract that fuses DwellStudio’s signature fashion-forward designs and colors with luxurious yet sturdy constructions.


GLOBAL INSPIRATION For the latest addition to the Knoll Luxe collection, the company turned to Max Osterweis and Erin Beatty, the team behind fashion label SUNO, high-end fashion with a conscience The patterns are based on designs from five runway collections from 2010-2013. Inspiration for each pattern draws from global sources, from Indian embroi-dery, to vintage Japanese origami paper, to the African Kanga.

Castec Sales Company7531 Coldwater Canyon Ave., North Hollywood, CA 91605Tel: 800 828 2500 Fax: 818 503 8360 Email: [email protected]

www.castec.com

EST. 1973

© 2011 Fabritec, LLC. All rights reserved.

»Custom Fabric Treatments

»Natural Woven Shades

»Custom Roll Shades

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»Custom Roman Shades »Custom Drapery

»Natural Woven Shades™ »Solar Solutions™

there is no substitute for 40 years experience

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Note: WE WANT THE FRAME IN THE AD.The live area is 3.6” x 9.75”. Crop/trim marks are an additional 0.125” from the sides of the live area.

THIS AD TO gO INTO THE MARCH-ApRIL INDuSTRy SHOW ISSuE: VIVA LAS VEgAS MAgAzINE.

crop/trim marks

28 | VISION

WASTE NOT The Full Circle program from 3Form brings to life handcrafted materials from artisans around the world. These materials are encapsulated in Varia Ecoresin, creating fresh, modern looks from traditional sources. For Ensign, the 3Form team went to Ndem, Senegal and, working with local artists, transformed scraps of leftover fabrics into one of its newest designs.

Ergo Series Transmitter

Nice USA Inc.12625 Wetmore Road, Suite 218 San Antonio, TX 78247Toll. +1.877.786.7133 Ph. [email protected]

www.niceforyou.com

Nice presents the newest cutting-edge Era range of smart tubular motors especially suited for indoor shade control.

Technology. Ease. Reliability.

Be DifferentBe Nice

NICE, THE RIGHT CHOICE IN INDOOR AUTOMATION.

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CONNECT THE DOTS A change from Pollack Fabric’s neutral palette, the We Love Color collection includes twenty new designs such as Dottie with its rows of dimensional ma-telasse dots on a corded cotton ground, and Do si do, a nub-bly bouclé yarn plain weave. Surprisingly, the subtly colored Etched Floral (opposite) is from the same collection, where embroidered strokes of metallic thread create abstract shapes on a duppioni ground.

30 | VISION

MODERN GEOMETRY Part of Stinson’s Aerial Collection Swivels showcases a clean and minimal pattern against a sophisticated palette.

GO WILD A bold animal print polyurethane from Brentano that comes in eight fashion-inspired col-ors, Primal is antibacterial, bleach cleanable and solvent resistant.

ANIMAL ATTRACTION Todd Oldham helped resurrect the career of illustrator Charley Harper. Having discovered Harper’s illustrations as a child in a biology textbook, Oldham made it a personal mission to get Harper the recognition he felt he deserved. For the new wallcoverings division of textile company Designtex, Oldham reinterpreted Harper’s illustrations in patterns that span entire surfaces.

32 | VISION

IWCE

: VIS

ION

’13

REV

IEW

One of the highlights of the show floor at IWCE: Vision’13 is The Construction Zone, an area dedicated to sharing design and fabrication techniques for custom soft home furnishings, including window treatments, upholstery, slip covers, pillows and top of bed. Organized by the indefatigable Terri Booser and staffed by dedicated volunteers from the CHF Academy, The Construction Zone is always a hotbed of activity and inspiration. This year the CHF Alumni Showcase featured six window treatment designs inspired by Hollywood, as well as a welcoming vignette based on the same theme. This is in addition to a full roster of demonstrations on topics such as Italian stringing, Turkish corners, French black-out techniques, slipcover embellishments, waterfall cushions and many more. IWCE: Vision’13 thanks Terri and all the volunteers that help make The Construction Zone an annual success. V

The ZoneGoes Hollywood

IWCE: Vision’13 New Orleans

ABOVE LEFT: Tammy Paradoski, a Construction Zone volunteer and instructor Ann Johnson take a break from setting up demon-stration materials.

ABOVE: Jeanelle Dech at one of her demonstrations on fabricat-ing a slip cover.

LEFT: Cathy Tucker speaks to an interested crowd during one of her demos over the course of the three days.


LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION: Designed by Emma Leitschuh, Interiors & ReDesign by Emma, Savannah, GA.

To create the larger-than-life film strip vignette that greeted visitors to The Construction Zone, Emma used Skirtex™ for the base of the filmstrip and covered it in a sheer black fabric. One of her biggest challenges was keeping the film strip from sagging between the reel, she eventually sewed a pocket into the bottom and inserted a wire, which allows the piece to bend without looking stiff. Special thanks to the following suppliers: Trend, Rowley Company and Hanes Fabrics.

34 | VISION

OUT OF AFRICA: Designed by Judith C. Ellis, Judith Carol Ellis, St Petersburg, FL.

Inspired by the 1985 movie that won seven Academy Awards™, Judith de-signed a motorized hobbled shade topped by drapery panels and an up-holstered cornice. She wanted to re-flect the colors and essence of Africa, selected patterns and textures that would call to mind the grasses of the veldt, the coffee crop grown by Meryl Streep’s character and other aspects of the story.

She admits fabricating the shade was a bit tricky but is proud to have learned about adding both motoriza-tion and a flat-backed lining in the process.

Her favorite part of the design is the upholstered cornice, where she combined faux ostrich leather and a giraffe print, embellished with dia-mond-shaped upholstery nails and the arrow and mask centerpiece.

Special thanks fo the following sup-pliers: Somfy, Greenhouse Fabrics, Beautiful House, Helser Brothers, Rowley Company and Woven Materi-als.


BLACK SWAN: Designed by Sheri Stouffer, Finishing Touch-es, Castle Pines, CO, and Debra Martin, Debra Martin Designs, Odessa, FL.

Sheri and Debra created a dra-matic, monochromatic design where layers of texture echo the psychological depths of this dark thriller from 2010.

Sheer black swags embellished with beading drape over a velvet cornice. Feathers, rhinestone, tassels and yards of tulle com-plete the ballet theme.

Special thanks fo the follow-ing suppliers: Iron Art by Orion, Trend and Rowley Company.

36 | VISION

CHICAGO: Designed by Sue Fresconi, Shady Characters LLC, and Upside®Shades and Monique Becker, Becker Window Fashions, Inc., Boyers-town, PA.

A deep teal blue lambrequin, studding with glinting upholstery nails tops bright-er teal velvet side panels and a uniquely constructed zippered shade. The stepped shape of the lambrequin with its nailed accents represents the city skyline at night and subtly references the Art Deco style of the popular musical.

Sue is the inventor of a roman shade product known as Upside Shades.It op-erates with zippers to raise and lower. When the shade is unzipped and lowered, the " windows" of the building appear. The zippered shade was a popular “how did they do that” focus of Construction Zone visitors.

Special thanks fo the following suppliers: Adaptive Textiles, Greenhouse Fabrics, Helser Brothers, and Rowley Company.


[email protected] | www.ironartbyorion.com | 877.476.6278

Award Winning Products

ORION ORNAMENTAL IRON, INC.

Somfy Motorization with Curved Track and Rings

Milano CollectionRoman Shades on Drapery Hardware

Design Art Adaptors13⁄4” pole finials will fit 2” or 21⁄4” poles.2” or 21⁄4” pole finials will fit 3” poles.

ill

Minutes Matter and WFCP Offer You the

Change standard into

SIGN UPNOW!Before all the

seats are gone.

Studio Designer Coaching ProgramCreate renderings your clients will love and want to share with their friends.Move your company’s services out of the ordinary and into the extraordinary.The WFCP Studio Designer Coaching Program with Minutes Matter is offered exclusively to you to create professional renderings. Learning to utilize Studio to the max will give you the ability to accomplish these goals.

Our last two sessions were SOLD OUT! Sign up today to reserve your seat. These programs are limited to 12 people.

Pricing $647WFCP members earn 6 credits

* Please email [email protected] for required project materials to fulfill the prerequisite for advanced levels.

Sign up at minutes matter.com or wf-vision.com/coaching

The Studio Coaching Level I program isdesigned to help beginners learn the skillsand shortcuts needed to create professionalrenderings faster and with less frustration.Begins August 13, 2013.

• The Studio Coaching Level II program willexpose experienced Studio users to techniquesand tools to add polish, depth and dimensionto their renderings, and to use Studio to designbrochures, newsletters and other marketingmaterials.*Begins August 22, 2013

38 | VISION

GRACE K: Judy Peters, Palmetto Draoery, LLC, Anderson, SC.

Judy translated the silk evening gown worn by Grace Kelly when she accepted her Best Actress Academy Award in 1954 into a full-length asymmetrical swag embellished with trim and hung from elegant crystal finials. Judy had to tackle many new techniques for this design, including drafting a pattern for point-to-point swags, combining trims and making a stacked, knife-pleat drapery panel—but she was thrilled with the result.

Special thanks fo the following suppliers: Iron Art by Orion, Greenhouse Fabrics, Rowley Company and Woven Materials.


Show off your designs in Las Vegas at IWCE: Vision’14 where you can personally meet the competition winners and learn their trophy winning BIG IDEAS from design to fabrication and installation.

Who Can Enter?Individual designers, design firms and decorators who design window fashions are welcome to enter, as are workrooms and individuals who create window fashions.

What Do You Win?Winners are invited to attend the Awards Ceremony, presented by Window Fashion Vision Magazine and hosted by Publisher Grace McNamara.

The Award of Excellence and Workroom of the Year award winners receive a full FREE design pass to attend the 2015 IWCE, along with editorial and photo coverage in WF Vision magazine.

Winners of specific categories receive FREE passes toward IWCE show floor and/or seminars and editorial and photo coverage in WF Vision Magazine.

Enter online until October 4, 2013. To enter and for complete guidelines and terms, go to wf-vision.com/Shows651.330.0574

Take home a trophy for your ideas on design, fabrication and installation!

Come celebrate on the STRIP!

February 4-6, 2014

Get ready for the 2014 WINDOW FASHION Envision Design & Ingenuity Workroom Competition

CALL FOR ENTRIES!

40 | VISION

JENNIFER: Designed by Lesa Berry-hill, Berryhill Drapery Design, Frisco, TX.

The strapless Valentino gown Jenni-fer Aniston wore to the 2009 Academy Awards was the inspiration for Lesa’s design—an elegant sheer panel edged in satin ribbon over a subtly textured shade. She created the unique texture for the shade by using a variation on couching, layering silk, rattail cording and a sheer, which was then top-stitched with metallic thread. To hold these deli-cate layers together she ended up using hundreds of tiny pins, working carefully to avoid any snags or pulls.

She also came up with an innovative technique for transfering her design onto the silk. She first created a paper pattern, then covered it in bridal tulle and copied the design onto the tulle with permanent marker. The tulle was placed over the silk and the pattern was transferred again, this time with chalk, leaving no permanent marks on the silk.

Special thanks fo the following suppli-ers: Hane Fabrics, Rowley Company and Trend.


Keep your children safe with the new CK Lift System.

R• atedas“NoRisk”strangulationbytheConsumerProductSafetyCommissionandapprovedbyParentsforWindowBlindSafety.Capableoftopdownandbottomup.•Easytoinstallandhasnoexposedcords.•AvailableexclusivelytomembersoftheWorkroom•AssociationofAmericaLLCandWindowFashionsCertifiedProfessionals.Formoreinformation,visitwww.workroomassociation.comorwww.wf-vision.com.

42 | VISION

PRISCILLA, QUEEN OF THE DESERT: Jill Ragan Scully, Impressive Windows and Interiors, LLC, Hastings, MN.

In a movie filled with outrageous and over-the-top costumes, Jill had a hard time deciding on which outfit to settle on. All the designs were big, bold and colorful, and her window treatment lives up to that standard with layer upon layer of drama and design—from the sheer black Austrian shade to the feathered swag all the way up to the flashing lights embedded in ostrich feathers at the top!

To create this fantastical design, Jill learned how to create bias-cut ruffles and needed to figure out how to make her large lam-brequin strong enough for stabli-ty, yet able to be created in pieces for easy shipping.

Special thanks fo the following suppliers: Iron Art by Orion, Row-ley Company and Trend.

Hunter Douglas Alliance Programs Help Dealers and Designers Attract, Engage, Sell!

Exceptional dealers and designers need exceptional prod-ucts, service and support. When you join forces with Hunter Douglas, you benefit from being affiliated with the leading name in window fashions, and you gain from being part of the Alliance Program. As a Hunter Douglas Alliance Dealer, you’ll have what it takes to differentiate yourself in the marketplace and grow your business and your bottom line. Whether you’re a “mom and pop” operating from home or a larger company with several storefronts, there’s a program that’s right for you with benefits matched to your size and level of commitment.

At every level – Hunter Douglas Gallery® Dealer, Showcase Priority Dealer® or Priority Dealer – you’ll find award-winning training and education programs to make you more expert in your field and hone your selling tech-niques as well as strategies and tools to build strong rela-tionships with your customers to keep them coming back in the future and referring others to your business.

In addition to offering the most innovative and sought af-ter collection of custom-designed window fashions backed by a multimillion dollar consumer advertising campaign, Alliance Dealers are provided with a customizable website and marketing materials to help you attract more consum-ers directly to your business. Potential customers can also easily find you through the Hunter Douglas Dealer Locator, where you’ll get preferential placement. You’ll also benefit from the Internet Customer Management (iCM®) tool, which helps you manage all aspects of com-municating with consumers.

Once they’ve found you, turning shoppers into buyers is easier than ever with the Alliance Dealer Program’s elabo-rate in-store displays, powerful POS marketing materials and exclusive consumer promotions designed to close more profitable sales.

Get started today on the path toward long-term success. Contact your Hunter Douglas fabricator to learn more.

Advertorial

44 | VISION

www.wf-vision.com/WFCP

WFCP is proud to introduce

COLOR CERTIFICATION developed by

Kate Smith, Sensational Color

• Addanewskilltoyourdesignportfolio

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Ball Chain Manufacturing

Ball Chain Mfg. is the largest manufacturer of ball chain in the world, and our chain has proudly been made in the

U.S.A. since 1938. Leading blind and shade manufacturers specify Ball Chain Mfg. products because they know our chain delivers the precision pitch, flexi-bility and specifications needed to work faultlessly in their sprocket and clutch systems. With us, and only us, you get chain made totally in the U.S.A. with quality that is second to none. Contact

us for info on all of our new finishes and services such as endless loops and packaging. Visit us at www.ballchain.com, call 914-664-7500, or e-mail contact@ballchain.

Uni-Soleil

Based in Taiwan, Uni-Soleil manufacturers a wide range of roller mechanisms for all types of blinds and shades, including those for wood Venetian blinds. We also offers blind componenets, mortorization options and a large se-lection of other component systems. For more information call +886-6-5106611 or go to www.uni-soleil.com.tw

Xentric Drapery Hardware Inc.

Come visit our new showroom! We are excited to an-nounce that we have moved to a new facility with over 10,000 square feet of production floor. Xentric specializes in manufacturing high end custom drapery hardware at

affordable prices and we have received national levels recognition two years in a row: First place winner of “Adex Award Design Excellence” for

the Plated Glass Collection in 2012 and the Cosmopolitan Plated Collection in 2013.866-4-Xentric e-mail: [email protected] or www.myxentric.com

Cu

sto

m H

ome Furnishings Academ

y

Est. 1993

Since 1993, students have traveled from around the world to attend the Custom Home Furnishings Academy, the premier destination for hands-on learning.

• This one-of-a-kind facility in Charlotte, NC, includes classrooms outfittedwithprofessionalworkroomequipment,industrialsewingmachines and a design studio, with instructors who are experts in their areas of study.

• Courses offered include Career Professional™ training in the areas of window treatment and slipcover fabrica-tion, upholstery, drapery installation and decorating.

Campus, home study, traveling and private training programs are available.

Call or email for a complete course catalog.

Drapery & Design PROFESSIONAL network

• Receive the Drapery & Design Professional magazine online or delivered to your mailbox six times per year.

• Gain 24/7 access to the CHFForumtopostques-tions and answers, share photos and connect to other custom home

furnishings professionals, and search a database of over 450,000 poststofindsolutionstoeverychallenge.

• Participate in monthly LIVE educational webinars with on-demand viewing on the most relevant and inspiring topics.

• CHFA ah-ha™ moments, network sponsor facility tours and real-life workroom activity.

• Join the industry’s largest and most active network TODAY!

Create a New Career with Custom Home Furnishings Academy

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46 | VISION

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It’s always a thrill to hear the stories behind the designs of these award-winning window treat-ments—the nitty-gritty details that only those who have spent long hours obsessing over the precise placement of a hidden seam can truly appreciate. So it was especially rewarding for many attendees when long-time industry resource (but first-time Ingenuity & Envision competition entrant) Scot Robbins won Workroom of the Year. He admits that many of his clients and industry friends had encouraged him to enter projects in previous years, and many of those supporters were out in force at the awards ceremony, cheering him on with every award he stepped up to accept. His gracious and emotional acceptance speech for the Workroom of the Year award was one of the highlights of the evening. On the following pages we present Scot’s work, including one of his second place projects from the Envision Design competition, as well as all the other award-winners in the 2013 Ingenuity Workroom competition.


WORKROOM NOTES

For her home office, Scot Robbins’ client wanted something very dramatic to fit her personality while showcasing her love of animals. The approved window treatment design is a series of layered “shield” shapes that overlap to form a cornice-like structure, along with flared cascades and dramatic panels, all richly embellished with various trims.

“Before starting any of the actual fabrication, I worked with brown paper to cut each of the individual shapes to get a perspective of each layer, how big each one should be and determine exactly how I was going make all of this fit,” explained Scot. Once final sizes were determined, the shield shapes were cut from 1/4" plywood and a wood block mounted to the back of each to provide support for attaching to the cornice structure.

Prior to final assembly, the fabric for the center shield was sent out for monograming. In the meantime, the other shields were upholstered with batting and interlined. The trim was applied using Millennium tape and Do Fix iron-on tapes.

To assemble the final piece, the cascades were attached to the cornice frame first and then the large shields were mounted using the strategically-placed blocks of wood on the back. The final two small shields were mounted using hook-and-loop tape and a braid air gun directly to the face of the under shields. Because of all the pre-planning, the ac-tual installation was fast and easy. “The drapery panels were installed with a Kirsh oval rod and the whole structure was mounted to the wall with common “L” brackets,” said Scot. “My client was thrilled with the results and we have more window treatments to design!”

SCOT ROBBINS, SCOT ROBBINS & COMPANY WORKROOM OF THE YEAR & FIRST PLACE, TIE, TOP TREATMENTS

DETAILSCREDITS: Designer and workroom: Scot Robbins, Scot Robbins & Company, Hermitage, TN. Installer: Joe Vi-tale, Joe Vitale Installations, Nashville, TN. Photogra-pher: Mia Brady, Mia Brady Photos, Lebanon, TN

SOURCES: All materials were purchased locally by the client at Brentwood Interiors in Brentwood, TN.

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“This narrow hallway features a wall of windows on one side with a double window next to stairwell on the other side—it adds up to a lot of glass to cover and not a lot of room to work with,” explained Scot.

The first layer of the treatment consists of a flat arched va-lance each individually scaled to fit the irregular wall and window measurements. These are lined and interlined with blackout lining so that there would be no color bleed-through. The second layer is a series of custom drafted swags designed so that they fall to a point in the middle of a window pane. The trim on these swags was carefully positioned so that a tassel would fall at each point.

Another swag, with the look of a scarf, was created to layer at the top of the first swag. When this layer was placed, it had

to be offset lower than the board to accommo-date the picture frame molding that would be the fourth layer.

To support these layers, Scot con-structed a 10" cornice that was wrapped in lining. This cornice also

stopped the first layer from kicking back to the window when it was installed. Measurements for this project had to be very precise, as every layer had to come to a certain point on the glass and section of the wall. The larger wall of windows was fabricated in two sections and installed on site behind a panel.

The frame molding was first put in place with 3" sheet rock screws and then L-brackets placed on the back at the top for added support. A Kirsh oval rod was cut in sections and in-stalled with #9150-61 flush mount brackets directly on the pic-ture fame molding to hold the final layer, the drapery panels.

SCOT ROBBINS, SCOT ROBBINS & COMPANY SECOND PLACE, TIE, SPECIALTY WINDOWS

DETAILSCREDITS: Designer, workroom and installer: Scot Robbins, Scot Rob-bins & Company, Hermitage, TN. Photographer: Gene Wilken, Gene Wilken Photography, Hermitage, TN

SOURCES: All drapery and hardware were extras from the workroom.

DETAILSCREDITS: Designer and workroom: Scot Robbins, Scot Robbins & Com-pany, Hermitage, TN. Installer: Joe Vitale, Joe Vitale Installations, Nash-ville, TN. Photographer: Mia Brady, Mia Brady Photos, Lebanon, TN

SOURCES: All fabrics and trim were purchased by the client at Fabric House, Nashville, TN and Brentwood Interiors, Brentwood, TN. Picture frame molding: Southstar molding company, Nashville, TN.

DESIGN CONCEPT

The basis for the cosmetic redesign of his own guest bathroom was an old military photo. “I thought of the room covered in old photographs from the 1900s, old frames, all in various styles, covering the walls, floor to ceiling,” said Scot. As a suitable backdrop for the collection he found at thrift stores and flea markets, he covered the walls, crown molding and the ceiling with heavy brown paper torn in various shapes treated with shellac finish for an aged effect.

In keeping with the “save and salvage” approach, Scot incor-porated various left-over materials from his 22-year work-room career into the design of the decorative drapery panel and cornice that hides the shower curtain and shower rod. The cornice is made from two different sizes of frame mold-ing, leather and nail heads, while a 3" wood pole, with a single finial, is mounted in front of the cornice.

The custom Euro-pleat drapery is lined and interlined. The leading edge has a banding of brown Ultrasuede™ with a mi-cro cord of khaki for further definition. “When I completed the drapery for the bathroom, I was at a mental block as what to use for a tie back,” said Scot. “Then I found an old leather belt of mine from when I weighed 300lbs. This not only completed the drapery, but serves as a constant reminder to keep every-thing in check!”\

SCOT ROBBINS, SCOT ROBBINS & COMPANY ENVISION DESIGN COMPETITION: SECOND PLACE, COMBINATION TREATMENTS

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For this bright and cheerful dining room the client wanted three oper-able butterfly shades for a triple win-dow, and two additional matching shades for a set of windows on either side of the French doors (not shown). Sounds simple, right?

Issue #1: The fabric is a discontinued Pierre Deux toile with a 22" vertical repeat, and there were only 11 yards available.

Issue #2: The shades needed to line up perfectly with the up-holstered walls in the same fabric, because the client’s vision was for the dining room to look as if one roll of fabric had been laid across the entire room with only the molding from the win-dows cut out of it.

Issue #3: When the walls were upholstered the fabric was placed 1/2" off level. And the fabric itself was printed 1/4" off level, but in the opposite direction of the walls.

The client wanted the shades on triple windows to be fully operable. Thus, lining the patterns up horizontally across the wall was not enough; vertical alignment was also a must. In order to achieve this Elizabeth took whatever scraps were left over from the wall to use as the basis of an individual pattern for each window, going back to the client’s house multiple times to guarantee perfect alignment. These scrap patterns served as her reference point when making the first cuts into the extremely limited fabric supply to start final fabrication.

ELIZABETH GERDES, STITCH ABOVE THE REST, LLC FIRST PLACE, CURTAINS & DRAPERIES

DETAILSCREDITS: Designer and workroom: Elizabeth Gerdes, Stitch Above The Rest, LLC, Woodstock, GA. Installer: Dave Starner, Starner Finishing Touches, Woodstock, GA. Photographer: Elizabeth Gerdes

SOURCES: Fabric: Pierre Deux, Les Delices Des Quatre Saisons. Lin-ing: Rowley LN57/F. Hardware: Rowley, R-TEC EZ-Rig™ Soft Shade System; Sure-Shade Encased Lift Cord Shroud Tube; Sure-shade Universal Drive Tension Device; Continuous Plastic Bead Chain Loop; Metal Sew-On Rings.

After completion of the triple window, the yardage was almost exhausted, so the two windows that flank the French doors were treated with stationary top treatments and not operable shades.


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For a showhouse in Osaka, Japan, Yasue Ishikawa decided to design a party planner’s office. “I imag-ined how fun it would be to have a meeting for a wedding party, pri-vate party, etc., in an elegant pretty room, a room designed to convince

the client that this is the right person to ask for their special event!”

The design is a deliberate mix of classicism and modernism, with hand-drawn patterns on the walls and the fireplace surround standing in for traditional molding and ornamentation. She chose to cover most of two of the walls with window treatments in order to hide unslightly pipes and other ductwork. She used different treatments for each wall in keeping with the ‘modern mix’ approach of the room.

The ‘swagged’ top treatment for the window wall is actually a digitally printed design on flat valance. Because the fabric used for the drapery

YASUE ISHIKAWA RISA BRAIRE CO., LTD

FIRST PLACE, TIE COMMERCIAL TREATMENTS

DETAILSCREDITS: Designer: Yasue Ishikawa, Risa Braire Co., Ltd., Kobe, Japan. Workroom: Akiko Yamazaki, Risa Braire Co., Ltd. Installers: Akiko Yamaza-ki, Wataru Hatano, Kazuhiro Matsumura and Aki Hattori, Risa Braire Co., Ltd. and Gallary Hirota. Photographer: Jiro Fujiwara, Kobe, Japan.

SOURCES: Drapery: Romo. Top treatment: T5076 Sincol Japan. Image reference: Traite Theorique Pratique, Tapissier, G.Felix Lenoir. Digital printing: Inc-jet.net division of Ouensentai Co. Wall painting: Yoshiki Renjo

panels is expensive, Yasue ended up printing the background pink color as part of her design on a less expensive fabric for the valance. She ad-mits she went through multiple test prints to get the right pink as well adjusting the valance illustration to get just the right balance of detail vs. the hand-drawn effect she desired.

The finished result is a fresh, fun take on classic design.

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WORKROOM NOTES

For two sets of operable French doors in this master bedroom, the client request-ed a “dramatic and opulent treatment without drapery panels”. And, of course, the doors needed to remain usable.

Because the treatments would be mounted to the doors, the treatments couldn’t be too heavy, so Firmaflex™ was used for the cornice to reduce the overall weight. To accommodate the center-opening doors, the treatment had to split down the middle, but this break is hidden by a middle jabot mounted on a small board of Firmaflex ex-tending from the cornice. This board is only attached on the top, at the right side of the cornice, allowing the center jabot to swing as one unit with the right side of the door when it is opened.

The actual functionality of the treatment required the use of a swing door hinge from Rowley Company. This hinge is mounted directly to the door, and the cornice is mounted to the hinge, al-lowing for door operation. This swing door hinge is traditionally used with box cornices constructed in a single piece, but the shape of the cornice in this design added its own level of difficulty.

The challenge with this design is twofold: To get the correct mounting height, the placement of the installation hinge on the door fell not behind the cornice, but behind the free-hanging swag. This issue was solved by adding a second layer of Firma-flex to the back of the cornice that was long enough to also fall behind the swag, thereby giving a mounting surface behind the swags for the installation hinge.

Custom bedding was also created to finish off the space, all pieces of which are reversible.

MONIQUE BECKER, CWTC, BECKER WINDOW FASHIONS, INC. FIRST PLACE, SPECIALTY WINDOW TREATMENTS

DETAILSCREDITS: Designer and workroom: Monique Becker, CWTC, Becker Window Fashions, Inc., Boyertown, PA. Installer: Stephen Gilman, Lester Joseph Window Fashion, Willow Grove, PA. Photographer: Karl McWherter, Karl McWherter Photography, Boyertown, PA

SOURCES: Fabrics: RM Coco, Braveheart in ebony; Raft in autumn; Scarface in dusty rose; Carole Fabrics, Bellissimo in toas. Trim: Woven Materials, beaded onion fringe in black mix; beaded tassel trim in black mix; Carole Fabrics, Knoll Park double tieback in classic. Hardware: Fi-nestra Decorative Hardware, button borders, beaded in old world gold, Rowley Company, swing door top treatment kit, Firmaflex board.

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WORKROOM NOTES

For this master bedroom project Joanna Braxton faced several issues, not the least of which was a set of French doors that lead to a private deck. To make sure the doors would remain operable, Joanna designed a cornice-mounted swag treatment that would work for both the doors and the other windows in the room. The pale blue fabric was accented with a slightly darker blue beaded trim and a tan and taupe striped fabric that picks up the color of both the wood blinds and the chair cushions. The horizontal band of striped fabric is padded to give it a rounded dimension and the illusion of being shirred. A welt cord was added between the striped banding and the swags. Maltese-cross type rosettes with buttons were added at the top of the swag as an additional accent.

To make the French doors useable, the treatment was mounted using a Swinging Door Hardware kit from Rowley Company. A 12" cornice had to be added under the swags to lift the treatment high enough above the door to be in line with the window in the room. The slid-ing bracket from the kit was mounted on the back of the cornice and then connected to the bracket on the door with a pin assembly.

“The installation problem would have been fairly straightforward if it could have been mounted exactly as the instructions in the kit specified,” said Joanna. “How-ever, the assembly is designed in such a manner that the side-by-side mount boards have to be installed with a 3/4" gap so they don't hit each other when the treat-ment swings in with the door. Because I had designed the treatment with two tautly-covered bands at the top, I needed the boards to butt next to each other without the gap. So instead of a hinged block that is mounted to the wall like the instructions called for, I opted to hinge the two cornice boards together on the face.”

In order to keep the two face boards flush and not hitting each other, the hinges had to be buried so that the cen-

JOANNA BRAXTON, BRAXTON DRAPERY DESIGN FIRST PLACE, INGENIOUS INSTALLATION

DETAILSCREDITS: Credits: Designer and workroom: Joanna Braxton, Braxton Drapery Design, Mansfield, OH. Installers: Chris Thomas and Joanna Braxton, Braxton Drapery Design. Photographer: Joanna Braxton.

SOURCES: Fabric: Trend. Decorative trim: Decorating Studio. Hardware: Rowley Com-pan Swing Door Top Treatment Kit

ter of the hinge pins were level with the face of the boards. The hinge place-ments were marked and then the wood was notched out with a chisel to bury the hinge pins. They were then screwed into place to con-nect the two cornice boards. This guarantees that the front edges of the boards remain connected without hitting each other.


WORKROOM NOTES

Two windows at the front of the house, one at a stair landing (above) and one in a guest bath (right), both needed to look ap-pealing from the interior and the exterior.

The initial design concept was taken from Jackie Von Tobel's Design Directory and then modified into a fanciful lambrequin with layered swags. The center arch of the lambrequins follow the arch of the window, and because the windows are narrow, the inside edges of the treatment are fit to the outside edges of the window to add width. Fortunately, there was enough wall space above both windows which allowed the lambrequin to have enough depth in the middle to be pleasingly proportionate.

Because of the detail of the treatment, the original design did not call for any passementerie. However, as Joanna was fabricating,

JOANNA BRAXTON, BRAXTON DRAPERY DESIGN SECOND PLACE, TIE, SPECIALTY WINDOWS

she realized that trim along the bottom edge of the swags would actually be ideal. Fortunately she had a gold beaded trim in the workroom for another job and emailed her client a photo ex-ample. “She immediately said, ‘Do it!’”, explained Joanna, who added that the client admits that the trim makes the treatment.

An embroidered faux-silk is used in the guest bath, positioned on the lambrequin so that the dominant flower of the print is placed in the same position on both legs. A solid fabric was used for the swags and this same fabric was then used for the entry hall window. This allowed the design to better coordinate with the surrounding rooms.

DETAILSCREDITS: Designer, workroom, installer and photographer: Joanna Braxton, Braxton Drapery Design, Mansfield, OH.

SOURCES: Fabric: RM Coco. Decorative trim: Expo International. Hardware: Houseparts from Award Fabrics.

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WORKROOM NOTES

The interior designer for a series of model apartments in the Baltimore area gave Tina Fontana ‘almost’ free reign when it came to designing the window treatments. The only stipulations were that she had to use the fabrics the interior designer or-dered from the furniture company for total coordination and that she couldn’t block any of the light coming into the apartment.

The windows include a large French door combo unit and a singe window in the dining room. Because the interior designer had ordered very limited yardage, Tina immediately realized she wouldn’t be able to do a cornice or valance—there just wasn’t enough fabric. Instead she decided to create cornice boxes that would go on each side of the windows, using the most expensive fabric, of which she only had 2 1/2 yards, on the boxes.

“I kept the cornices the same size even though the ceiling was lower in the living room due to a soffit,” said Tina. “I wanted the eye to go straight to the design of the same size cornice boxes and not notice the height difference.”

The bow tie design on cornice was added after the entire job was cut and upholstered. “I made the bow tie design with the cut off pieces from the job and sent pictures to the designer,” explained Tina. “Once she approved, I finished it off with the green strip in the center to create the bow tie.”

The result is a uniform look that doesn’t compromise on style and still managed to come in under budget.

TINA FONTANA, FONTANA DESIGNS, LLC FIRST PLACE, TIE, COMMERCIAL TREATMENTS

DETAILSCREDITS: Designer: Beth Kurrle, By Design 2, Millersville, MD. Work-room, installer and photographer: Tina Fontana, Fontana Designs, LLC, Crofton, MD

SOURCES: Fabrics: Paladin Industries. Hardware: Kirsch regular duty cut rods. Lining: United Supply


WORKROOM NOTES

For this master bedroom the designer had spec-ified shades, topped by panels with a shaped cornice on top. There were five windows in the room, each of them a different size, and each of them positioned poorly for the specified design.

The windows on either side of the bed were flush into the corners, leaving little room for neccesary layers. The large window was in a nook with a dormer window, which prevented the design from being mounted above the trim.

So, with three of the five windows needing the cornices mounted close or on the trim, the de-sign was adjusted—heavier traversing panels were swapped for a shimmering sheer, and the semi-opaque shades were mounted inside the frame, as an outside mount was not possible for the shades. A decorative tape was added around the top and bottom edges of the cornices to outline the shape and bring back some of the deeper color the panels had originally brought to the design.

The cutouts on the cornices had to have a mini-mum of 9" short point to cover the bottom of the pleats on the sheers, but they also needed to maintain a consistent design even though they were different sizes. The sheers underneath are mounted to the cornice boards and installed high enough so the cornices do not block any natural light.

TINA FONTANA, FONTANA DESIGNS, LLC SECOND PLACE COMBINATION TREATMENTS

DETAILSCREDITS: Designer: Kim McCarl, Interior Concepts, Annapolis MD. Workroom, installer and photographer: Tina Fontana, Fontana Designs, LLC, Crofton, MD

SOURCES: Cornice fabric: Trend. Sheers: Carole Fabrics. Shades: Hunter Douglas Du-ette. Decorative tape: Fabricade. Hardware: Kirsch. Workroom supplies: Rowley Co.

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WORKROOM NOTES

For this particular job Tina had to figure out how to install a suspended canopy from the ceil-ing and away from the walls.

“The client stated she wanted her bed away from the walls and the treatment centered on the chandelier which itself was not centered in the room,” said Tina. “She also had cats and didn’t want large swathes of fabric on the floor.”

Tina started by measuring the bed frame—an ornate metal design with large curving scrolls that added to the overall dimensions. Once she had the measurements, she began to deter-mine all the other factors necessary to complete the installation. The issues ranged from getting the right type of cable, the slack and drag in the cable, and figuring the dip from the ceiling to floor and deducting enough off the fabric to avoid excess on the floor. Finally, there was the factor of having to install into the ceiling of an extremely old Baltimore home, and all the surprises that might bring!

The two large swags were made in one piece for each side of the bed. The swags are self lined, stitched closed on the ends and pinned with drapery hooks into cable hooks from the ceiling.

Eight separate panels meet in each corner. The panels have 1" pockets that are blind-stitched with a monofilament thread so the cable and clasps would fit through. Given that sheers can slide and snag easily, Tina had to select a cable that was sturdy enough to hold sheers in place once hung, but smooth enough not to snag the fabric.

“I also had extra long cables for each side and cutters with adjustable clasps to have options for the installation,” she said, “not knowing what complications I may run into with plas-ter ceilings, concrete, etc. I had planned ahead and purchased several hooks with different lengths; for example, I was able to solve a problem with one corner that needed a 6” screw eye hook to hold tight into the ceiling.”

Adjustable tiebacks were made for the panels so they can be pulled back and elimate any excess fabric puddling on the floor.

TINA FONTANA, FONTANA DESIGNS, LLC SECOND PLACE, INGENIOUS INSTALLATION

DETAILSCREDITS: Designer: Merna Thompson, Ethan Allen, Annapolis, MD. Work-room, installer and photographer: Tina Fontana, Fontana Designs, LLC, Crof-ton, MD

SOURCES: Canopy and shade fabric: Fabricut, Café. Panel fabric: Fabricut Oatmeal. Panel lining: Angel’s Distrib-uting. Cables: Lowes. Panel hardware: Robert Allen.


WORKROOM NOTES

This seemingly simple top treatment actually pulls the entire kitchen together, joining two odd-shaped windows into an integrated whole while echoing the graphic light fixtures and art.

The challenge was to give an ordinary box-pleated valance a bit more presence. Tina needed to carefully consider the pleat size so that the repeat would work well with both sizes of windows while having one pleat align perfectly in the corner. Once those calcula-tions were determined, she began working with the designer to add in details that would transform a basic box pleat into something truly special.

Black lip cord outlines the top edge and while a smaller black cording balances the bottom edges of the treatment. A black gimp set sev-eral inches above the bottom hem provides visual weight and definition. The addition of two buttons on each side of the pleat, just above the gimp, adds a final detail in keeping with the graphic nature of the design.

DETAILSCREDITS: Designer: Kim McCarl, McCarl Studio, Annapolis MD. Workroom, installer and photographer: Tina Fontana, Fontana Designs, LLC, Crofton, MD

SOURCES: Valance fabric: Kravet. Lining: Angel’s Distributing. All other materials: COM.

TINA FONTANA, FONTANA DESIGNS, LLC , SECOND PLACE, TIE, TOP TREATMENTS

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For her guest bedroom, Judy Peter’s client envisioned a “traditional, yet unique” design based around a brown check and coordinating toile.

The primary challenge was the small scale of the room. It had one double window, and the bed placement was restricted to one narrow wall. Judy designed an upholstered headboard topped by a semicircular corona with a box pleated valance and panels for the bed, paying careful at-tention to scale and proportion as to not overwhelm the room. At the window a stationary London shade was added on top of the pre-existing blinds.

To soften the strong lines of the checked fabric, the top of the valance features a scalloped shape accented by solid welting. For added emphasis, a solid flange stiffened with Skirtex™ was constructed as a backdrop for the top of the valance. Brush-ing the ceiling, the flange adds necessary height to the design. To ensure the valance was equally attractive from the front and back, it was lined in the coordianating toile, and the hemline was welted, making the inverted pleats fall into soft curves. Covered buttons at the top of the pleats provided the finishing touch.

The inside of the corona was covered with a hand pleated toile sunburst. In lieu of the expected rosette, a semi circular mock covered button was made from foam-wrapped chipboard, a de-tail designed to echo the buttons on the valance. Solid welting was applied between the gathered tops of the panels and the perimeter of the sunburst, as well as on the leading edges of the side panels.

When attached to the medallion hold backs, the toile back panel fans out in soft folds behind the headboard. The side panels are fan folded and draped over the medallions, beautifully framing the bed. The flange and valance were easily attached to the face of the corona with concealed Velcro™ and staples.

The London shade features fringe, solid pleat inserts and solid welting along the pleat seams. The gently scalloped hemline

JUDY PETERS, PALMETTO DRAPERY, LLCFIRST PLACE, TIE, TOP TREATMENTS

DETAILSCREDITS: Designer, workroom and installer: Judy Peters, Palmetto Drapery, LLC, Anderson, SC. Photographer: Richard Morand, Ander-son, SC.

SOURCES: Checked fabric: Fabricut, Sayers in Acorn. Toile: Duralee, 42140, colorway 582. Brown solid fabric: Michaels, Arizona in clove. Red print fabric: Duralee, 42006, colorway 9. Green solid fabric: Du-ralee, 31922, colorway 303. Brown solid headboard fabric: Duralee, 36131, colorway 449. Lining and interlining: Angel’s Distributing. Me-dallion holdbacks and fringe trim: COM. Workroom supplies, including welt cord, crimp button forms, chipboard, shade rings, lift cord, cord adjuster, orbs, pillow forms: Rowley Company. Blinds: Hunter DouglasUpholstered headboard: Modern Upholstery, Anderson, SC.

and covered button trim detail coordinate with the corona, as does the matching bed skirt. Both complement, but do not com-pete with the corona, ensuring the bed is the room’s focal point. A bold red scaldino and accent pillows in red and soft green complete the design, infusing energy and life into the neutral brown palette.

“I was pleased to learn my client was the first ‘guest’ to sleep in the room,” said Judy. “In a note to me she wrote, ‘I looked at and loved every single detail before falling asleep in the room of my dreams.’”


WORKROOM NOTES

For a study already outfitted in rich red and warm gold furnshings, Judy’s client requested a top treatment that would help pull the room together and add to the cozy, comfortable atmosphere.

Judy proposed a medallion-mounted valance that was to be completely con-trast lined, but the client requested an ecru lining for visual consistency from the exterior. Judy chose to deck the lin-ing with contrasting fabric to solve this concern. To do so, she sewed a three- inch shaped band to the lower edge of the lining, using the valance hemline as a cutting template. It was inconspicu-ous from the exterior of the home. The contrast fabric for the top foldover cuff was sewn as decking to the upper edge of the lining, and was fully concealed by the window molding.

The entire perimeter of the valance was trimmed with contrast welting. In addi-tion to accenting the top cuff, the welt-ing peeked out from beneath the hand applied tassel fringe, providing addi-tional detail to the hemline.

To ensure the medallions would per-fectly enhance the room and the va-lance, Judy made them herself, paint-ing the unfinished medallions with three coats of custom mixed gold and bronze metallic acrylic. The outer edges received three coats of deep red paint, which was rubbed with the me-tallic mixture to give a burnished effect and then each was given three coats of satin polyurethane for a beautiful finish.

The small scale plaid used for the valance face was carefully cut to cover 10 pattern-matched 1½" button forms, with shanks removed. Tiny dowel end caps painted with the metallic mixture were glued to the center of each covered button for added di-mension. To ensure uniform alignment of the plaid buttons, the medallions were installed first. The buttons were glued in place on site. The valance was then attached to the medallions with casually knotted contrast ties

”The client was so pleased with the finished result,” siad Judy, “that she ordered a table skirt, runner, and custom tassel from the valance fabrics as additional details.”

JUDY PETERS, PALMETTO DRAPERY, LLCSECOND PLACE, TIE, TOP TREATMENTS

DETAILSCREDITS: Designer, workroom and installer: Judy Peters, Palmetto Drapery, LLC, Anderson, SC. Photographer: Patrick McGinnis, Ander-son, SC.

SOURCES: Fabrics: Richloom and P Kaufmann. Trim: Belagio. Work-rom supplies including: welt cord, high temp glue sticks, crimp but-ton forms, lining and interlining fabrics: Rowley Company. Unfinished medallions: Country Curtains. Paint: Americana, Décor Art. Polyure-thane: Minwax. Dowel End Caps: Hobby Lobby. Blinds: COM

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This little girl’s bedroom fea-tures a mural of a “Big Top” tent canopy on the ceiling, as well as painted balloons, ani-mals and flowers around the walls for a festive circus theme.

In keeping with the murals, the window treatments were designed to resemble draped tent sides, although the panels were deliberately kept at sill length so as to not cover the murals. All items were lined with blackout lining, as the bedroom faces west and heat build-up was a concern.

A scalloped three-finger pleat-ed valance tops the panels, ac-cented with bows between the valance pleats. A coordinating bow is used for the panel hold-backs. Because finding an ap-propriate trim was proving to be difficult, the decision was made to create a small handmade knife edge pleat trim from the jabot contrast fabric.

JACKI DELL, GOLDEN SCISSORSSECOND PLACE, CURTAINS & DRAPERIES

DETAILSCREDITS: Designer and workroom: Jacki Dell, Golden Scissors, Saint Charles, IL. Installer and photographer: Tim Dell, Golden Scissors.

SOURCES: Fabric, valance and panel: Stroheim, Cherry Blossom. Fab-ric, solid constrast lining: Kasmir. Blackout lining: United Supply, Tra-verse Rod: Kirsch from United Supply. Blinds: pre-existing.


Product

WOODMART

Exterior Shutters by Wood-Mart. Made from Incense Cedar. Available in a quick ship standard design with three louver options and/or raised panels. We also manufacture custom exte-rior shutters with a variety of louver sizes, board and batten or Bahama Style. Visit us at Woodmart.com or call 818/785-1528.

WOODMART

WoodMart is a fully inte-grated manufacturer—from rough milling through finish-ing and packaging. Louver sizes range from 1" to 5". Visit us at Woodmart.com or call 818/785-1528.

ONA DRAPERY

Ona Drapery Hardware Com-pany brings exquisite designs and exceptional value to-gether in our Classic Collec-tion of Wrought Iron drapery hardware. All of our hardware is individually handmade and finished exactly to your speci-fications. We pride ourselves on quality workmanship, time-ly delivery and customer satis-faction. Select from our Clas-sic Collection and order with confidence.

Website: onadrapery.com. Call for a free catalog: 800/231-4025 or fax a request to 888/231-4026..

HT WINDOW FASHIONS

HT proudly introduces Fire Retardant Cellular Shade Fabrics.

FR fabrics are newest addition to our broad selection of cellular shade material. FR rated fabrics passed latest NFPA 701 standard. Building on our “everything cellular...” concept, HT is a leading alter-

native supplier for all cellular shade needs.

Please contact us for detail in-formation. Call 800/879-9512, fax 626/839-8861 or visit our website www.htwfonline.com.

Take another look at value.

Take another look at HT Window Fashions

CALHOOK

CALHOOK has all the right hangers, fixtures and racks for fabric samples. Wall sys-tems and Max-Space™ floor displays make the best use of your available space and help manage samples ef-ficiently. CALHOOK also supplies a full line of point-of-purchase supplies and equipment for retailers.

Call for a free catalog: 800/422-4665 or visit us online at calhook.com.

HT proudly introduces FIRE RETARDANTCELLULAR SHADE FABRICS. FR fabrics is newest addition to our broad selection of cellular shade material. FR rated fabrics passed latest NFPA 701 standard. Buildingon our “everything cellular...” concept, HTis a leading alternative supplier for all cellular shade need.

Please contact us for detail information. Call (800) 879-9512, fax (626) 839-8861 orvisit our website www.htwfonline.com.Take another look at value.Take another look at HT Window Fashions.

HT proudly introduces FIRE RETARDANTCELLULAR SHADE FABRICS. FR fabrics is newest addition to our broad selection of cellular shade material. FR rated fabrics passed latest NFPA 701 standard. Buildingon our “everything cellular...” concept, HTis a leading alternative supplier for all cellular shade need.

Please contact us for detail information. Call (800) 879-9512, fax (626) 839-8861 orvisit our website www.htwfonline.com.Take another look at value.Take another look at HT Window Fashions.

64 | VISION

What’s COLOR DAZE: The September/October issue of Vision will feature color forecasts for 2014, colorful window treat-ment designs as well as new window treatment cord safe-ty updates. Shown here is the Summer Haze color inspi-ration board by Pattern People for PrintSource New York.

Fire Retardant Cellular Shade Fabrics From window fashions TM

Ideal for commercial and home applications

Meet NFPA 701 (2010) standard

It provides a fire resistant barrier & halts its spread

Energy saving cell structure

Available in a broad range of colors, in light filtering and black out(custom color orders 6 boxes minimum - 8 weeks)

9/16” single cell - quick ship in 4 colors(cotton, winter white, fawn and pongee)

Order by the box (576 sq ft per box) or buy the shades.....

FR certificate - available upon request

Call HT window fashions at 1-800-879-9512Visit our website www.htwfonline.com

Safety

&

Style

Everything Cellular ...

• Smooth,stylishwavesevenwithtra

nsparentfabrics.

• Coatedwiththeuniquedöfixprodu

ctionaidadhesiveforunparallelede

aseofuseand

stunninglyperfectresults.

• Combinationofiron-onandsew-on.

Resultsinexactplacementoftape

andpuckerless

stitchingduetothespecialadhesiv

e.

• Madeespeciallyforthin,transparen

tfabrics,withnobleedthrough.

• Variable,customfoldsizeforperfe

ctpatternrepeats.

• Compactstackwhenthecurtainisfu

llyopened.

döfixAlbero

döfix wave tape Albero

Contemporary wave draperies made easy

döfix No Sew, Inc. • 1947 Ironway Dr • Sanford, MI 48657 • Tel 800-962-8983; 989-687-7999 • www.dofix.com

Call 800-962-8983

for more information

WFV July/Aug 2013

Documents

Transcript of WFV July/Aug 2013