The Wind Song Collection Natural Woven Shades- New VIDEO!

Wind Song Collection Reeded Shades in Denver Colorado...

 (This is actually 6 individual shades separated by a horizontal beam.)

We recently completed a Wind Song Collection Reeded Shade project that was installed just north of Denver Colorado that I wanted to share with our followers. The homeowner came to us looking for an alternative to the much more expensive Conrad Shades, and has expressed how VERY please he is with all of them. There were 14 shades total all done in our Caramel color, 3 of which were motorized, and 11 with our Continuous Cord Operation. Our customer was gracious enough to send us some photographs after the installation was complete and allow us to share them with you. Take a look at how beautifully the shades merge with the amazing exterior view...simply BEAUTIFUL!!

Designer's Workroom opens new showroom at the Dallas World Trade Center!!

Long time No Blog!  Sorry for the lack of posts, but this just
means that we are really, REALLY busy making beautiful draperies, woven shades, bedding, and window treatments
for all of our amazing customers! :-)

We've actually been SO busy, that I forgot to spread the word that we have opened a new booth inside the Hemisphere Design Gallery at the Dallas World Trade Center!  It features several displays including: Drapes, a Swagged Valance, Table Skirt & Fortuny Table Square, 3 Motorized Systems, and of course...The Wind Song Collection Woven Shades!!  Stop by and check it out if you get a chance.

We will be there for Market in person January 19th - 22nd.  Hope to see you there!

How To Find Us: 

2050 Stemmons Frwy. #9009

Dallas, TX 75207 

*9th Floor inside Hemisphere Design Gallery
(Booth #46) 

A little about DMC & Hemisphere's...
Dallas Market Center is one of the most complete wholesale merchandise resource in the world.  It has been bringing buyers and exhibitors together for more than 50 years. You’ll find products representing every category including home furnishings, gifts, decorative accents, lighting, garden accessories, gourmet items, holiday décor, textiles, fashion accessories and apparel. They hold 50-plus markets each year attended by more than 200,000 buyers from across the globe.

Hemisphere Design Gallery features distinctive, high-end design oriented products and services showcased in a beautifully designed 59 space showroom. Hemisphere Design Gallery is located on the ninth floor of the World Trade Center, in an established design resource area, and appeals to decorators and designers, as well as discriminating businesses. 

Custom Window Treatments & Bedding…Why Do They Cost So Much? by Designer’s Workroom- Dallas Fort Worth

Many designers and their customers ask "why are custom draperies & window treatments so expensive?"   A lot of times the client doesn't understand what they are paying for.  They find an exquisite fabric that is extremely expensive, and then can't understand why the labor to fabricate the window treatment is in their eyes-over priced.  This article should give you some insight to what really goes into turning that piece of fabric into a beautiful fixture in your home.  It will give you detailed information about the thought that goes into drapery design, fabrication, and motorization that might help designers, and potential clients get a better handle on the costs of having custom window treatments made for the home.

One of the most time consuming parts of drapery making is the computations, design, and figuring of the fabrication.  Unfortunately, there is no computer program that can estimate this type of information.  In order to figure the quote for a project, every detail of the fabrication must be worked out.  Why?  Because everything that is done to a drape takes time, and time is the bulk of what you're paying for.  You also want to make sure you've chosen a workroom that has experience and a good reputation with the level of project the customer or home requires. Putting expensive fabrics in the hands of a workroom or seamstress that doesn't have the experience and attention to detail needed, can be absolutely disastrous.

Drapery workrooms generally start a project with a preliminary measure and a walk through with the designer, customer, or sometimes both.  On most high-end residential projects, it usually requires two people and many hours just to get measurements. In a lot of cases homes are still in the construction phase, and multiple trips to the home are required to get final details and measurements as the home approaches completion.  Many hours are spent focusing on all of the many details: taking pages of notes, sketches, drawings, etc...  It's not uncommon to have 20 pages of notes and drawings- not including the computations.  This also doesn't include the many phone conversations between the workroom and the designers concerning preliminary designs, yardage estimates and motorization considerations.

The next step is to take all of the measurements, write them in a logical order and determine finished sizes of the drapes. After this is done, the workroom starts to look at the details to determine what hardware will be used: the diameter of rod that will be needed to cover the expanse without sagging, the number of brackets needed, the number of sheers potentially needed and the number of rings needed. After this step, questions regarding the installation process should be reviewed:

Will the drapes open and close if there are brackets in the way? Do they need to open and close, or should they just be stationary?
Will they have to have custom brackets made to accommodate this or will standard brackets work?
Is there going to be molding in the way of the legs on the brackets?
What is the pleat style so the number of rings can be figured?
Will they be hand sewn on or pinned?
How do the "eyes" of the rings need to be turned?
What type of fabric will you be using?
Will the weight of the fabric cause the rod to sag?
Will they be able to install into wood or sheet rock?
Are the rods too heavy for this? What finials are being used?
Is there enough space?
How many people will it take to hang a wide rod if required?
Can they do it on ladders, or will they need scaffolding?
Is it motorized?
How are you controlling the treatments?
Will it be tied into a home automation system?
Will you want a remote control?

After rod widths and hardware options are determined, the workroom then starts looking at the details and computations for the drapes. What style?  If you are doing draperies, what kind of pleats?  Are they lined or interlined?  What kind of lining?  Will the weight of the lining work with the flow of the fabric?  What kind of fabric will be used?  How wide is the fabric?  Is it a print or a solid? Is there a pattern repeat?  Do they need to consider the pattern placement in the design of the window treatment?  Will this affect the yardage quote?  Will they need to make a pleating sample if the fabric is a plaid to get the pattern to fall correctly in the pleat or hap-hazzard?  Is there a top treatment? Is the window treatment functional or stationary?  How much fullness is needed? Should they use crinoline, and if so..what kind? How high does it need to mounted?  What kind of hems?  How deep?  Should they allow extra fabric for this?  Will it be weighty enough and hang properly?  Do they need to consider stack-back? How much extra time is it going to take for the seamstresses to handle the weight of an extra long and wide panel?  Will it require 2 people to work on each panel to help with the weight?  Is the fabric thick or thin?  Can the pleats be machine tacked or will they have to be done by hand?

If you are wanting any extra detailing such as trim down the centers of the draperies, they have to determine if it must be sewn on by hand or if it can fit under their machines.  Is it so thick that the machine would cause the fabric to pucker?  Or will the feet of the machine get caught on it and tear it apart?  So, they might even have to sew it by hand, even if it's thin enough to fit under the machine.  Then, will they need to hand finish the edges of the fabric on the centers for the same reasons?  They will then spend a lot of time calculating yardages for fabrics and trims that are not even being purchased from them in most cases, and be expected to provide the information accurately.

To ensure the electrical is done properly in homes that are using motorized draperies or window treatments, multiple meetings with builders, superintendents and electricians are required. Those trips are in addition to many phone calls verifying electrical information and dealing with any changes that might be made during the building process.

Everything mentioned above is all before any work is even started on the drapes, bedding, or window treatments.  These details must be considered on every single window in your home, and unfortunately there is no computer program or math formula to figure it-only experience.  When you stop to consider all the time that is spent before the fabric is ever touched, you realize that the bulk of what you're paying for when you choose to have custom window treatments or bedding made is time & experience.

Designer's Workroom & The Wind Song Collection featured in Dallas Fort Worth Design Guide Magazine...

Designer's Workroom- DG Publishing:
Designer’s Workroom has spent more than 30 years perfecting the art of fabrication custom window coverings, bedding , decorative pillows, and furniture upholstery with precision and accuracy. We offer clients quality and detailed service from the simplest of designs to the most elaborate. Come visit our new and expanded showroom featuring the latest in motorization and design trends which feature over 25 motorized displays that allow you to open and close curtains or shades with the touch of a button.  Also introducing the Windsong Collection, a line of hand woven reeded shades that are fabricated in our workroom and can be custom ordered to fit any size window.

Wind Song Collection- DG Publishing:
The Wind Song Collection was born out of a need to provide a superior quality reeded shade for our designers, that is competitively priced. Our mission was to find raw materials that we could fabricate in our workroom, to produce a product that would be equal to or exceed the quality of shades that our customers have come to expect. We have spent over 10 years in research and product development to bring you the finest quality woven shade available in the market today. The Wind Song Collection natural woven shades may be used virtually anywhere in your home to enhance the look of a room. They are naturally translucent and filter the sunlight, while softly preserving outside views. For additional sun control or privacy, we offer several lining options, and can even accommodate arched, angled, and specialty windows. All shades are finished on each edge and are available in 4 stock colors.

Designer's Workroom project featured in Architectural Digest Magazine!

November 2010

Well this month was full of surprises for all of us...we were featured in 2 high profile magazines all in the same month!! Check out the November 2010 issue of the Architectural Digest that is on news stands now and go to page 150, 151, and 157...all of the window treatments and bedding you see photographed were designed and made right here at our workroom in Plano Texas!!
 





Have you ever wondered how something so elaborate as the bed canopy featured in this article comes together?  It starts with a design or sketch that in this case was created by Designer's Workroom leading drapery designer, Jaclynn Cauthorn.  From start to finish, Jaclynn brought every detail to life from her original sketch.

The Process...

Once the sketch was approved, hours and hours of time was spent figuring how to build it in pieces so that it could be transported and assembled.  From there, tickets and work orders were created with explicit details written so that not one measurement would be missed.  Once everything was ready, Jaclynn & Donnie along with our team of installers headed to the Ranch and oversaw every aspect of the installation from start to finish.  I'd say the hard work and attention to detail payed off!

Original Design by Jaclynn Cauthorn






Installation Process

Underneath the Canopy

Completed Bed Canopy!!

Designer's Workroom project featured in Dallas Modern Luxury Magazine-Oct 2010

 Also be sure to check out the current October 2010 issue of Dallas Modern Luxury Magazine, which features a project that we did in the Arts District in downtown Dallas...
http://dallas.modernluxury.com/

October 2010



On page 34 you will see custom chairs that were made and upholstered by our workroom, along with sheer drapery panels, and our very popular Windsong Collection natural woven shades!

On page 36, you will see a headboard, bedding, sheers, and of course...a Windsong Collection natural woven reeded shade, that were all created and installed by Designer's Workroom!