Window Treatment Certification

Window Treatment Certification Course

Next session starts January 29, 2025

Window treatments are a complex business from design details to specifying and selling. Did you realize there are more than 100+ decisions the designer makes in the custom window design process? At any one step, things can go wrong. Learn the tricks of the trade as we delve into the intricate window treatment design process.

After creating successful training programs for the industry’s biggest players, I have designed this window treatment certification course with you in mind. I’ll pull back the curtain to unveil the secrets of bespoke window treatments with this course. Are you ready to conquer custom window coverings? Then my Window Treatment Certification course is for you!

I know it means to navigate the balance between work and play. So I crafted a course format that works for you and your schedule. My online applied learning model consists of 12 weekly 1.5 hour sessions and allows you to choose from three options:

  • The instructor-led virtual live streaming class with Q+A once a week
  • The same video content recorded so you can watch at your own pace
  • A combination of both live streaming and recorded content

Plus, you don’t have to commit to one format or the other. Drop in for a live streaming session and the next week view it on demand. You can wrap it all up with our weekly live mentoring sessions. Each week I have a 1 hour mentoring session that offers you real time tools, advice, and inspiration all meant to help you master the intricate custom window covering niche. These sessions will include industry experts and experienced trainers to broaden your perspective.

We’ll cover everything you need to know to succeed, from the elements that make up the vocabulary of custom window treatment design, the elements and principle of window treatment design, calculating yardages and drapery hardware to what fabrics and linings each work best for your designs and pattern placement for window treatments.

We’ll focus on all the challenging aspects of designing window fashions including offset pairs and multiple draws, ripplefolds, comparable fullness and much more. Finally, I’ll inspire you to flex your design muscle with a in-depth examination of the secrets of impeccably tailored treatments. All to set you up to become a Certified Window Treatment Specialist.

 

  Looking forward to using my new skills to translate to higher sales, giving my customer’s fabulous drapery and  communicating with my workroom on fabricating my customer’s drapery with more couture finishing details. I Am So Excited!!  Janet Stoddart, Interior Motives

What You’ll Learn:                                            

  • Master the complex art and math of custom window coverings to build a better bottom line.
  • Apply the elements and principles of design to create window treatments that solve design dilemmas
  • Learn fundamentals of specifying window fashions including calculating yardages, figuring fullness.
  • Employ advanced specifying techniques to set you apart from the competition
  • Gain knowledge of constructions, structures, and fine points of couture techniques; where they are appropriate and their applications.
  • Build a one-of-a kind couture portfolio of inspired techniques, processes and creative window treatment stylings
  • Apply design strategies to create couture window treatments
  • Identify color schemes and their relationship to window treatments
  • Differentiate between constructions, fibers, finishes of home furnishings fabrics.
  • Interpret the client’s functional, decorative and budgetary needs for window treatments to identify problems and solutions to the client.
  • Prepare a design notebook, portfolio and mood boards
  • Communicate with members of your team and your client through sketching, photography and visualization.
  • Examine fee structures and pricing strategies and choose one that’s best suited for you.

    First of all, let me say that I truly enjoyed your course and thank you for the plethora of information and helpful tools you provided.  Sheryl Simmons, Decorating Den

What You’ll Get

12- weekly sessions. That’s more than 18 hours of in-depth content highlighting core foundations and advanced skill sets for window covering pros.

12- one hour mentoring sessions featuring an interactive discussion on a weekly topic and brainstorming session for your current projects. It’s a real time tool, offering you advice and inspiration.

Presentations and Manuals delivered digitally with over 1000 slides highlighting the core foundations needed to complete any design project.

  • 12 individual session executive summaries to take notes during session.
  • Downloadable handouts, collateral materials, white papers, and worksheets to jumpstart your certification journey.
  • My “Dream Team” of window covering experts
  • Exercises to test your design skills and interactive projects designed so when finished you will have ready-to-go materials- portfolio, mood boards, forms, etc.
  • Desktop Textile Reference Guide and swatch kit
  • Access to all 12 classes and mentoring sessions. Webinar recordings are available during the course and for 30 days after to review at your own pace.
  • Complimentary access to on demand webinar library filled with rich window treatment design content and current topics like wellness, best practices and post pandemic trends.  
  • Certification Test and Certificate of Completion
  • Press release
  • Use of certification appellation and badge to be used on all marketing materials

 

  I am so excited to receive the certification!  I truly enjoyed your class and learned so much.  You are a wonderful teacher. Lisa Russo, Lisa Rose Interiors

$900  

                                                                          

 

Certificate Requirements

Students must successfully complete each of the session assignments and exercises, a final exam and a capstone portfolio project, and attend 70 percent of the scheduled sessions ( live or recorded) per course.

Course materials are shared in class or through DropBox shared folders.

Certification Course Syllabus

 SESSION          TOPICS
Session 1
  • The Industry Hierarchy: How it Works                                                          
  • The Short List for Sourcing
  • The Anatomy of the Window                                 
  • Speak  the Language- Window Covering Glossary
Session 2
  • Understanding Drapery Hardware                     
  • Measuring for Success:  Hard and Soft Treatments
Session 3
  • Elements & Principles of Design on the Window                                                                  
  • Color in Window Treatments
Session 4
  • Planning Soft Custom Treatments                                                                    
  • Guidelines and Rules of Thumb
Session 5
  • Textiles                                                                   
  • Fabric and Linings                                              
  • Selecting the Appropriate Fabrics
Session 6
  • The Art and Science of Pattern at the Window
Session 7
  • Advanced Skills- Specialty Window Options
Session 8
  • Advanced Skills- Challenges and Case Studies
Session 9
  • Advanced Skills- It’s All in the Details
Session 10
  • Designer’s Guide to Installation
Session 11
  • Crafting Powerful Presentations
Session 12
  • Best Practices for Window Covering Pros

If You Don’t Know Me…

As a window fashion visionary, creative catalyst and industry presence for more than 30 years, I am a design expert with a unique perspective. As a design creative, I turned my passion for window fashions into Window Dressings, an award-winning couture window treatment design firm and built a reputation for cutting edge couture treatments whose specialty is finding creative solutions to challenging design problems. This has led to more than 25 years of designing, training and mentoring design professionals about the ever evolving world of window coverings.

With my expertise, I can offer you insights into complex and often maligned and underserved category world of window fashions. I love to share inspirations, innovations and influences translating them into real life applications.

So let’s get started…..

Deb, Thank you so very much for all your expertise and time you have shared with us all. You have been so open to any of our questions or problems we needed solved and that has only added to the wealth of information you’ve provided in this class. I can say for certain that this program has gone above and beyond what I expected. Thank you thank you!!! Jennifer Holaday, Brave Maggie Designs