|
Newsletter
for the Interior Design industry. August
2004 – Volume 1.3
Click
here
to view as a webpage.
To
see past issues, click here. To
unsubscribe, click
here. |
|
Thoughts
from the Dream Team; and welcome to the third issue of the
“DreamDraper™
Newsletter for the Interior Design industry."
For
those of you that came to see us at The Custom Home
Furnishings Educational Conference and Trade Show in
Greenville SC, we were delighted to meet you and thank you for
stopping by and saying hello. We will be on the road
extensively over the next several months. Next stop is
Long Beach CA for the West Coast Interiors Expo (booth 218,
Park Place), August 23-24. Don't forget to catch Jamie
Gibbs' seminar on "Looking
Like a Genius with Difficult Window Solutions" in Long
Beach.
After
Long Beach, we will have appearances in Houston TX, Southbury
CT, Providence RI, Dallas TX, Philadelphia PA, and
beyond. See the bottom of the newsletter for the full
schedule and details.
Keep
the questions, ideas and tips coming.
We so enjoy hearing from you.
Let us put you in the news with your story!
Margi
email:
askthedoctor@evanmarshdesigns.com |
Margi
Kyle
ASID,
IDS, WCAA, NSA
“THE
DESIGNING DOCTOR, LLC”
|
|
|
Included
in this newsletter
|
|
|
|
|
|
Work
Smart by Margi Kyle
I did it
again! I will say my business is
booming and it is SO easy to sell window treatments.
They sell themselves. The one
techno tool I could not live without is my digital camera.
It is always with me and has helped cut my time in half.
While I am in my client’s home, I think I will remember details, but I
don’t. To have a visual has been a
major help, and you do not have to buy the best.
Mine was under $300 and takes great pictures.
I use the Canon PowerShot S230, that has 3.2 Mega Pixels.
Between my scanner and digital camera, I am set.
|
|
|
Romancing
the Client
In
the photo that I took of my client’s dining room,
I couldn’t get a good shot.
The table, chair and chandelier were in the
way. This
time instead of working on top of the photo using
DreamDraper™ and PowerPoint, I started with a
blank slide, placing the fabrics in the slide next
to several pictures that I specified and finishing
with greenery and the style of the treatment -- still
putting the look together for my client to view and
get excited about it.
|
|
|
Quick
Tip When
copying and pasting images from the internet, you
will often get an image surrounded by a white
border. To get rid of that white border in
PowerPoint, click on the image with your mouse, then
click on the "wand" icon (Set Transparent
Color, in the Picture toolbar), then click on the white area.
Magically, the white area will disappear!
|
|
|
At
this point I might email this presentation to my
client while I am waiting for the fabrics to be
delivered. Many of you have expressed your
concern about sharing information -- at this point
-- with your client.
The question of the decade...
Am I afraid my clients will take my ideas and
shop them?
NO!
I can’t build my business on fear.
If they are going to shop, let them shop.
I charge by the hour and will at least get
paid for my time.
The key is to give them enough information,
fair pricing and good visuals so they don’t have
to shop.
If
they do shop, I want them to do it early in the game
so I can go on to better clients.
DON’T GIVE THEM A REASON TO SHOP.
I assume they will buy from me.
Why wouldn’t they?
|
|
|
If
you do not charge by the hour, don’t be afraid to
pre-qualify your clients.
I come out and ask the question, "Are you ready
to buy or just looking for ideas?"
Put in your company policies, if treatments
are not purchased by your company, a shopping fee of
$0000 will be charged.
That will pre-qualify them in a hurry.
Let
your imagination run wild and start having fun with
your clients and your design business.
Remember, we attract the same personality we
give out. Bored?
Tired? Run
out of design ideas?
Play with the new technologies and catch the
excitement.
Margi
|
|
|
|
|
Pleasing
Proportions by Deb
Barrett
|
As
a designer you have to juggle so many pieces of the design process
puzzle. We often ask ourselves, where do I start?
Working
from the principles of design is a good place. The principles --
Balance, Emphasis, Rhythm, Proportion and Scale -- are what we use
to design great window treatments. No two designs are alike
because no two designers see or use the principles the same.
Of these principles, proportion and scale are the most important. A
great design in your head can be ruined if not replicated using
proper proportions and scale.
What
is Good proportion and how can I use it to my advantage?
PROPORTION
/ SCALE is the size
relationships of treatments. It is the emphasis between all
the treatment’s parts. Proportion is defined by how the
elements within the treatment relate to one another; or to the
whole. Scale is the size of the treatment in relationship to
the size of the space (room) it is in.
Maintaining
good proportion in treatments as well as keeping the scale with the
room is ESSENTIAL to good design.
Start
by deciding if the window is in scale with the room. It is
awkwardly placed? Is it too small or large for the room or the
wall it is on? Use of your window treatment can alter a window
to give it good proportions.
Now move to the parts of the treatment itself - the fabric,
component size, details etc.
Becoming familiar with proportion is a good skill to have. Let’s
discuss it for a moment.
Pleasing
Proportions were discovered by the Ancient Greeks when designing the
Parthenon. They called it Golden Proportions -- unequal but
harmonious. It is the most aesthetically pleasing
rectangle. All perfect proportions are based on mathematical
ratios; specifically the ratio of 1: 1.6. The golden rectangle
is 2 by 3; 3 by 5; or 5 by 8; 8 by 13 and so on
into infinity. By using these proportions and multiplying them
you create other proportions; i.e., a 2 x 3 window is the same
as 4 x 6 window.
The
Golden Mean is the line of division separating the two parts into
unequal but a harmonious proportion. The Golden Mean falls
somewhere between ½ and 1/3 of its length or .618 from top.
Cabinet makers use the golden mean and proportions all the time in
placing moldings, sizing cabinets, or adding chair rails.
You
can use this for figuring tieback placement, cascades lengths, color
blocking panels etc. An important tip is that .618
from the top is 3/5 or 2/5 from bottom.
Here
are some guidelines for designing window treatments using proportion:
-
The scale of the
components of the window treatment must be in harmony with walls
and other windows in the room. This includes panel width and
length, valance depth, rod size etc.
-
Try
to avoid dividing a window in half.
-
Avoid
adding more sight lines by stopping your treatment finished
lengths at a design feature in the room -- sill, floor, chair
rail.
-
Avoid
No Man’s Land --
draperies that appear to hang where it creates confusion with
other lines.
-
Fabrics
also have scale. The wrong motif size in a fabric can throw
everything off. Mini prints in a two story family room are lost.
-
Scale
can change in width and length depending on what style and shape
you choose. Balloons might have a different scale than swags or
Empire valances in the same room.
-
Swags
or pennant valances (anything with a uniform geometrical shape)
looks best in odd numbers.
-
Invoke
the Rule of Threes.
Once you have determined the correct ratio you are always safe
multiplying it by three to help determine cascade or panel
lengths.
-
Keep
in mind that when you are dealing with shaped valances the
overall appearance is determined by a combination of the long,
short and mid points plus the face width. This is most important
when there are two or more windows in the room. There are no
rights or wrongs. Also, keep in mind that the finished lengths
are to include headings and casings.
Below
is an example of 2 windows in the same room, one is 30" in
width, and the other is 72" in width. If showing the
client a sketch of an Empire-style window treatment, the left window
(30") depicts a treatment of pleasing proportions. When
the valance is shown on a wider window (see middle window), the treatment looks
out of proportion even though the long and short points of the
valance (measuring height) are the same as the 30" wide
window. By adding an additional swag and horn as shown on the
right, the same Empire-style window treatment once again is of
pleasing proportions on the wider window. Using a system such
as DreamDraper™ allows you to sketch the intent of your design and
visually portray the treatment prior to fabrication to eliminate
mistakes.
RULES
OF PROPORTION
Rule
of Threes -- Our eye finds things grouped together in threes or
multiples of three are the most visually pleasing. Translate this to
your window treatments. Using three of something allows you to use
one as a statement, one to contrast, and one to compliment.
In
window treatments use it to figure finished width of stationery
panels, swag number, or spacing on a
Kingston
.
Rule
of 5th, 6ths – When designing window treatments ratios
of 5 or 6 are the most pleasing. Figuring lengths mathematically
using these ratios is a good starting point in figuring proper
lengths for treatment.
Here
are some guidelines: (Please remember these are guides and starting
points to help you design; rules are often made to be broken.)
-
Treatments
mounted above window; the top treatment is 1/6 of total
treatment length
-
Treatments
mounted at ceiling; the top treatment is 1/5 of total treatment
length
-
Swag
and cascades; the swag drop is 1/5 of total length and cascade
is 3/5 of total length
-
Layered
treatments visually lose ½” when treatment 6” from wall
-
Your
top treatment short point should be 3” into glass
-
A
treatment mounted at an 8’ ceiling with floor length panels
and a scalloped valance works this way:
-
The overall measurement --
96”
-
96’”divided by 5 = 19.2 inches
-
96”
divided by 6 = 16.0 inches
-
The
scalloped valance’s long point and short point should be
somewhere between 19.25 inches and 16 inches if mounted at the
ceiling. (Plus most workrooms will tell you that a 3”
difference between the long and short pints is needed to show a
scallop.)
-
Use
these numbers as guidelines for top treatments, attached
valances, contrast bands, etc.
A
little math and then DreamDraper™ to translate your figures into a
drawing really can make the difference between good design and great
design!
|
|
Deb
Barrett, ASID IP, WFCP, expert
Window
Dressings, Kaneville, IL
Catch Deb’s seminars
at:
|
|
West
Coast INTERIORS EXPO, Long Beach CA, August 22-24, 2004
Master Class
Design Icons
Window
Fashions Certification Program Regional Tour
|
August 30, 31
|
Houston
TX
|
|
September 13, 14
|
Providence
RI
|
|
October 14, 15
|
Cincinnati OH |
|
October 25, 26
|
Fort Myers FL |
For
Springs Window Fashions
|
November 16
|
Palm Beach FL
|
|
November 18
|
Bradenton FL
|
|
November 30
|
Richmond VA |
International
Window Coverings Expo, Atlanta GA,
April 6-9, 2005
If
your association or group is interested in having Deb speak,
please call 630-557-2357 or e-mail Deb at Debbb6@aol.com |
|
|
|
What
Do You Do? by
Nika Stewart
My company is The Window Dresser.
I specialize in custom window treatments.
Does
that make sense? Maybe
to designers it does, but I have learned that the
general public doesn’t always understand what I do.
A potential
customer once told me that he was ready for me to show
him some drapery ideas, since he had just purchased
blinds for his windows.
I said, “Sure!
I’d love to discuss draperies with you, but why
didn’t you purchase the blinds from me?”
He said with shock, “Oh, I didn’t know you
did blinds!”
|
|
My company is The Window Dresser.
I specialize in custom window treatments, including blinds.
Another
businessman in a local networking group told me that he
had gone to a home show where there were no businesses
that did what I did.
“There were a lot of shade companies,” he
told me, “but none that do window treatments.”
My company is The Window Dresser.
I specialize in custom window treatments,
including blinds
and shades.
One
customer of mine asked me back to her house to repair a
shade eight months after it was installed.
As I passed the living room and dining room, I
noticed that she had new draperies and top treatments in
both rooms. I
asked her where she purchased them, and she named another local designer.
She
said, “Why? You
don’t do fabric treatments, do you?”
Ummm…HELLO?
My company is The Window Dresser.
I specialize in custom window treatments,
including blinds and
shades and fabric treatments!!!
I no longer assume that people know what I offer, even
if I’ve told them.
Now I know that I need to remind people.
Often.
How do you let people know what you do?
List
all of your products and services on your contract /
receipt. After
you sell a product, your contract is a great tool to
remind clients about your other services.
Send
a thank-you note in the mail after a sale.
Imagine your clients’ faces when they receive
your beautiful, handwritten notes.
Who provides this kind of personalized service
any more? You
do! Of
course, you will also include a list of the services and
products you offer.
At
your initial consultation, give your customers a “Wish
List” to fill out while you are working on a price or
a drawing. This
will get them thinking about future projects and relate
your name to those excited feelings.
Send
post cards to past clients twice a year, just to say
hello. Tell
them about a new product on the market, and, once again,
list all of your services.
|
|
|
Nika
Stewart
The
Window Dresser
Author
of Window Fashion Makeovers: Before & After (Chapelle
Publishing), Confessions of a Window Dresser, and
The Designers’ Guide To Marketing.
-
The
above tip is from Designers' Marketing Blitz,
Nika's new book available at www.nikastewart.com
-
Make
sure to catch Nika's seminar - Marketing Blitz
for Designers - at the West Coast Interiors Expo
in Long Beach, CA, on August 23, 2004, as she
discusses tips and ideas that designers can use to
get that all important publicity to improve their
image and bottom line.
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Quickly
Apply Design Patterns with DreamDraper™
Question:
Is there an "eyedropper" tool that I can use with DreamDraper™
|
to
pick up colors and quickly apply them to other design elements?
|
Answer:
Yes, the "eyedropper" tool within PowerPoint is is quite
powerful
|
and
can pick up a color, a transparency, a pattern design, or even a fabric
print! See the examples below.
|
|
|
|
|
Above
on the far left, the left panel was filled with color and the
middle band was turned into a 2-color pattern sheer.
Applying a 2-color pattern and then turning that pattern into
a sheer requires multiple steps, as you have to select the 2
colors, the pattern, and the level of transparency.
However by using the eyedropper tool, you can pick up the characteristics
of the 2-color pattern sheer and quickly apply it to another
element, with literally a click of the mouse! The image
shown on the right has been completed and filled with color
and color effects. Notice that the left panel was
"cut" to give it the appearance of being behind the
sofa in the photo. |
|
"Pick
Up" and "Apply" eyedropper icons. |
|
Note
that the right panel is not merely a copy of the left
panel. Within DreamDraper™, many of the design
elements come in both a left and right version that have been
drawn slightly differently, so that the elements reflect the
natural flow of fabric and give your clients the most
realistic look available, thereby avoiding a
computer-generated cookie-cutter look.
On
the right is a close-up of the 2-color pattern sheer.
Notice that you can actually see through it and view the
window that is behind the panel. With
DreamDraper™, you can turn any design into a sheer, and you
can specify the degree of transparency.
The
illustrations below show how quickly the eye dropper tool can
transfer a fabric print that was applied to a swag. The
fabric print in the left swag was transferred to the center
and right swags with a click of the mouse. The finished
treatment is shown at the bottom.
Drag 
Drop
Design! |
 |
|
DreamDraper™
designs are vector-drawn images, which means they retain their
beauty and clarity no matter how much they are enlarged or
modified. DreamDraper™ designs can also be used with
popular imaging programs such as Adobe Photoshop!
DreamDraper™
revolutionized the industry when it was first introduced at
the 2003 International Window Coverings Exposition in
Baltimore, MD. It was the first system of its kind --
the first to demonstrate the capability of designing window
treatments directly on top of a digital photo; and the
first system that allows you to apply your own fabric to the
designs; and turn any design into a translucent colored
sheer!
To
learn more about DreamDraper™, click here
or call toll free:
1-866-56-DREAM. |
 |
-
DreamDraper™
Online Forum - Evan Marsh Designs hosts an
online forum for registered users of DreamDraper™ where you can get
support and share design tips. For information on
how to join the forum, click here.
-
FREE
Exhibit Hall Vouchers - to the
West Coast INTERIORS EXPO, August 23-24,
2004.
You
are invited to be our guest at the West Coast INTERIORS
EXPO, where we will be exhibiting the DreamDraper™
system. The EXPO will be held at the Long Beach
Convention Center
in Long Beach, CA, and will feature all-new programs, speakers, and
seminars. On the show floor, please visit us in
booth #
218. You can find out more information and pre-register online (click here),
and gain access to
the Exhibit Hall absolutely free
($20 value).
You
are invited to be our guest at the Window
Fashions Region Tour shows (see the remaining 2004
schedule below at the bottom of the newsletter). If you
would like
a Showroom Pass for the vendor show (a $10.00 value),
please contact us and we can provide you with one for
FREE!
We
look forward to seeing you!
|
|
 |
Coming
Soon!
Educational
Classes and Seminars
Want
to polish your decorating skills?
Do you feel there is so much more you could do for your
clients if you had better knowledge?
Are you just starting out in the business and need all
the tools and education, before you venture into a new career?
Wherever you are in your journey, we have the answers
for you.
|
|
We
have developed a long-distance course that will be available
for you to purchase in the very near future.
Learn from the comfort of your home and at your own
pace. Topics that will be covered are: use
of space, business forms, business etiquette, the many
personalities of clients, difficult clients, pricing products,
running a business, color, pattern, print, balance, rhythm,
window treatments, lighting, accessories and creating a
professional presentation.
The course will include the latest tools and technology
to give you the competitive advantage, and lots more.
Each course segment will be accompanied by work sheets
that will be completed by each decorator for evaluation before
the next lesson will be released.
Plus
we will be offering online seminars and occasional guest
speakers who are experts in their field, such as the renowned
designer Jamie Gibbs,
ASID, IFDA. We are very excited about the new
educational classes and seminars. We
are working hard to finalize the details but wanted you to be
the first to know!
If
you are interested and want more information, email us (Drdesigner@aol.com) and we will get back to you.
Margi
|
|
|
Seminar
Schedules - 2004
 |
Margi
Kyle, ASID,
IDS, WCAA, NSA. Click here
for Margi's bio. |
|
Date
& Time |
Place |
Subject |
|
Fri, September 10, 2004 |
Southbury,
CT
Decor
& You
|
Windows
of Opportunity *
|
|
|
Fri-Sat, September 17-18, 2004 |
Dallas, TX - Texas
Chapter ASID, World Trade
Center
|
DreamDraper™
|
|
|
Fri,
October 1, 2004 |
Philadelphia,
PA - Fort
Washington
Expo Center
Custom
Home Furnishings Industry Educational Conference & Trade
Show
|
DreamDraper
- A
New World
of Design Possibilities
Design
with ease using exquisitely detailed designs—and to scale;
application of colors and fabrics; and adding wall color and
effects. Learn how to design, save time, organize your files,
and market yourself using the state-of-the-art DreamDraper™
system. |
|
|
Sat,
October 2, 2004
10:30
- 12:00 |
Philadelphia,
PA - Fort
Washington
Expo Center
Custom
Home Furnishings Industry Educational Conference & Trade
Show
|
Where
Will You Be In 5 Years *
|
|
|
Sat,
October 2, 2004
4:30
- 6:00 |
Philadelphia,
PA - Fort
Washington
Expo Center
Custom
Home Furnishings Industry Educational Conference & Trade
Show
|
Windows
of Opportunity *
|
| |
Sat,
October 16, 2004
10:00
- 11:30 |
High
Point, NC - Rooms A-C,
11th floor Club Level of IHFC |
Marketing
Tips to Dazzle Your Clients
Put
pizzazz in your presentations!
2004 Marketing Tips help close your sale with
innovative graphics, business forms and stunning
illustrations. Learn
the latest tools of the trade, including DreamDraper™. |
|
Wed,
October 20, 2004
1:00 |
Indianapolis,
IN
WCAA |
Windows
of Opportunity * |
| |
Thu-Fri,
October 28-29, 2004
|
Dallas,
TX - Decorative Center
Dallas, World Trade Center |
Marketing
Tips to Dazzle Your Clients
Put
pizzazz in your presentations!
2004 Marketing Tips help close your sale with
innovative graphics, business forms and stunning
illustrations. Learn
the latest tools of the trade, including DreamDraper™. |
| |
Fri,
November 5, 2004
|
Phoenix,
AZ
|
IDS
Chapter all day meeting. *
|
| |
*
The indicated seminars are not specific to DreamDraper™,
however Margi will be more than happy to address any questions
regarding the system. |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
 |
Jamie
Gibbs, ASID,
IFDA. Click here
for Jamie's bio. |
|
Date
& Time |
Place |
Subject |
|
Mon,
August 23, 2004
1:30
- 2:00 |
Long Beach,
CA
West
Coast Interiors Expo
|
Looking
Like a Genius with Difficult Window Solutions
Using
the newest version of DreamDraper™, Jamie Gibbs will walk
you through numerous difficult window situations and discuss
soft treatment design solutions that will WOW your clients. |
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
 |
Evan Marsh Designs, creator of DreamDraper™ |
|
Date
& Time |
Place |
Subject |
|
Mon-Tue, August 23-24, 2004
|
Long Beach,
CA
West
Coast Interiors Expo
|
DreamDraper™, booth # 218, Park
Place
|
|
Mon, August 30, 2004
|
Houston, TX
Window Fashions Certification
Program 2004 Regional Tour |
DreamDraper™
|
|
Mon, September 13, 2004
|
Providence, RI
Window Fashions Certification
Program 2004 Regional Tour |
DreamDraper™
|
|
Fri-Sat, September 17-18, 2004
|
Dallas, TX - Texas
Chapter ASID, World Trade
Center
|
DreamDraper™
|
|
Fri-Sat, October 1-2, 2004
|
Philadelphia,
PA - Fort
Washington
Expo Center
Custom
Home Furnishings Industry Educational Conference & Trade
Show
|
DreamDraper™, booth # 601
|
|
Mon, October 14, 2004
|
Cincinnati, OH
Window Fashions Certification
Program 2004 Regional Tour |
DreamDraper™
|
|
Sat, October 16, 2004
|
High Point, NC
Market |
DreamDraper™
|
|
Mon, October 25, 2004
|
Ft
Myers, FL
Window Fashions Certification
Program 2004 Regional Tour |
DreamDraper™
|
|
| |
|
|
Want to learn more
about DreamDraper™?
|
Have a question
for Margi?
Need some advice?
Have a tip to share?
Want to share your success story?
We
would love to hear from you!
email:
askthedoctor@evanmarshdesigns.com
The
Designing Doctor, LLC
P.O.
Box 2386
Cornelius,
NC 23086 |
|
|
If
you have received this newsletter in error and wish to have your
name removed, please click
here.
|
|
|
