About
From initial contact to installation and follow-up, we will will treat your home and project as though it is our own. We have professionally decorate Eastern Virginia homes and businesses since 1979 featuring custom quality window shades and blinds, plantation shutters, awnings / exterior screens and drapery + upholstery. We offer in-home, virutal and in-showroom consulations (all at no charge) to help with selections, offer first quality, innovative products at discounted pricing and provide in-house, factory trained installations.
We love decorating! We love controlling the sun from the inside out. We love helping customize your home to fit your personality and style. We love motorization and making homes work easily. We love beautiful fabrics and instant transformations with drapery and upholstery giving the WOW! factor. We love seeing great products solve for sun control, glare, privacy. We like independent product lines from innovative manufacturers. We love to decorate!
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Bonnie T.
Aaron S.
Frequently asked questions
What is your typical process for working with a new customer?
After scheduling our initial design meeting, we generally meet for in-home selections requiring 60-90 minutes depending on the scope of the project. Once we have your selections made, we will price the project on the spot providing a written quotation good for one year. In most cases, we will install your project within 30 days and generally in less than one day.
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
With 42 and 24 years experience respectively, we bring the do's and dont's of many successful projects to the table when we help with yours. Our installers are factory trained, experienced and nice guys.
Do you have a standard pricing system for your services? If so, please share the details here.
Our products are made to measure and custom to each project. Window treatments are priced by size and style and vary. We offer pricepoints from basics and functional to the latest in designer styles and are happy to work within any budget.
How did you get started in this business?
I jokingly say I did the two things I would never do: go to work for my father and return to the peninsula. That was 1997 and I have never looked back. We are passionate about our decorating!
What types of customers have you worked with?
Clients who need a professional opinion, need a specific problem solved or who are curious about options and associated costs. Styles range from Colonial to traditional; transitional to high end contemporary. Good design transcends trends and styles and holds up over time. It costs nothing to ask.
Describe a recent event you are fond of.
We recently installed plantation shutters for a client in their new home. This was the second home we have furnished and in this case, the client was refurnishing the older home for a future move date. We were able to remotely work through selections, arranged for lockbox installation and completed the project in 4 weeks within budget. We furthermore removed the existing blinds and draperies / valances, patched the walls and pointed up the paint to match. This made for a nice and clean, one stop finish and a happy client when they arrived from out of town!
What advice would you give a customer looking to hire a pro in your area of expertise?
Consider an independent dealer with flexibility to offer the right product for the application at the right price. Look for a company using experienced (preferably company employee) installers - this is too specialized to sub-contract and the installation costs can easily add 20% to the project. Consider an experienced designer who knows how a given drapery fabric will hang and perform, what shade fabric will work best for sun control and privacy, and can specify and explain motorized systems and how they work. Much like your accountant or doctor, look for a professional decorator who knows the latest products and can help maximize your look for the given budget, who will keep to that budget and who will keep you from making expensive mistakes.
What questions should customers think through before talking to pros about their needs?
It is always helpful to have a budget in mind. A good designer will find solutions within any realistic budget.
Think about whether you are looking for a short term inexpensive solution or a durable investment. Like any product, the better quality and better looking styles are typically more expensive and seldom found in big box stores or mass online retailers. Most of those products are imported (read: China,) come in stock sizes and with varying quality and limited options.
Think beyond the huge name brands. We prefer smaller fabricators offering fantastic products at much lower pricing.
The designer / company should be able to help specify your project, provide pricing and lead times within a couple days at most and be accessible. Preferably, the designer should be able to price the project at the time. Look for professional proposals and a timely response.
Is it better to spend a little more and get a custom fitting quality product vs. less to have a commonplace, stock sized look.
Think in terms of a whole package look with multiple rooms flowing together for a cohesive style. If the budget only permits finishing one room or project at a time, in the end you will have a finished, flowing home. Be wary of a pieced together, unplanned look.