Today we’d like to introduce you to Christy and Jenny Sullivan.
Christy and Jenny, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I started selling used draperies out of my antique booth in 1998. I would find these great drapery treatments when hunting for treasures. Before long, the drapery treatments were selling better than my antiques. After 5 years of selling used draperies out of an antique mall, I started buying new fabrics and offering custom drapes. It became clear that I needed to concentrate on the new fabrics and get away from selling previously owned treatments.
In 2008 my daughter and I opened our own store in far north Plano. She was working for Robert Allen Design selling fabrics at the time, and loved working with clients. The opportunity to work with my daughter and use her varied skills to grow a business that had wonderful potential was ideal. What makes us different from other drapery stores is that we stock draperies that we have made up in local workrooms. This allows the customer to see what the drapery looks like in their space and lightning. No one else offers a try before you buy option. We go to the International Fabric Market in North Carolina every year to stay up with the current trends. Today we offer all types of window coverings. Our clients like our customer service and the reassurance that we will take care of them!
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
There are always going to be growing pains. The costs of operating a standalone store compared to renting a space in an antique mall are very different. Having our own space and the freedom that comes with that has been amazing and irreplaceable. I had to conform to all kinds of rules in the antique mall.
We are still learning everyday what works and what our customers want. We continually strive to learn more and implement cutting edge display methods as well as new ways to communicate with our current customers.
Finding good help has been hard but we have managed to find some good people who share our vision and love of fabric.
So, let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Christy’s Draperies story. Tell us more about the business.
Christy’s Draperies makes ready-made draperies, custom draperies, bedding, pillows and other types of decorative accessories. We keep drapery hardware a large selection of fabrics in stock. We are very proud of our good reputation and how easy it is to work with us. We treat our clients like friends and have many repeat and referral clients. We work hard to make sure everyone has a good experience when they come in to our store. Customers like our large stock of draperies that are already made up. This allows them to see the whole pattern in the fabric and how it drapes. These drapes can be checked out to see how they will look in the client’s house. We are able to offer a quick turnaround time of one week once we have the fabric. Many of our fabrics are in stock, but we have a whole showroom full of fabric books and samples that can be ordered.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I have always believed that things happen for a reason. I had always wanted a family owned business that would enable us to have an income and have control of our finances. Neither me or my daughter was not trained for the drapery business, it kind of fell into our laps. The love of fabric and beautiful window treatments made it easy as a career choice. My daughter has a natural talent for dealing with clients and loves the drapery business. Without her help, we wouldn’t be where we are now. She made our website and makes sure our message is out there. I think sheer determination brings about luck.
Contact Info:
- Address: Christy’s Draperies
8300 Preston Road Ste. 180
Plano, Texas 75024 - Website: http://www.christysdraperies.com
- Phone: 214-387-7874
- Email: christy@christysdraperies.com, jenny@christysdraperies.com
- Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/christysdraperies
- Twitter: http://twitter.com/christysdraperies
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/christys-draperies-plano
Getting in touch: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
