Drapery Couture—

Design Center Provides The Products And Resources

To Make A House A Home

By Kaaren Valenta

Newtown residents Jill and Jim Fleming have opened Drapery Couture Design Center, a home fashion showroom featuring a large selection of decorator fabrics, trims, and drapery hardware, at 6 Stony Hill Road in Bethel, across from the new Target store.

Services offered by the new store include custom window treatments, upholstering, and slipcovers. The store also offers decorator lines of furniture and accessories including Chelsea House, Saloom Furniture Company, and NDI silk floral arrangements like those featured at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, N.C.

“We have a huge selection in all price ranges,” Ms Fleming said, standing in the showroom of the store that opened last month. “We offer everything from simple to elegant because there are a range of budgets even within one house. Customers can buy fabric and make drapes themselves, or they can have them sewn, delivered, and installed.”

Jill Fleming’s background in interior design spans 13 years and three states: Florida, North Carolina, and Connecticut. The Flemings, along with their son, Alex, who is entering Newtown High School this fall, and daughter, Paige, a middle school student, moved to Newtown four years ago.

“I really have to say that I wouldn’t have taken this step — opening a store — if it hadn’t been for the encouragement of my friend and neighbor Karen Bauer, who owns the Style Shop in Newtown. She has shown me by her example, and has been so supportive. She had been telling me for a couple of years to do this. This is my idea of where I’d like to shop.”

Ms Fleming believes the key to her success is her passion for fabrics and her focus on her clients’ individual lifestyles and preferences. “I enjoy the variety of creating a unique style to suit each client,” she said.

Designing is more about style than price, she said. “If you have a simple design and interesting fabric, that works.”

A low-cost fabric in a simple design is boring, she said, but customers can select a low-cost fabric and use it in a style that costs more in labor, or use a high-priced fabric in a simple design that is low in labor costs. “Low fabric, high labor or low labor, high fabric,” she said, explaining how decorators help their clients get the look they want at a lower cost.

She pointed out a display that featured a handwoven silk window blind. “The drapery uses less expensive fabric and trim, but layered with the blind gives a look with additional interest. There has to be something interesting to make the design work.”

Customers can get inspiration from the many vignette displays in the showroom or by browsing through the famous name fabric sample books and trade resource catalogs. There are also many racks of fabric, trims, and drapery hardware.

“Everything in stock is reasonably priced and available in quantity,” Ms Fleming said. “We serve a wide range of customers’ needs by proving a menu of services. This allows our customers to save money by managing their own designs and choosing the services that they need assistance with.

“For our custom design customer who requires full service, we provide in-home measuring, in-store custom design and fabric selection, sewing service, delivery, and installation,” she said. “For our do-it-yourself customer, we provide in-store, complimentary assistance with design and fabric for upholstery or window treatments. Our aim is to provide the best selection of fabrics and trims in a variety of styles and colors at great prices with exceptional service.”

Ms Fleming said Drapery Couture fills a niche in the home design market that previously had been overlooked. “We can create looks from casual to formal on a range of budgets. It’s about style, not price,” she said.

There are fabrics from such companies as Robert Allen, Covington, Soville Mill Creek, P. Kaufmann, Richloom and books from such companies as Fabricut, Brunchwig & Fils, Malabar; Chelsea House accessories, Carvers Guild mirrors, Ridgeway grandfather clocks. Among the drapery manufacturers is the Antique Drapery Rod Company that uses only recycled metal and wood, water-based stains, and real bamboo from fast-growing renewable sources.

The Saloom furniture has custom finishes, while Pulaski Furniture has lines that are available in as little as two weeks. Valco is a line of furniture made in Canada from solid maple and ash that is much less expensive and great for a child’s room, Ms Fleming said.

While Jim Fleming is director of information technology for a Wilton company, he did much of the work creating the showroom for his wife’s store. “He built all of the fixtures, put in the custom wood floor, and networked all of our computers,” Ms Fleming said. “He’s always here on weekends — but not giving design advice.

“All of my staff members have a background in design and art,” she said. “Everyone here can assist customers in selecting fabrics and designing a window treatment.” The staff members include Cathy Harvey, Jen Beckwith, and Carolyn Mitchel.

To assist customers, they do quick little interviews, take notes, and keep them in a folder. “We do research to find what they want,” Ms Fleming said, “and when they come into the store we have their design needs and preferences on file.”

Most customers have an idea of what they want, even if they don’t realize it when they come to the store, she said. “In talking with them you may hear that they don’t want plaid, or that they like green.

“People’s homes are very personal,” she added. “I love helping to make them special.”

Drapery Couture Design Center is open Monday through Friday from 10 am to 6 pm, Saturday, 10–5, and Sunday, 12–5. For more information call 748-4300.