The other day I was shopping for health insurance. I talked to a couple of different agents and had a bit of an epiphany. There really are a lot of choices in coverages. Honestly, I was overwhelmed. How does one decide which policy to select? What I really wanted was for the agent to say, “This is the one for you”, and then explain why. It really was very much like how my clients must feel when faced with the daunting task of selecting the right window treatments. If you look at the accompanying photograph, you will see just a few of the MANY styles of shadings offered by just one company, Hunter Douglas. What makes one better than another for you? Therein lies the issue. Just like with purchasing insurance, the answer is incredibly individualized.

I am often asked, “What is the best window covering for…”. There is no easy answer to that question. The answer will often lie buried in the recesses of your mind and emotions. Sometimes the best solution will be one that goes against some emotional barrier that you have. For example, sometimes I hear the expression, “That reminds me of my grandmother’s house”, or “I used to have something like that when…(insert a tragedy here”). Unless your designer really takes the time to know you and find out what you really need, these issues can be unresolved. I know it sounds like a good designer is like a therapist, but… ok, no “but”; a good designer IS like a therapist!!

It makes me laugh when I hear about my competitors showing up at someone’s door with a handful of samples in their hand, when they haven’t even determined what the needs of the client are yet. I can always tell when someone has had one of these sales calls, because invariably they ask, “where are your samples?” when I’m standing at their door. I usually reply that I can’t bring in samples until I know which direction we might be heading.

Anyway, the point is that a good designer will determine what your needs are and make suggestions that will make the selection process much easier for you. If you are the type that can navigate about a hundred different health insurance choices without assistance, then you are probably the type that can figure out which window coverings choices are best for you. If you are the more typical type that likes some assistance, then choose a good designer who finds out what you need and has the technical abilities to join together your desires with the products that best fit that need.