Want to know what it’s like to be a designer at Drapery Street? Ride along with Erika Reimer, a Senior Designer and our Director of Business Development, and find out what she gets up to during her day.
Erika is taking us through her day as she meets with clients, creates incredible looks for their homes, and visits some of her favorite local businesses. Let’s go!
8:00 AM: Good morning!
I arrive at the Indiana Design Center (IDC), home to Drapery Street, ready to start the day thanks to the unbeatable coffee from Java House, one of my favorite local cafes in Midtown. When I get to my desk, I start prepping for our weekly morning staff meeting.
8:30 AM: Morning staff meeting
Meetings are a drag in some offices, but not at Drapery Street! This weekly meeting gives our team the chance to coordinate our efforts, review the previous week’s installations, and get on track for each of our upcoming tasks. It’s also a great opportunity for me to catch up with our staff and designers—- this week I am joined by Carolyn, Cricket, and Jody.
10:30 AM: Morning design consultation
This is where the real work begins! My morning consultation is this client’s first design meeting. I start by pulling the inspiration fabrics they sent in ahead of time. Next, I load their house plans and photos of their windows on the consult room’s TV.
Because this is our first meeting, my goal is to find a design the client gets excited about. That’s the groundwork we’ll need as we start this project. I’m not simply selling the client some window treatments in this consultation — I’m identifying their style, their needs, and their budget so that together we can create a look they’ll love with the functionality they’ll need. This collaborative approach with the client gets them invested in and enthusiastic about their design — which is how I know I’ve had a successful consultation.
Once we’ve created a design, I begin discussing our next steps so we can keep the ball rolling. That usually means scheduling an in-home consultation, where we’ll take official measurements of the windows and confirm final selections.
12:00 PM: Lunch (and shopping) break!
I’ve just finished up an important consultation, but there’s still so much in the day left to do! During my lunch break, I stop by our IDC neighbors, Rusted Window, to buy a thank-you gift for Indianapolis interior designer Jenny Hollander. Of course, I pick up a few goodies for myself, too!
After I drop the gift off with Jenny, I stop by Whole Foods to pick up a soup and salad — the perfect combo to give me energy for the rest of the day. I head back to the showroom to chat with my coworkers while I eat.
1:00 PM: Afternoon design consultation
When 1:00 rolls around, it’s back to designing. I have a meeting with interior designer Stephanie Wiott and one of her clients. Before it begins, I pull a few fabrics and shade options. I make my picks based on the client’s house plans and a mood board they sent me, which gives me lots of great ideas!
When I’ve gathered up all my materials, I walk down to Stephanie Wiott Designs, one of our fellow IDC residents. I like to give myself a little bit of extra time before our meetings to browse their latest home goods. There are always so many cute things to look at!
We begin the design consultation with selections for motorized shades and drapery. In this project, we’re creating window treatments for the whole home. This client relocated from out of town to a beautiful older home and wants to add modern touches and update the decor throughout.
I’m working directly with Stephanie for this project. She’s a joy to work with and has a great vision for each unique client. Drapery Street’s custom designs always fit seamlessly with that vision.
2:30 PM: Back in the showroom to work on orders and create content
After my meeting with Stephanie, I walk back to Drapery Street and spend some time working in the office. There’s a lot to do on any given day to keep up with all of the projects we have going.
I start by working on quotes for new projects. After I’ve made some headway there, I join our Design Coordinator, Jody, to place orders for clients’ custom treatments. Each one is one-of-a-kind, so we pay close attention to all the details.
When we’ve placed the day’s orders, I’ll switch gears and do some work with our sales team. Today we’re filming TikToks and Instagram Reels for our social media. We have a blast putting together fun content for our followers!
4:00 PM: Photoshoot
I end my work day with an especially exciting task — a photoshoot at style icon Kathleen Post‘s home! The talented Nate Crouch is serving as the photographer. As the Director of Business Development, I have the pleasure of connecting and collaborating with influencers and bloggers.
Kathleen is local to the Indy area and has hundreds of thousands of followers who appreciate her eye for beauty, design, and style, and that includes me! Check out her Instagram — I think you’ll love it, too!
5:30 PM: Time to head home!
That’s a wrap! We have a great time at Drapery Street and every day brings about its own excitement, but I’m ready to head home and get some puppy snuggles and hugs from my family. First, I pick up my daughter from school, then we head home together. I can’t wait to hear about her day too while we enjoy a casual dinner at home.
Thanks for tagging along on my day!
Want to view more photos from the Kathleen Post shoot or see how those Reels turned out? Be sure to follow Drapery Street on Instagram!
