Over the past almost 10 years I have been selling residential real estate in Southern California, I have had the opportunity to see some amazing things in so many homes. I have been in custom homes that were built into the cliffs of Corona Del Mar. I have shown a treetop home built in Brea Canyon. I have even been in a home that was converted from an old water tower. No matter how many homes I see, I am still amazed when I see someone who has truly grasped the character of their home and created a feeling that flows perfectly with all of their decor.
Over the years I have seen a few homes that have inspired me to blog about them simply because of their window coverings. What? Window Coverings? That is correct.
Please allow me to tell you a story about this man named Richard....
Richard is a 57 year old business owner in Orange California. He owns a company called Snooty Draperies. Now Snooty Draperies was started over 40 years ago by Richard's Father Ivan. This father and son team have been providing custom window treatments to their exclusive clientele for decade after decade, but the attention to detail and precision of their craft has always remained the same.
Snooty Draperies has provided draperies for a long list of clientele that is quite impressive. From some of the world's top interior designers, to Hollywood Stars, numerous professional athletes, and countless CEOs of major corporations. Snooty Draperies has been sent all over the world to provide the elite service only they can offer.
A typical job for these two men goes something like this.... A call comes into the modest workroom of Snooty Draperies in Orange and Richard is asked to come out and personally measure each and every window, bed, crib or doorway that is going to someday adorn one of their works of art. After creating a vision with the designer or homeowner of what is desired and fabrics are chosen, Richard, Ivan, and their one and only employee (of 25+ years) Charlene, start to work their magic. Richard hand draws a sketch of what will be built. Charlene sows and hand ties all of the pleats, and Ivan (semiretired now at 79) is often their to make sure the quality of Snooty Draperies creations are never compromised. Then once assembled in the workroom, Richard personally brings and installs their work of art himself no matter how large or small the job may be. Weather it is in Orange County CA or Itally, Hawaii, or Montana. Richard is flown all over the world to install their desings.
Did you know service and quality like this still existed in the world today? I didn't. It seems to me that no one tends to care about how well a job is done anymore. In a world of fast pace, low pride business, Snooty Draperies was a breath of fresh air to me. Their work is truly amazing.
I have seen a lot of blinds or draperies that do their job. Some block out unwanted light. Some give privacy. Some even look nice while they serve their function. One can go to Home Deop, Lowes, Pottery Barn, or even Walmart to purchase curtains or blinds, and they will probably work. Then there are those who want their decor to create a feeling. The window treatments I have seen by this company are remarkable. I never thought about what a large element draperies were in interior design until I saw first hand what Richard can do.
Yes service like this is quite expensive as I am sure you can imagine. My guess is that a standard living-room window would cost $3,000 - $4,000 depending on the fabric chosen. Richard told me that they have done jobs in the past that have totaled over $100,000 between airfare, goods, and services. WOW! That sounds like a ton of money, but to Snooty Draperies clients.... they feel privileged to display a Snooty Draperies original in their home.
Sorry if this ended up sounding like a sales pitch for this company, but I was blown away at their style of business. It made me take a real good look at how I was running my business. Do I have something that will be around in 50+ years because my clients feel privileged to work with me or my company? Do I look for every cost effective alternative to do an "ok" job for a lot of clients or do I do a "Snooty Draperies" type or job for a lesser number of clients?
I want people to be WOWed by my service and expertise like I was WOWed by Snooty Draperies this past week.
Cheers,
Aaron
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