IS Service the New Luxury?

A few days ago I was reading the latest edition of By Design magazine, published by the Seattle Home Center. One of the lines in an article by Kay Stewart & Craig Cross read "Service is the new luxury" really struck me. Initially I thought, "Yes, right on!"

I've had a few days, a few service calls, a few installations to reflect on that line. Is that really true for me? For you? Are you doing anything differently in this economy regarding service than you were a year ago? I thought about it as I spent several hours on the phone and internet searching for a cream colored very wide traverse rod. I thought about it as I took down the dog-chewed faux wood blind for a 79-year-old widow yesterday and replaced it with a new one. It was on my mind as I delivered a rush order of shades, and as I tried to match valance clips to repair an older blind. I thought about it as I placed orders late into the night. It's always been about great service, and from talking with many of you, it's the same for you.

Going above and beyond what is expected - that's the kind of treatment I love to receive. Why would I provide any less for valued clients?

What do you think?

Taking stock

Life can change in a moment. I know, what a cliche. You hear it so often, and it never seems to apply to you. But yesterday, in one quick moment, life's paradigms shifted for me - again.

I've had a few of those in my life. The "aha" moment I knew that the young man I was dating would be the man I would marry and spend my life with; those wonder-filled moments I met the eyes of my newly-born children; and most recently, when our youngest son was sworn in as a recruit in the US Marine Corps and I realized that my devotion to my adopted country ran bone-deep.

Yesterday's paradigm shift was a little more mundane, an incident that occurs often in this beautiful and verdant land of ours. On our way to church, driving at the speed limit of 55 on a state highway, we hit a deer. No avoiding her; we didn't even see her as she jumped from the tall grass in the ditch directly bordering the unshouldered two-lane highway in front of the vehicle. No time to brake. No time to panic. Massive front end damage. Praise God no human injury though the deer did not survive. We picked up the car parts and continued on...

It was later that the thinking started, the what-ifs. What if we had gone into the steep ditch - there were no shoulders. What if there had been on-coming traffic? What if my calm husband had overreacted, swerved, rolled the vehicle? What if the airbags had deployed and we had been injured by them, like a friend's daughter? What if...? What if...? And the thoughts went on and on. And that's when the Thank God's really started.

Thank God for His provision and care that our family was kept in safety - something we take for granted as we travel so many miles, both for work and for leisure. Thank God for dependable vehicles we take for granted - the work vehicle that is now at the shop being repaired, the one has taken me so many miles and on so many sales calls and installations and the spare one left behind by my Marine recruit that I'll be able to drive while this one is in the shop. Thank God that we were driving my sturdy SUV which bore the brunt of the accident well, much better than my husband's much smaller import would have.

I'm taking stock today of those "everyday" blessings. Not so everyday after all, but such rich blessings! Thank God!

Family Fun in Phoenix

A red-letter day in our family! My husband Bob turned 50! It's hard to believe that we're getting that old - but hey, with six grandchildren and the seventh on the way, I guess we've earned our years. I decided that something extra-special was called for to mark the occasion.

My husband's family is Canadian, and spread across the country. Why not gather them in a scenic place and surprise my husband with a mini family reunion? The plans were laid almost a year ago already. Invitations were sent out and plans proceeded. Finally the day came and my husband was surprised to learn that he was not helping me at a client's home that day as he had expected, but instead our bags were packed and we were on our way to Phoenix.

Once we had deplaned, we strolled towards baggage claim. Shock was written all over Bob's face as he spied eleven family members waiting for him at the exit. What was this? How did this happen? Yes, it was me, I confessed, who orchestrated the whole reunion.

We had a week together: siblings, spouses and parents. We left with wonderful memories of blazing Scottsdale sun, Sedona, the Grand Canyon, quadding in the desert, shopping in the outlet malls, and just relaxing around the resort pool. Hundreds of pictures. Time to chat, time to reconnect, time to realize again the importance of family.

And thanking God again for great blessings.

Lined sheers?

A few days ago it was time to install again at one of my favorite clients. I've worked on several rooms in her home; this time she wanted to add window treatments to her office. There were existing shades already; Silhouettes in two of the windows and a top-down bottom-up woven wood shade in the other window, but this client needed more than just the basics. She needed to come into this room, where she spends a good portion of her day, and have it be a beautiful, warm and welcoming place.

This client loves glamor, unique trim and delicate sheers. As well, she had existing ruffled valances in a cream fabric accented with a gold scroll print that she wanted to repurpose. I needed to find a way to pull those elements together in a way that would delight her every morning as she entered her office to begin work.

Together we chose a very sheer and shimmery fabric embroidered with delicate flowers and scrolls that complemented the valance fabric. The sheer was simply too sheer; the solution was to line it with another sheer in the same color family for more color saturation and to block more of the sun's rays. The one-way draw sheers covered the entire back wall of the office and were topped by the updated valance. Conso beaded trim in hues of gold and amber was added to the valance for added sparkle. A matching tieback swagged the sheer back in open position, and the small adjoining window was topped by an identical beaded valance for that finishing touch.

The client loved her "new" office! That's the best part of this business - fulfilling clients' window coverings dreams! And I can't wait to get started on the next rooms in her home...

Reflections on IWCE Vision09

I'm back and I've had a few days to reflect on the experience that was Vision'09. I think I'll still be processing ideas and sights for quite a while to come.

For a small business owner such as myself, it is always a huge investment of time and money to make the trip cross country, so I needed to weigh carefully the pros and cons of going. I have attended IWCE in the past, so I could better judge the value of the seminars I would attend and the education I would receive, as well as the opportunity to see the latest innovations in the industry and meet suppliers old and new. The benefits of meeting and learning from top designers, workrooms and professionals in the window coverings industry is also invaluable. Was there really any doubt in my mind? I booked my travel, packed my suitcase, and headed off to Atlanta. And what a positive experience it was!

The speakers were top-notch. The days were jam-packed with seminars in all the different areas of our industry - design, workroom, business, installation, etc. The show floor had a wide variety of vendors showing their latest wares. TrendSpot showcased Vignettes while hosting daily design trend talks, interviews with the designers of the Vignettes, tips and product presentations as well as Portfolio Reviews and Small Group Consultations. The Construction Zone featured top workroom experts giving demonstrations and product introductions in a hands-on area; as well contestants were presented with various challenges to design and create. The bookstore was filled with books and material specifically geared to the window fashions industry. To round out the busy schedule, there were various awards presentations and other special events. Is it any wonder my head was spinning?

What an enjoyable 4 days I spent in Atlanta. Thanks to Deb Barrett for all her help in seeing the the Vignette display through from conception to installation. Kudos and thanks to Grace McNamara and her entire organization for a well-organized and enjoyable exhibition. This was the best investment I could have made for professional development!

Today I took my show and seminar notes and began to review them. I had so much information thrown at me in such a short period of time that it is good to take the time and effort to go through the notes again from time to time, first of all when it is still fresh.

IWCE Vison'09 helped me to refocus my passion for what I do and clarify my vision of how to proceed for the future. It revitalized me and re-energized me! Now, I need to step away from the computer and head off to my first client of the day!

Friday – One last day at IWCE, then time to head home

Back to the Georgia World Congress Center one last time. The day begins with Somfy’s Motorization seminar. I’m interested especially in the motorized shades that are sun-activated. Just suction cup the sensor onto the window, and when the sun’s bright, down comes the shade! There are so many options and possibilities in motorization.

Then off to an in-depth workshop by Terri Booser on Understanding Pattern Repeats and Calculating Yardage. Helpful material again, not just for the workroom, but also for the designer in calculating yardages for all types of window fashions and applied trim, and unraveling the mysteries of pattern repeats.

A quick trip around the show floor, some goodbyes, and then off to the airport. Back to the family – home is going to feel good!

IWCE09 Thursday - Vignette Interviews

Early afternoon - time to head over to TrendSpot! First a little social networking, trading some Twitter aliases and blog addresses, before several of us Vignette designers answer questions about our displays.



Let's back up a little. A few months ago a call went out, asking for window fashions designers to apply to create a Vignette, one window treatment, to be displayed at IWCE09. The designers were given client profiles for whom to design the window treatments, and in some cases even a real client to interview. My "Booming Business" client was a charming 50-something from the Midwest who had just remodeled but wasn't sure how to deal with the custom windows she added. She wanted a treatment that wasn't fussy but would frame the view and add softness to the room. So that's what I had in mind when I designed my Vignette.



I designed an arched cornice, to follow the arch of the wood in her custom window, of Kasmir's bronze faux silk with chenille maroon, gold and moss green dots, finished with maroon and gold cording. The pillowcased gold chenille side panels were backed with maroon chenille; the facing edge was finished with maroon and gold brush fringe. The panels were held back with large tasseled tiebacks from Kasmir. To give the display more interest, I added a small back pillow with beautiful beaded fringe and a side table layered with a maroon underskirt and the bronze faux silk overcloth with beaded fringe, accessorized with a beaded napkin holder and napkin ring fashioned from the cornice cording and some leftover beads. The roller shade, of Ado's Actibreeze fabric for sun protection and improving air quality, was velcroed onto the roller for quick removal, easy washing and interchangeability with other fabrics.

Well, today Deb Barrett interviewed me and 3 of the other Vignette designers regarding our displays in an open forum. It was interesting to hear how the other designers arrived at their end displays, their design process, the challenges they faced, the fabrics and other materials they used. Kudos to all the Vignette designers for beautiful and imaginative displays showcasing the wide variety of styles and talents of American window fashions designers.

And thanks especially to Deb Barrett, a very talented designer in her own right, who coordinated the Vignettes, helped with installation, setup and takedown, and just generally pulled it all together!

IWCE09 Thursday - The Show Floor Opens!

Well, after yesterday's completely full and exhausting day, I just couldn't make myself get up at 6 to be at the show by 8. I strolled in just after 9, thankful that the traffic cooperated, just in time for Susan Shultz' great seminar on How to Guarantee Your Clients Value Your Work. We consistently undervalue ourselves and thus our work - Susan urged us to get out of the rut of thinking that we provide products and reevaluate the valuable services we provide to clients. Another great seminar with a lot of food for thought and personal development.

Then off to walk the show floor! It was bustling with strolling spectators, camera in hand, and eagle-eyed vendors eager to exhibit their wares to all passers-by. What a great opportunity to meet with current suppliers and check out new ones. I spotted a line of beaded trims that I just had to add to my current collection - did I say that I love trim? I know just the client who would love that line on our next project! And the colorful silks draped over the booth walls... I missed a few of my old standby vendors - the show floor looked a little smaller than it has in past years. When talking to the vendors you can hear that the economic downturn has hit them as well. They are looking forward to busier times ahead. I'll go back again tomorrow to visit with some suppliers, have another look at their products.

WOW Awards really Wow!

The day ended with the WOW (World of Windows) Awards, sponsored by Hunter Douglas, hosted by HD's Joe Jankoski and WFCP's Grace McNamara. Tonight we celebrated winners, first, the winners of the Window Fashion Vision09 Design Competition Awards. They shared their creative vision and the inspiration behind their beautiful window treatments. We were encouraged to think about applying motorization to window coverings, which many of the winners used in their treatments. The Workroom Competition Awards followed, and were a delight to the eyes. The talent displayed in creating the designs showcased was amazing! We ended with specialized awards to industry leaders. We were reminded by Shirley Rupert, one top winner, that "Your vision starts with your passion." Congratulations to all of the winners!

We could network with others in the industry, share ideas and success stories, problem solve and be inspired by each other. We could see too that our visions can't come to fruition without each other. IWCE09 is a perfect opportunity to learn and grow - I can't wait to continue the journey tomorrow!

Power Lunch with Kelly McCormick-How to Increase Sales to Women

I'm just blown away by the quality of the seminars that I've been to so far! The biggest problem I've had though, is that I haven't been able to attend them all.

I've just finished a great lunch capped by an exhilarating talk laced with humor by the keynote speaker, Kelly McCormick. She brings years of experience dealing with people, with salespeople, years of business ownership, and is now a much desired speaker. She pointed out the unique buying styles of men and women - men are linear and goal oriented in their purchasing decisions; women are visual, and see the big picture. Women make 80-95% of the home improvement buying decisions today; they buy great solutions rather than great products. To sell to women we need to establish relationships of trust and get to know them personally. Kelly suggested the basics of great sales conversations and led us further in our quest to be the best we can be. Lots of food for thought and improvement!

For dessert I attended her followup seminar on Handling Objections and Stalling Tactics. Again we received a wealth of information that we could take back with us and apply as we head out on future sales calls.

My head is just spinning with all I've heard today! I'm going to head back to the hotel after I've had one last look at my Vignette and just reflect on what I have learned. Exhausting! Invigorating! Exciting! Tomorrow's seminars promise to be just as good!

IWCE09 Wednesday

Anticipation! The buzz started as we waited in line to register. It was great to meet up with acquaintances old and new then head for the kick-off session of the show!

The morning started off with a bang - Grace McNamara, the President and CEO of Window Fashions VISION MAGAZINE, hosting the hot topic for window covering professionals - how do you price, and make a profit? Do you set a gross margin? Do you charge for your design expertise or consultation? The panelists were knowledgeable and from a variety of niches in the industry - Jeanelle Dech, of Adaptive Textiles, Joan Willis of Patterns Plus & Robb & Stuckey, Donna Cash of Designs by Donna, and Melinda Peters Elliott of Fine Designs & Interiors. Because of the expertise they shared, we all walked away with a better understanding of how to fine-tune and analyze our pricing, and especially how important it is to make the service we provide invaluable.

And onward to the next seminar - Makeover Your Marketing by Mary Larsen. What a dynamo! The room filled as Mary shared strategies to learn the most effective marketing techniques. She helped us identify the gaps in our marketing plans and showed us how to create a plan to fill in those gaps. She shared so much valuable information - for more see her website at http://www.growyourdesignbiz.com/ . Mary suggested a one hour per week action plan to get us jumpstarted. A simple nugget she left us with: "Choose a set of simple, effect things to do, and do them consistently." Good advice - to be put into action when I get back to the office!

Beth Hodges presented a very helpful seminar on Communication: the Designer, Workroom and Installer. She showed us ways to improve communication between the three, stressing that they all need to work together as a team to provide the best possible experience for the client. Another good learning session for the mixed group of designers, installers and workrooms represented!

IWCE09 Part One

It's finally here! It seems like I've been waiting and planning for this forever! It must still be the child in me; the anticipation is always half of the fun!

I arrived into Atlanta yesterday, flying through the night the long way around via Seattle and Detroit. What a blessing it was to be able to check into the hotel early - very early - and get a few hours of sleep before I headed over to the Georgia World Congress Center. Wandering my way through the building, I finally connected with show management and thus with Deb Barrett, who has been a wonderful guide through the steps of preparing for my first Vignette display at IWCE.

The show floor was a busy one, people scurrying about, front end loaders beeping their way through a maze of packing crates and partially set up displays, and the beginnings of what will be the largest window coverings trade show in the U.S. starting today! I always find it amazing how in a few short hours an empty cavern can be transformed into an Aladdin's showcase of wares!

It was great to see my package of display materials, safe and sound from a long cross-country trek. With the help of Deb Barrett and Melinda, another Vignette participant, my display was installed, dressed down, and tweaked. And tweaked. And then fiddled with some more. Until finally Deb suggested that it was time to go... since everyone else was leaving...

And today it all begins! I can't wait for the seminars I've signed up for. And I should get going - I don't want to be late! Till next time...

Brimar Rosettes - A Trim Odyssey

This odyssey began last spring with the selection of a rose colored silk. Ah, that rose colored silk had been the the object of a long search for the perfect shade to match the flowers in the fabric covered couch and loveseat in the family room. But that was only the beginning...

The design came together quite easily. Three elegantly shaped cornices with side panels, two for the windows and one for the sliding glass door. Beautiful frames for a spectacular view of islands dotting the bay down below, fading into the far horizon. Accent trim to pull in a few more colors from the furniture. Simple - or so I thought.

The next search was on... The ever-elusive trim was finally found in a Kasmir collection, a collection with a few limited items. But there was enough cording and tiebacks to accent the graceful scallops of the design and satisfy the client's desire for trim - or so I thought.

Installation went well. The colors, the style, the proportions all fit the room and the decor. The client was happy - or so I thought.

Followup phone calls are a great idea. In this case, however, the client felt that something was missing. The cornices needed something more - she wasn't quite sure what, but they needed something... MORE. And THE SEARCH was on...

Well, we did discover what the MORE was not. It was not chair ties from that original Kasmir collection, used in a variety of creative ways. It was not rosettes from various other manufacturers in varied colors from ivory to tan to rose to multicolored. And every time we ordered something different, it took six weeks to arrive. The MORE was not to be found in Seattle, or locally, or on-line, but was eventually tracked down by brainstorming with several workrooms. And finally, after about six months of detective work, the solution was found!Brimar rosettes! Brimar is a supplier of stunning drapery trimmings, hardware and textiles. I'm pleased to be able to provide these products to my clients. And for this particular client, the rosettes were the perfect finishing touch, the MORE she was looking for.

Today I attached the Brimar rosettes to the cornices. As we stood back and looked at the finished product, the client said, "There. That's what I was looking for!" Sometimes a job takes a little longer to complete. But we need to go the extra mile to do the job right and make sure the client is completely satisfied.

I'm looking forward to getting started on this client's master bedroom!

Hunter Douglas Premieres New Line-Up

It was a great day for a drive, down south I5 toward Mt. Vernon to attend our local Hunter Douglas Premieres workshop. The sun peeked through the clouds from time to time, the first cherry trees were blossoming and that fresh green tint to the bushes and shrubs showed that leaves were budding. All heightened that sense of anticipation - what would Hunter Douglas come up with this spring? What new innovations, what enhancements, what new fabrics or products would we see this time around?

Highlights this year: additions to the highly energy-efficient Duette Architella line. Great new colors and fabrics! The sales reps presented an excellent demonstration of the insulating properties of the honeycomb shades compared to a bare window. Pirouette Window Shadings are the newest product offering, with soft horizontal vanes attached to a sheer backing, controlling light in an entirely new way. What excited me the most, though, was the expansion of the Vignette Modern Roman Shades line! A new tiered roman shade with a low profile headrail is sure to be a big hit. The new fabrics are beautiful and coordinate with Fabric by the Yard to complete the room's decor.

Of course, the new sample books are gorgeous too. The pictures showing the new product offerings are wonderfully done, and the Duette book is five pounds lighter this time around!

Hunter Douglas has done it again! They really are the leaders in the field of "hard" window coverings. I look forward to seeing what they have up their sleeves for the future...

Semper Fidelis

A little more reflective today. Yesterday I went with several of the children to witness our fourth child be sworn in as a US Marine. A proud moment for parents - to have a son put into action his expressed desire to serve his country. A bittersweet moment - letting go of the child you have raised for 19 years and watching him begin to fulfill his dream. He headed for boot camp very shortly after taking the oath, and we don't expect to hear from him much over the next 13 weeks. But he'll be thought of, prayed for, missed dearly, and we'll look forward to witnessing his graduation from boot camp in due time.

What struck me yesterday was the number of recruits that were there, and their ages. They were not only 18 year olds, who had just finished school, not knowing what to do with their lives. Sure, they were there, but there were those too who had a clear direction of where their lives were going, of what they desired for their country and for themselves, and there were those who were older, in their late twenties, thirties, and even one fortyish woman, who were re-enlisting.

It gives me great hope, once again, for this country, seeing young men and women make that solemn oath "so help them God" to be our defenders and protectors, to sacrifice for the common good of our nation.

I give them all my thanks.

Just how bad IS the economy?

Today's blog is a reflection on a comment made by a Facebook friend, Marie Mouradian. She questioned whether the economy is really as bad as the news portrays it, and concluded it wasn't.

I'll include some comments I posted in reaction: "Yesterday I reflected with a client on how blessed we truly are in this great country. Daily, I continue to work hard, provide excellent service, and strive to constantly improve - and I see so many others around me doing exactly the same thing in whatever job or industry they are in. This continues to be a land of great opportunity and hope!
I'm chosing not to listen to the economic news. I'm going to keep on making those sales calls - and I'm thankful for every single client."

There are so many people like you and me, people who are just going about their everyday life, working hard, doing what's best for their families, their communities, and their country. Those are the people who will continue to make this country strong through times of economic turmoil, naysayers and second-guessers.

I'll work harder, pray more, trust my Heavenly Father and hope for more settled times in the near future.

Twitter Widgets, Hot Links and Mindfly.com

Another episode in the life of a multi-tasking custom window drapery fashionista! Sometimes juggling a million different balls can be a little crazy. Today Maya at Mindfly.com had some great ideas on how to finetune my website. Of course, we had to detour for a moment and have a look at some of the website stats showing up on Google Analytics and what they meant... What? Twitter's not installed on the website? Okay, let's get the Twitter widget up and running there... Oh, and anchor text and hot links on the blog - yep, should do that too...

Wow, lot's to do again in the cyberspace world. Now, back to the real world...

Custom drapery creativity!

Sometimes the right fabric just really isn't the right fabric! And how do you deal with that? I ran into that problem late last year. As I sat with a client flipping through sample fabrics, one caught her eye. It was a beautiful striped faux silk, with beige and peach colored stripes of varying intensities and tiny stripes of gold. The colors were perfect with her walls, carpet and room. What was the problem? The client wanted a room darkening drape in that living room, and this fabric was a sheer...

So, back I went to the office, searching for another very similar fabric that would suit her needs but be equally as stunning. Of course, that did not happen. There was just nothing like the original fabric choice.

That's when Angel's came to the rescue! Their 118" Bella Notte Blackout Lining with Eurohem saved the day. By railroading both the fabric and lining, the workroom could fabricate a pair of seamless drapes that stretched across the entire wall, draping softly and providing the desired room darkening. No unsightly seams showing through the sheers, no bottom hem of the lining to worry about.

Mounted on a custom wood Estate Rod by Kirsch with rings and decorative finials, the custom draperies with the subtly striped fabric finished the living room with elegance and style.

Moral of the story: Sometimes the wrong fabric IS the right fabric - it just takes a willingness to think outside the box and look for the less obvious solution!

I'm excited about the IWCE 2009 Vignette!

Two weeks ago I heard from Deb Barrett that I was one of twelve designers who would be creating Vignettes for the International Window Coverings Expo in Atlanta this May! Wow, was I excited! What an opportunity to showcase my creativity and ideas to an audience of 6,000 or so window fashions design professionals! But then the nerves set in - briefly. What was I thinking? Could I do it? It wasn't long though, before the creative juices started flowing, the ideas were popping into my head in the middle of the night and at other inopportune moments, and I couldn't wait to get all the details so I could get the design finalized. I had a preliminary design in mind...

But first, a "client" interview. I could chose a client profile - which would I pick? for there were many intriguing profiles - and then hold a phone interview with that client. Based on that interview, and the client's needs, desires and style, I would design a window treatment that would not only be functional, but also beautiful.

The client was a delight, and after the interview I had a clear picture of what was needed. Off to work - out with the preliminary design, and back to the drawing board. Different fabrics - but even more stunning! New design - but this would work so well given her room and window - and I was excited all over again!

I can't wait for the fabric to arrive. The workroom is eager to get started - and I'm ready to begin this next phase of the project. I'll keep you posted...

Stalling

Okay, I admit it, I am stalling. I really should be cleaning the house, since I have a whole day with no appointments - wow, what a luxury! - but instead I spent the morning ordering fabric for a client and updating the website. And I have to admit it, that was a job that I am glad to be finished with again. At least, for this month!

Up to now, I have managed my website on my own, but it was time to get some help. I have been thankful for the expertise of John Raasch and Maya at Mindfly.com, who is helping me fine-tune keywords, get Google Analytics going, and just generally making the website a better tool for Edwards Drapery & Interiors. Quite a science to the whole system of bumping your website up in the Google, MSN and Hotmail rankings! But the whole idea is to increase traffic to the website, for more phone calls, more sales and more enthused clients!

And now, time to grab the dustrag and vacuum cleaner... Because I can always design the next window treatment and whistle as I work...