Hey friend! Are you excited for the upcoming Fall season, or wishing summer could go on forever? I’m writing to you today from a lakeside vacation rental with my family, where we are all enjoying some much-needed R & R and spending some quality time together before we embark on a very busy Fall.
This is our second visit to Lake Harmony. We had to forgo the usual overseas travel plans in favor of something closer to home. And you know what? It’s been wonderful. Lake Harmony is our Happy Place, where we can spend time kayaking, swimming, fishing, and hiking. It’s just what we all needed!
I hope that you are able to get some downtime to spend time with your loved ones. Many of us are anticipating a busier than usual Fall, juggling virtual school and many projects. It’s important to make time for family and self-care!
I’d love to know – what are your plans for the rest of the summer? Do you have travel plans, or a “staycation” in the works? Drop me a line at vita@vitaliainc.com – I’d love to hear what you’re up to!
Custom-Made vs. Ready-Made: 3 Things You NEED To Know
Is Custom ALWAYS better?
Yes! But sometimes, no. Does that make sense?
As a custom workroom, we are clearly a proponent of custom window treatments. When you choose custom window treatments from Vitalia Inc, you know that your window treatments will be fabricated and installed to your exact specifications, and all aspects of the project will be handled for you by our team so you don’t have to worry about anything (when it comes to the window treatments anyway )
However, even a custom workroom understands that there are some situations that may call for ready-made as opposed to custom window treatments.
Sometimes the budget just doesn’t allow for custom window treatments. Sometimes the client might not feel the need to use custom window treatments if the design is not for a primary living area. And sometimes the client does not understand the advantages offered by custom window treatments and doesn’t see the need for them, despite what the designer knows and recommends.
Some circumstances do require a custom workroom, such as two-story windows, oddly shaped windows, or a curved wall of windows. These are challenges that can only be suitably dressed with a custom designed solution to ensure the perfect fit and look.
Have Realistic Expectations.
Should you have a situation where you need to use ready-made window treatments, being aware of the potential issues before hand can make it easier for you to mitigate crises before they happen. A few things to watch out for:
- Lengths can vary between packages and even on the hem-line of ready-made drapery.
- Matching color lots can pose a potential issue – even if they are from the same run.
- The panels will never look the way they do on the packaging.
- They are often unlined or lined with an ill-suited fabric, which can impact the way they hang.
Custom-made window treatments are measured precisely, with care being used when selecting fabrics. We can create anything, in any length, style, and color to suit your needs and designs! Ready-made treatments will offer more limited options in regard to style and fabric colors & patterns.
Creases & Wrinkles – the Struggle is Real!
This is something you and your client will need to come to terms with – there is not enough steam on earth to remove the creases and wrinkles from some fabrics when they are folded and packaged the way ready-made window treatments are. Dry cleaning may provide the best solution to fighting those stubborn wrinkles and creases, but plan ahead – I have personally found that many fabrics have significant shrinkage when dry cleaned.
With custom-made window treatments, wrinkles and creases need never be an issue. We ensure that the fabrics we use arrive from the vendor without severe creasing and wrinkles prior to fabrication, and they are steamed to perfection upon installation so they are flawless when we are finished.
While custom-made window treatments may not be possible for all projects, there are many reasons why you should promote them and offer them to your clients. When you partner Vitalia Inc, we support you and project manage every aspect of the window treatment process, from measuring and ordering, to fabrication and installation. Add profit to your designs without any additional work on your part!
You can consider us an extension of your team.
Have you used both ready-made window treatments and custom-made window treatments in your projects? What was your experience with them? Do you have any questions? Let’s connect – I’d love to hear about your personal experience!
I joined LuAnn Nigara on her A Well-Designed Business podcast to discuss this very topic! Click here or visit LuAnn’s website to listen to the entire episode!
Window Treatment Friday LIVE:
Designer Feature
Are you all caught up on Window Treatment Friday LIVE? Every Friday at 12pm I go live on Facebook and Instagram with Kim from Window Works, and we talk about all things window treatments, awnings, and more!
This week is a very special episode, and I hope you can join us! We are hosting another Designer Feature episode where we will share the work of some incredibly talented interior designers.
You can click here to catch up on past episodes, or visit my YouTube Channel.
We love this live version of LuAnn Nigara’s A Well-Designed Business podcast because it let’s us share visuals and answer your questions in real time!
I hope to see you Friday! Have a great week!
