
STORY BY COLLEEN TOMS
Tabitha Matheson remembers when she was first introduced to sewing. "My mother put a sewing machine in my room when I was four," Tabitha recalled with a laugh.
At the time she had no idea how important sewing would become to her life. Now, as a mother herself, Tabitha has put her passion and skills towards opening Picture Perfect Window Coverings and helping local residents upscale the look of their homes with custom window treatments.
"I started out 12 years ago in my own basement, sewing for stores and interior designers," Tabitha said. "I needed a job to help pay the bills.
Through word-of-mouth Tabitha grew her business to the point where she "needed to get out of the basement." After sharing a leased space on King George Road, she began searching for her own space and found a run-down building on Brant Avenue.
"A friend drew a picture of the building with lovely window awnings and flower boxes," Tabitha recalled. "I love taking people’s ideas and running with them, so I made it happen. Step-by-step we’ve transformed this space." Adorned with custom awnings designed by Tabitha, a new coat of paint and colourful window boxes, the home of Picture Perfect Window Coverings at 275 Brant Ave. looks fresh and lively.
Inside, the newly refurbished space has a warm and inviting atmosphere. And it is here where Tabitha’s custom creations take shape and where interior decorator Judy O'Donoghue ideas come alive.(Scroll down for About Judy O'Donoghue)
"We do everything from start to finish," Tabitha said. "People just need to call us and we take everything right to them. Judy will take the samples right into their homes and suggest different products and ideas to make their homes into their dream homes." Once customers decide on finishes to suit their lifestyles and tastes, Tabitha and her team work on creating items like drapery, window blinds, shades, shutters and valances in addition to pillows, beddings and reupholstered furnishings.
"We do very high end at an affordable cost ." Tabitha said. We are our own Workroom which keeps the quality high. custom products. We also do our own installations.
Tabitha’s custom creations are complemented by a wide array of products including Eclipse shutters and other name brands such as Graber, Hunter Douglas, Maxxmar and Elite Windows.
"Blinds have come a long way from your traditional vertical and roller blinds," Tabitha noted. "Now they open and close in innovative ways to get whatever view you want. And colours! You can get any colour you want." There are also dual shades that give the beauty and elegance of a sheer coupled with choice of fabric louvers that will enhance the look of a room while providing privacy and energy efficiency
Fabric choices are vast, offering homeowners every texture from fine linen looks to sophisticated patterns. Additionally, touches like Swarovski crystals and jeweled beads add bling and pizzazz, capturing the light and giving the room an entirely new dimension. These fun accessories run the gamut from braids and pompoms, to fringes and unique pulls.
"These are no longer your grandmother’s blinds," Tabitha said. "These products are stunning." Hardware such as poles and finials will also help to make a statement and the assorted offerings include large crystals, spears or coils. A wood cornice valance painted in a colour of choice could cap off the windows perfectly. But Picture Perfect Window Coverings’ expertise doesn’t end there. The team is skilled at helping homeowners create their own custom spaces with paint, wall coverings, furniture and accessories.
"Product knowledge is one of Judy's skills," Tabitha said. "She invests in the customer and what they might need. Customer relations are number one." Judy even creates original design. Whatever Judy or the client dream up, Tabitha and her talented workroom can produce it.
"This is where I started and this is what I love to do," she said. "Making sure my customers are happy is my first priority." People can call 519-754-8791 or visit the 275 Brant Ave. showroom to learn more about how Picture Perfect Window Coverings can help them design their dream home. Parking spaces are easily accessible and plentiful at the rear of the building.
|