1155: Deanna Metz: Sunbrella for Interior Designers: Performance, Flexibility, and Trade Access

Welcome to a well-designed business.

My name is Luanne Igarra and I'm so glad you found this podcast.

Together with my husband Vince and our partner Bill, we have grown our company Windowworks

from the ground up.

So I know and I understand the challenges you face in running your interior design business.

I also know that your talent alone isn't enough to ensure your success.

So on this podcast, we talk about strategies and practical steps to help you grow your business.

But make no mistake about it.

We have our share of fun here too, mixed in with those aha moments that I love so much.

This isn't fluff, nobody has time for that.

Whether you are a new interior designer or a seasoned designer, I am here to help you

create and to manage the kind of interior design firm that you dream of.

It's straight talk and it's action.

Are you ready?

Let's get started.

Hi, welcome to a well-designed business.

Today's episode is sponsored by Sambrella and they are here to talk about a product line

that is available specifically to you, the interior designer.

This is about how Sambrella is expanding beyond what many of us have historically known

them for and how they are thinking about supporting you, the interior designer, with

accessible performance driven solutions.

My guest today is Diana Metz from Sambrella.

Diana brings a background in textile design, product development and finished goods.

And in our conversation today, we talk about Sambrella's heritage, their performance

standards and what goes into creating fabrics and products that are designed to last in

real life homes.

This episode is not a technical how to do, but it is an important conversation about options.

Options for you who are balancing beauty, durability and client expectations.

Options for projects where custom may not be the right answer for every single space

within the home, but where quality and aesthetics always matter.

If you've ever worked with families, busy households, guest spaces, nurseries or inside

outside rooms, this conversation will help you

understand where Sambrella's interior offerings might thoughtfully complement the work that

you are already doing.

So, I'm very delighted to introduce to you Diana Metz from Sambrella.

Hey, Diana, thanks so much for joining me on a well-designed business today.

Hi, Louis Ann. It's so nice to be here. Thanks for having me.

Yeah. So, of course, Diana, I know you, you know, several years now, I mean, we've had

a nice relationship. Me, myself, with the Sambrella family and owners and management team,

and of course, window works as well. And you're our window work sales rep.

But I don't think I actually understand, you know, how do you come to be at Sambrella?

Like, do you have this passion for like what? Tell me a little bit about you and you're what,

you know, what you do with Sambrella beyond, you know, helping window treatment retailers like

window works and what's, what's all about about? Sure. So, to give you a little bit of my history,

I started out in textile design, and I've really always been fascinated by how materials come

to life in both form and function. Over the past 15 years, I've worked in different parts of the

window treatment in textile world, from designing patterns and woven structures to managing product

development and design. Now at Sambrella, I get to blend all of that experience together. I get to

help shape products that are not only beautiful in appearance, but beautiful in performance too.

Wow. I could not realize, and it's funny because as you're talking, I'm almost having like a

deja vu to remnants of a conversation we had one time in an airport. Oh, very, yeah, that's very

possible. Right. Like, I feel like we were like, wait, I know you. You know me and we're like,

of course, we just came from an industry event. We're both going back to New York area, right?

But I kind of feel like I remember knowing that. So that's interesting. That's a that's a nice rich

background and perspective that you bring to the Sambrella experience for yourself and for your

team members, right? Sure. Yeah, I think, you know, Sambrella's heritage has always been in performance

fabrics. We've recently gotten into selling finished products just in the past couple years.

And so we feel like we have a really great handle on the fabric piece of the business, but as you

can imagine, getting into anything new brings different challenges. So it's great to bring both

perspectives to the company from both a fabric perspective and a finished product perspective

in my background. Yeah. Now, when we just for clarity, finished product perspective, because I know

that when I had the privilege and the pleasure of being at Sambrella for that advisory,

initial advisory kickoff cancel, when you guys were coming out with the window treatment line,

which is another thing that we've talked about on the window treatment podcast and we're

today we're talking about a different thing. But I remember it was like kind of the first time

that I was hearing the distinction between fabric and finished product. And you know, it seems

obvious once you hear it, understand it, but it was the first time I ever heard that distinction.

So just going to a little bit of conversation for the designers listening, what that means.

Sure. So like I said, we've always been manufacturing fabrics. We still offer that today. We

more so manufactured on a business to business perspective. Our finished products now are available

to consumers either directly through our website or also through a dealer network that we have,

like our custom window products. So we currently offer fabric by the yard. We also have throws

that are available as finished products. We have window treatments, which includes stock drapery

panels, and like I said, custom window treatments that includes custom drapery, Roman shades,

and solar shades. Okay. So in a nutshell, making a yard of fabric versus making a product that

can go in a window, that's the distinction there, right? Yes. Yes. Now you know that all of my

exciting windows members are highly knowledgeable about the umbrella custom window treatment product.

Give me the distinction between that, which is available only to designers through the custom

window treatment retailer, right? So that's that's that product. And we will link in the show notes,

the episode that we did on window treatments for profit that explains the details of that. But

I know my exciting windows went members will be listening to this and they're probably already

thinking, well, it's the same thing, right? And it's not. So give us the distinction there.

Sure. So any sort of umbrella fabric that we make has very similar properties. So it has

all of the same performance. So you can use it in different elements. But when we talk about the

inside space, we're really talking about color palettes and textures and weights that are more

appropriate for their different end use. So when we think about drapery panels, that might mean

something a little bit more like weight lightweight like a sheer when compared to something that is

used outside that could be a little bit more heavyweight like a canvas. And then and and that's

that was the thing that that struck me and then and other Shannon and Matt Cobb and the others that

were at part of that advisory council at that point was and I kept saying to our EW members,

this isn't your grandma umbrella, right? Like people would say, oh, we could make outdoor drapes

out of this fabric. And you were like, right, is it outdoor rugs really pretending to be a drape?

Because it doesn't flow, right? But you really have come up with this amazing technology that weaves

in all of that built in performance, but actually has a drape rehand to it. And it's extremely,

it's impressive. It's like it's gorgeous. True form. Yeah. Thank you. One of the one of the really

great things that we've stood up is our novelty yarn plant. And so we've been able to

emulate the look and feel of a lot of different natural fibers out there in the market through

using our novelty yarns in our fabrics to really give you the look and feel of things that you

would like in your home that feel a little bit more soft, maybe a little bit more comfortable than

something that you know for the outdoor space, but still with the performance that you can trust

umbrella to bring to your home. Yeah. Yeah. And it's so funny because you guys have that color to

the core technology that I always mistake. It's radish or carrot. It's carrot. That's correct.

Yes. So our proprietary color to the core technology, we like to use the difference of the food

scenarios to really help illustrate what that looks like. So when you think about a radish,

you think about how the inside is white and the outside has a red coloring, but a carrot has

orange all the way to the core of the center of the carrot. And that is very similar to what we have

in our color to the core technology from a fiber perspective. So we use, like I said, a proprietary

dyeing method that helps us get that color all the way to the core before we even construct our yarn.

So we are colored at the fiber level and then spun into yarn and then woven into fabric and now

made into beautiful finished products. Yeah. And what's interesting about that Deanna is it's a bunch

of words, right? We're color to the core at the fiber level and then we spin it into yarn and then

we make it into fabric. And it's like, okay, but when you see it, you know, I've had the, you know,

the pleasure of being at the factor and you're just like, oh, that's fiber. Like just wear barrels

and barrels. It looks like of like, looks like insulation, you know, like barrels and barrels of

this puffy, just raw material that is dyed to your point all the way. And then from there,

that fiber that you're talking about is now spun into yarn. It's exactly words. But now I'm like,

but no, now that goes into yarn. And then that becomes a fabric. And, you know, when I was up close

and understood it as we were toward through the factory, it, you know, every one of us has had

the situation where, you know, some wine got on, you know, anything, a rug of sofa, anything,

your own, your coat, whatever. And yeah, you're rubbing, rubbing, rubbing. And you're like, yeah,

it's coming out. And then all of a sudden, you're like, oh, awesome. Now I have a white spot.

And that is the critical difference is that you're never going to get to white in any one of the

umbrella fabrics. The color that it is is the color that it is all the way through.

Yes, that's very correct. So we actually say that you can clean our fabrics all the way

with 100% bleach, but you don't necessarily always need that. I mean, you can use a smaller

portion of dish soap and water to clean it. We also have now a line of cleaning products that

are specific to our umbrella fabrics and can be utilized on any of our umbrella goods that are

also available as part of the finished assortment that we're talking about today. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's,

it's, um, it's significant when you truly understand it because we've all been in that spot where

you're rubbing, rubbing, rubbing, like, yeah, it's gone. Oh, no, there's white. It's like, right?

Shoot. Now, I don't have a red stain. I have a white stain. Okay. But then so today we're talking about

a program that is available to interior designers, which is different from the program that's available

to custom window treatment retailers to dealers. Sure. Yes. So basically what we're talking about is

actually the launch of sombrella interiors, which is a sub brand of our master brand of sombrella.

Like I said, we have always been known for our performance, but really the inspiration to completely

take a sidestep from the master brand and make the sub brand was to highlight the fact that

people are designing those spaces completely separately from one another, right? So you may have

something in your home that you don't need to flow outdoors that you want a different color texture

et cetera for. So we have designed those with, like I said, textures, different weights and also

different color palettes to be more appropriate for inside the home. And so within sombrella

interiors is where all of those finished products live and a subset of our fabrics also live in that

sombrella interiors sub brand. Okay. So get me the path here. So I'm an interior designer.

If I've been listening to Luanne for the last several years, I've been screaming, you know,

call us for this amazing sombrella product. Now we're saying there's a different avenue. It's a

different product. It's different deliverables. It's different fabrics and a designer can access

them directly. So this is the first time that we are launching a trade account for designers on

sombrella.com. And it's the first time ever that they can access trade pricing directly from sombrella.

It's not just on fabrics, but it's also on our stock drapery, our throws and our cleaning products,

our custom window treatments are offered through our network of dealer partners. And designers can

easily find a local dealer by using our dealer locator on our website. Okay. So that's the distinction.

So there is stock draperies. The throws are amazing, by the way, like I was given two of them as a

gift. And I love them both. I've wanted to be Towson wanted home and Vinnie and I fight for them,

by the way. And they're very cozy. They're very cozy. But so for the designer, what the designer

can access directly without the conduit of the window treatment dealer is the stock drapery program.

And the idea behind this in your mind is what? Why do you think this is a solution? What's the

what's the point of this? It's really to be able to give designers access to the breath of

sombrella under sombrella interior. So it's not just stock drapery. It is also our fabric by the

yard, a portion of that. It is also the throws and the cleaning products. It is really to give

designers access and a discount to all of that offering in a way that we've never done before.

So like I said, through being able through signing up for the trade account on sombrella.com.

Okay. And what we know is that, you know, listen, as a custom window treatment professional for 40 plus,

you know, years, I know that I want you to do custom. I want you to do the exact size that you need.

But we also know that there are many locations and many projects and many parts of projects

that a stock size can work. And maybe the stock size fits the bill because it comes in quickly.

And because, you know, whatever the reasons are, there's no question. There's value in it.

And really what I'm hearing is now we can get the up level quality of the sombrella fabric

with this performance and soft hand and color to the core. But I can get it on demand. And I can

get it quickly. And I can get it in certain patterns and colors and styles. And I can also get

fabric by the yard to accent it to, you know, so I guess what I'm hearing is maybe,

maybe I can do stock panels, but I could order fabric by the yard if I need matching Romans made.

And I can give that to my window treatment, um, workroom or dealer to make it for me.

That is something that you could do. Um, the patterns that we have available right now in our

stock treeberry assortment are exclusive to the finished window products. So both in stock treeberry

and custom, um, but you would be able to order fabric by the yard to coordinate anything that you

would like, um, with your room. So you could have an entire room made out of sombrella. You can do,

you know, decorative pillows, tiebacks, um, maybe some other accent pieces in a room, maybe a cornice

that that goes along with your stock treeberry panels. But exactly what you were saying about the

stock treeberry panels, uh, and that they can be utilized in in specific areas of the home. So maybe

something that has a set, uh, with her length or standard window size, or maybe somewhere where

the client that you're working with doesn't have as wide of as a budget, um, and may want to come in

and have a quickship option for that. Um, stock treeberry can be a really great solution in those

instances. Um, because of the performance that's tied to all of our fabrics, they also work really

well in high traffic areas or areas where you might not normally think to put a soft window

treatment. And that can fall in somewhere like a bathroom or maybe a kitchen or things like that. Um,

and because of their high level of cleanability and, um, the, uh, the warranty that we offer

around them, um, can allow them to live longer in places that get a little bit more wear and tear.

Yeah, you know, it's so funny because we all get our come-up insist in life, right? And

my, my daughter, Christy, you know, I couldn't remember for years when I would sell custom

window treatments. We'd be like, oh, I have kids. I can't put that here. And I'm like, what are you

raising banshees? Like what? You know, you tell them don't touch and they don't touch. And,

of course, I never said that out loud to any of my consumers. But I would think like my daughter,

I literally would just say to her, you know, oh, that for babies. That's not for babies. Babies

don't touch that. Now my stepkids weren't babies in my house, right? So I didn't have them as babies.

So they were already, you know, trained as young humans. And so it was fine, right? But her,

I remember just, but I gotta tell you, the grants aren't that way. The grants. I'm like, oh,

my God, what are you doing? You're touching all of my things. Stop. Maybe there's potential too

that you have allowed yourself to decorate with a little bit more, uh,

whimsy, I guess, than when you would, when you had your own children. And so now the grandchildren

are coming in and they're tearing everything and you're getting that experience back.

I'm just telling you, Juan Carlos is a banshee. That's all I'm telling you. He's the kid that,

you know, he's standing behind the drape holding onto the drape with his fingers. And you're

saying to him, Hey, buddy, you can't touch my mom's drapes. And he peeks his head out and then

shoots his dimples at you like, and like, and I'm like, no, pal, no. Yeah, how can you be mad at that?

Exactly. So I have more compassion for women now. And men that say to me, my kids don't listen,

and they touch my window treatments. But that's the thing now. It's like what I love is that

particularly the hand, you know, of the, you know, you've got some fabrics and patterns there

that really mimic high and shears. I mean, like, really, like, and I just was like, I remember

when I was down there, I was like, Oh my god, that looks like I know this, this, the look of this

fabric, I could name the house that, you know, I know of a look of like comes from and it's like

$300 a yard. And I'm like, wouldn't let anybody touch it. And I'm just like, whoa, you know,

really has, has come a long way, you know, like, yeah. And I was just going to say, I really

think that that is a nod to our design team, our in house design team. And then also that

novelty yarn plant that I mentioned earlier, there's just a lot of development work that goes in

to creating those yarns. There's a lot of attention to detail. And being able to use those in our

fabrics really helps us to create a lot of textual interest, hand interest, and things like that in

the fabric. So really makes the portfolio become a lot more broad and reach a lot more audiences

than maybe who we were when we first entered as Simbrella over 60 years ago.

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, and that's the thing. The legacy of the company is remarkable.

I mean, I remember spending time with the management team and the ownership team and then the

extended the designers and the textile designers and then literally the men and women that are on

the factory floor doing this work, you know, weaving first the yarn, the thread, and then into the

the patterns. And it is, it is a particularly special experience when to a person, when you meet

30, 40, 50 people that work in a company and to a person, the pride is so apparent. Just we love it

here. We love this place. We love the people we work with and we love the company and we love what

we stand for. And it's not that they're walking around saying those things to you, but the way they're

interacting with you, the way they're describing what they do in their part of the job and their part

in the system and the flow of all the creation of everything. It was, you know, it's remarkable.

It really is. And I just came away so completely. And it's funny because we've ordered

Simbrella fabrics through windworks for 40 years. You know what I mean? It's like, okay, they make

fabric for awnings, they make fabric for outdoor cushions, whatever. You know, and it's like,

oh, wait, there's a whole lot happening here, right? Yeah, it really is. It really is a wonderful

place. There's a great team dynamic. The company really takes the long view when they think about

innovation and where we're headed. And that can be felt, I think, I think that's what you felt,

right? Yeah. That that's there. We are always very proud to honor at this time of year

people who have long 10 year with the company. And so we acknowledge people who have just joined

us and have been there for a year. But we recently just had our service awards. And you know,

we were giving out awards for up to 35 and 40 years of service. And so I think that really is a

testament more than anything to your point of like, people don't have to go around saying how

wonderful it is. They're staying because it's that wonderful. That's incredible. People with 35 and

40 years of history working there. Yes. Yeah. That's remarkable. That's just so freaking amazing.

You know, and you know what it is, I don't know if somebody listening has had a company for five

years and they're just like, yeah, that's cool. And I'm like, no, no, no, no, no. Like having,

you know what I mean? Like us, we have longevity. We've got we've well, Billy is still a partner. So

he's in his 40th year. But then like, you know, Carlos is on 20 something. Kim's coming up on

or 20th very soon. We've got riches coming up around 15. You know, and it, you know, I take great

pride in that. And I'm thinking, whoa, start to look at 35 and 40 year anniversary. That's

remarkable. It sure is. And to your point about people who are just starting out is that every company

starts out, right? But being able to build that legacy is really exciting. Yeah. Yeah. And it takes

it takes a minute. It takes a minute because as owners and founders, you've got to get your

feet under you, you got to really, you know, I'm like a broken record on the podcast telling you

how to have your mission vision values because none of that happens. If you don't have your

personal mission vision values, established as the owner for the company, because what is

somebody going to follow you for 30, 35 or 40 years for? Because you like a chicken with that

ahead one day, this matters the next day. That matters. That's not how you build a company, right?

Right. Correct. And I mean, I think that is going back to one of Simbrillo's core values of

saying that we think about the long view. We take the long view. That is, you know, fully understood

throughout the company from every level, from upper management all the way to the factory floor,

like you said. And so when you when you have that and you have the team working towards that,

it starts to shape how you make decisions. And so to your point, like setting those

parameters early is really important. Yeah. You know, and it's so funny is you set it so effortlessly.

You know, that's one of our core values is we take the long view. That's, you know, that's

that's a company that's talking about their core values that here you are an employee of the company

and it comes right rolling off of your mouth, right? It's like, that's the thing. And I love that

framing. That's a good core value. I mean, yeah, sure. And like not only not only is it just easy

to say, but it's easy to say because they show it. They do it. Yeah. They show it. They do it.

And it's one of those things that we're really proud of. It's it's a reason why we are continuously

innovating where we are. And so it is another nod to why we have created the sub brand of

Symbola Interior. So we know that we have existed in the outdoor space for quite some time.

And we want to take ownership of that indoor space as well. So being able to make the clear distinction

of the two, make sure that they both have a clear point of view and a clear offering to the

community that's out there is taking the long view on the overall home, right? So it allows us to

also do that in our daily work. Yeah. I that's really I love that. And it's funny because at an

exciting Windows, we made every Thursday, right? We do coaching and mentoring every Thursday to

the network of members. And today we had a meeting. And I said a version of that. But I love the

clarity around that. Like I said, anytime and anybody on my team that's listening to this will know,

we're always like, okay, how are we going to build make this thing? What are we going to build this

thing? What are we going to do? And one of the things that I'm always as a check on it is,

okay, that's how we could do it. But we're two people now. What if we were 50 people or this is for

a $5,000 offering? What happens when it's a $100,000 offering? Like does does this scale with us?

Like I don't want to build something for two weeks. I want to build something for 20 years. And

that's constantly the view that I take. And to your point, it's one of those clarifiers that,

you know, like Nicole Heimer of Gloria and Brand who builds all of my websites and every other

minute, I'm like, I need another landing page. I need another this, you know, and she'll,

you know, she'll often say, well, out fast and quick or out forever and good. And I'm like,

build it for the long, Harle girl. We'll build it for what it's going to be in three years,

not what I need this day, you know? Yeah. So, but to think of that as an actual

expressed core value, I didn't realize that it really is something that's important to me,

but I haven't listed it as a core value. But also too, really, what I was, what I was actually

observing was that as an employee of the company, it's second nature for you to list a core value.

It's not like, well, let me go find the sign over by the layer of our core values.

I didn't prep you that we were going to talk about core values, you know?

That's very true. That's very true. Right. That's when you know somebody knows. Right. So,

all right. So tell us, talk about some of the things that are specific to designers. All right.

So we have the performance fabrics. We have complimentary products, the stock drapery,

the throes, the cleaning products, okay? And then the benefits of the program.

Talk, walk us through some of those, Deanna.

We are launching an immersive digital experience this spring where designers can explore

the new interior's collection. And until then, they can try to sign up for the trade account

directly on cembrella.com. From a benefits perspective, it's really designed to make

specifying and sourcing cembrella easier than ever. So whether they're creating a full custom

design or adding finishing touches to the space, there is exclusive trade pricing on fabric

by the yard and finished products like throes, drapery, and cleaning products. So it really

encompasses all of that. It's meant to be an immersive space, like I said, coming this spring.

But to give them kind of like a one-stop shop to access those finished products from cembrella

and some fabric by the yard. Okay. And so just for clarity, because podcasts are evergreen,

when we say coming this spring, we mean spring of 2026. That's true. If somebody's listening

in 2029 or 2039, it's there. It's out there. That's correct. Thanks for clarifying that.

I know. I have to constantly say, if you're listening in real time or you're listening in the future.

It is a funny thing about podcasting. Yeah. Not truly. Exactly. So I guess have we left anything

out that we need to let a designer understand? So they're going to go to cembrella.com

and they're going to be a find a to the trade tab. They can sign up. I do want to say again,

for clarity, this is not to be confused with the custom window treatment program. That is

that a designer, we 100% want a designer to access through the dealers. It's different products,

different features. Same amazing cembrella fabric. That's the key. But now we're making roller shades,

Roman shades, any size draper you want. There's no restrictions and all of that. But for here,

for a designer who wants to complement a project on their own, maybe outside of a window

treatment retailer, or they're ordering it and having their window treatment dealer do the

measuring and installation, whatever that whole path is to be discovered by them. But is there

anything that we left out of this new exciting thing that you guys are doing here? Deanna,

you know, I think that we really covered a lot of it. I think that you just summarized very well

the custom window treatments are a huge initiative for us under cembrella interiors as well.

But like you said, that's available through our exclusive dealer partners that we know designers

have a wonderful relationship with today. And so we want to continue to

allow them to source it that way. Basically, the designer program opens up everything else that

I've been talking about already. So the stock draper either throws the cleaning products in the fabric.

And, you know, I think you asked one question of, is there anything that we wanted to cover? And I

think it will always be a question of whether or not a hundred percent of cembrella fabrics are

available in this in this new program. And I think it's good to cover that there will always be

some exclusive fabrics that we offer that we partner with different people on and different

companies on that will remain exclusive. But we are servicing a large amount of aesthetics,

looks, feels different types of design trends through what is available on cembrella.com. And so

it can cover a majority of project needs. Yeah. Yeah. Now I love it. I swear to goodness,

everything you guys do, I think you just do it so top shelf. And I've been so impressed from our

first interactions with you guys that started several years ago. I guess four or five years ago

at this point. And, you know, I just think it's it's it's terrific. And it's it really is the

epitome of the long game. It really is expressing the long game like how are we impacting our trade

partners, window treatment dealers designed, you know, designers and and of course, you know,

just the industry at large, you know, your contributions to it. So I'm a fan. It's long to tell you.

I'm a fan a hundred and ten percent team cembrella. But we appreciate it having you on our fan

basis here. So we would love the attention. Well, thank you so much for joining me today and

telling us all about this new thing. So we're going to go to cembrella.com. And then in this coming

spring, 2026, we're going to look for, you know, more more information, more immersive website that

you were discussing. Yes, that's correct. Perfect. Thank you so much, Deanna. Thank you,

Luann. Appreciate it.

All righty. Let's talk about some of the takeaways from this conversation. First of all,

this episode is not talking about or encouraging you to replace custom work. Okay. It's also not

about asking you to change how you run your interior design business. It is about expanding your

awareness of what's available to you when you are designing for real people, real homes and real

lifestyles. Cembrella's interior products give you another tool in your toolbox. And smart

designers know that flexibility is a part of profitability. One of the things I want you to

take notice of is this. Cembrella did not build its reputation by chasing trends. They built it

by committing to performance, consistency and standards. And that should sound familiar to you

because these same principles apply to running a profitable interior design business as well.

Longgevity, whether it's a brand or your business, is built decision by decision.

If you're new or in business, here's the lesson. Your credibility is built over time by the decisions

that you repeatedly make. By the customers and the clients and the partners you align with,

by the products you stand behind, and the promises that you keep to your clients even when

it's inconvenient. The brands you specify are not neutral. They communicate your standards long

before your client ever sees the finished room. And if you've been at this awhile, then you already

know all of this, right? You know that longevity doesn't happen by accident. It happens when you

protect your brand, your standards, and your client experience with intention. Cembrella's story

is a reminder that success is rarely flashy, but it is always deliberate. And here's something

else we're thinking about. As designers, as creatives, we often focus heavily on aesthetics,

but your clients are also paying for reliability, peace of mind, and trust.

The brand you specify reflect directly on your own reputation. This is no small thing, my friend.

Not to be underestimated, right? Now, let's talk about the practical nuance here.

Not every room in every home needs to be fully custom-topped to your investment, right? We all

live in the real world, but every room does need to be intentional. There are spaces where performance

matters just as much as beauty and sometimes more. Think about it, nurseries, guest bedrooms,

family rooms, playrooms, inside-outside spaces. The place is in a home that get a lot of wear and

tear, but you still want softness. You still want texture. You still want it to feel finished,

but you also need reliability. And this is where offerings like Cembrella's stock drapery program,

their throws, and their curated fabric by the yard selection makes complete sense.

A focus collection of best-selling fabrics means fewer decisions, proven styles, and dependable

performance. That's not a compromise. That's a strategic choice that you can make confidently

when custom isn't the right answer for a particular space. As a designer, your reputation is tied

to every product you specify. When a client says, I don't want to invest in full custom here,

having an option backed by a company with decades of performance standards, testing, and accountability,

it matters. It allows you to meet the client where they are without lowering your personal standards

for excellence. Now, just as a quick, by the way, if you are a window treatment professional

listening to this, and you want a deeper conversation around Cembrella and its custom

window treatment program available specific to you, so Cembrella has a custom window treatment

program that is for window treatment professionals. As a designer, you can access it through the

window treatment professional. But we did a dedicated episode on my Window Treatments for Profit

podcast with Cembrella team, and that's a great way to learn about that for you, so don't confuse

the two options, okay? We'll link it in the episode show notes, so if it's helpful for you. Now,

as a designer, you might want to listen to a two because you can go get that program through

your trusted window treatment partner. Now, if you are an interior designer who has not yet explored

Cembrella's interior offering, offerings, this is your cue. Go sign up for a designer trade account

at Cembrella.com. Take the time to understand what's available to you. Even if it's not right for

every project, knowing your options is part of running your business like a business, right?

Long Jeviti, Consistency, and Performance, they don't happen by accident. They're built

intentionally, and aligning with companies that share those values is one more way you protect

your work, your reputation, and your client experience. Thank you, Diana, for being here today,

and thank you to the Cembrella team. You know I love you guys, I love your guts so much,

every single interaction, every single time we collaborate, I just learn more and more about you

and come more and more to respect you, the company, the team, you know, at a deeper level every time,

so thank you, thank you, I appreciate you, Cembrella, and I appreciate and value the collaboration

and the conversation today, Diana. Thank you. And thanks, Tons, for listening. I hope you learned

something that you can put into your business. Decide to be excellent.

Thank you for joining me today. This podcast is a production of Luan Nigara Inc. If you want to know

more about me, my books, or Luan University, go to LuanNigara.com. And if you are interested in

having window works, help you with your next window treatment or awning project in the New York,

New Jersey metro area, go to windowworksng.com to learn more. Have an excellent day.