Today With Vita Vygovska:
Welcome to a Well-Designed Business. It’s Window Treatment Friday, which means I am joined by Vita Vygovska. Vita is the founder of Vitalia Inc. and a regular here on the podcasts. She is an expert in all things window treatments, and today Vita will share her knowledge of unstable fabrics to help us better understand the qualities of these linens, wools, open weaves, and anything viscose.
Window treatment professionals can’t guarantee the results when working with these fabrics, so neither should you as the designer. But don’t worry, Vita is here to eloquently help us navigate these temperamental textiles and give us the knowledge we need for better success.
Pick It Apart
[7:22] Vita and LuAnn discuss the battle of getting drapes to skim, or “kiss” the floor.
[17:53] Vita offers language to say no, without actually saying “no.”
[24:24] LuAnn talks about the importance of listening to the advice of your window treatment professional and passing the information along honestly to your clients.
[28:59] Vita advises interior designers on alternative fabrics to use in place of unstable ones.
[40:10] Vita suggests not only discussing the fabrics, but documenting the conversation and putting a disclaimer on projects with unstable fabrics because you can’t guarantee the outcome.
LuAnn Nigara and Vita Vygovska's Ah-Ha Moments
“We want to be good partners. We want to be there as your problem solvers, and as someone who brings value. But we also want to tell the truth, and we don't want to set anybody up for failure.” – Vita Vygovska
“These unstable fabrics‑being unstable because they're unpredictable‑whereas we don't exactly know as a workroomhow they are going to behave when we fabricate them… And so because these fabrics are so unpredictable, it is really difficult to guarantee any kind of specific result.” – Vita Vygovska
“Understand that once your window treatment professional confirms, or just tells you, for the first time that this probably isn't going to perform the way you and your client have the expectation to, then think of it as clear cut as the sofa blocking the walkway.” – LuAnn Nigara
“I'm going to tell you the truth over getting an order because I don't want just the order. I want the order and I want the project to be successful.” – LuAnn Nigara
“Tough conversations are always better had on the on the forefront‑up front‑before they become tough situations.” – Vita Vygovska
More About Vita Vygovska:
Vitalia Vygovska (Vita for short!), CWFP, MBA, is an award-winning window treatment specialist, author, speaker, and the LuAnn University instructor for Systems Driven Operations.
Connect with Vita Vygovska
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Other Shows Mentioned:
WTFP #134: Deb Barrett: Why Textiles Matter
AWDB #448: Window Treatment Friday: A New Series featuring Vita Vygovska and LuAnn Nigara
AWDB #456: Window Treatment Friday: Custom-Made vs Ready-Made Window Treatments
AWDB #462: Window Treatment Friday: Window Treatment Business Models, Part 1
AWDB #471: Window Treatment Friday: Window Treatment Business Models, Part 2
AWDB #748: Window Treatment Friday: Pricing Window Treatments: Understanding Margin vs. Markup
AWDB #761: Window Treatment Friday: Pricing Window Treatments: How to Ballpark the Numbers on the Fly
AWDB #775: Window Treatment Friday: Vita Vygovska: How Much Profit Can Designers Make on Window Treatments?
AWDB #815: Window Treatment Friday: Vita Vygovska: Mindset of Pricing Window Treatments
Other Resources Mentioned: