I have a confession! It is a secret that I have been hiding from my husband for the past 9 years. Here it is: I hated the custom window treatments in our first home. I hated them from day one. I hated them even more when I re-hemmed them at 3 in the morning the night before our dinner party. I hated that they never pleated right. I still hated them the day we moved out five years later.
I made a gigantic mistake when I picked them out-and since they cost a small fortune, I brought them to our new home. Now they're in the basement. I haven't been able to donate them to the Junior League or Goodwill because I simply cannot admit to my husband that I hate them.
I'm not alone in my dissatisfaction. Time and again, clients whisper to me that they selected a certain fabric because it looked lovely in the store and they didn't realize there would be "so much pattern" when they installed the panels. Shyly, they admit that the swags and jabots they had custom made looked great in a neighbors home but don't quite make the same statement in their dining room. Defeated, they admit the reason they have no window treatments is they couldn't decide on a fabric and didn't want to regret their decision later.
Thankfully, for Main Liners, there's a solution to this dilemma. Just like you can go to a store and try on a dress before you buy it, the Curtain Exchange in Wayne lets you take window treatments home with you to try on your windows before you commit to purchasing them. If it works, you can purchase the curtains that day. If you want to alter the trim or length, custom draperies can be at your home in just a few days. Owner Joan Flynn offers a free service in which a professional designer will visit your home with samples and measure so you get the look you want the first time.
So, if you're designing a room in your home, make sure to add their showroom to your "must shop" list. Their luscious silks, crisp linens and knockout prints will make it hard to pick just one. The best part is you don't have to right away-you can take them all home and decide later. Spread Eagle Village, 503 W. Lancaster Ave., Wayne; (610) 765-1142, thecurtainexchange.com.
Have any tips for stretching your design dollar or any resources you want to share? Feel free to contact me at kate@hartstaging.com.
HI Kate,
What an excellent idea! I would love to find a similar servce like that in So.California. Kind of reminds me of the first wallpaper I picked out in the early 80's. Couldn't bear to tell hubby that I hated if after he spent so much time putting it up. Lo and behold one day he said "you know, I really don't like that wallpaper!" WHEW! Dodged a bullet on that one!
What a great idea. I need them here in Dallas! Window treatments are always my biggest challenge in my own home. There are so many fabrics, prints, and styles to choose from.
Hi Ladies!
Patti- I have had a few wall paper mishaps too- it is a lot of pattern1
Nancy- I forgot to mention that the Curtain Exchange is a franchise. I think it is a brilliant idea. You may want to check it out and add it to your services.
I checked their website - they're not in Texas :(
I'll write them to see if they have plans to expand to the Dallas area. Thanks again for the information!
What a great idea! Yes, custom drapery IS a small fortune, and one I insist that my I.D. clients do not take lightly. I often make them hang a yard or so of fabric on the walls in the room they like and see if they still like it in a week. (sort of like trying new colors of paint). But I really like this idea of full panels to test the water. Do you know if they have any distributors in CA?
Kate ~ I've loved the concept and idea of Curtain Exchange for years. They used to do it online , but 2 or 3 years ago stopped that. The locations in New York are too far away for me, but I'm hoping they may come to Long Island one day!