Today we’d like to introduce you to Lilye Lavender
Hi Lilye, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
My name is Lilye (pronounced like Lily). I grew up in a small Texas town, Brenham. After high school I moved to Austin and commuted to Texas State Univeristy in San Marcos where I received my Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. Once I graduated I started my career working in the tech industry working behind a computer and never found fulfillment in it. When the pandemic hit in 2020 I decided to leave my job behind and start sewing. I made custom face masks for men with large beards (my husband has a big, big beard!). It was a huge hit online and I started selling those for some passive income. I decided that year to go back to school for fashion design. I was eager to learn how to sew along other students who were just starting out. I was self taught and didn’t have much confidence in my sewing skills. When I started my first semester I quickly realized that I knew way more about sewing than the skill levels taught in those classes and excelled in all my courses. During my time in school I began working in a custom drapery workroom with a mentor.
At first it wasn’t my idea of a sewing career, I had planned on doing something in the fashion realm. But during my time with my mentor I realized how much potential a window treatment business had in Austin. There are many interior designers here always on the hunt for workrooms to sew their home furnishings and window treatments. During my last year of fashion school I decided to take the leap and renovate my garage into a fully decked out custom sewing workroom. It was a huge step for me to take starting this business but soon after the renovation I started getting business immediately. I decided to leave fashion school to focus on growing my business. I officially started the business in March of 2023. I have been in business for 2 years now and am so excited about the amount of work that comes through my workroom.
I have worked with several amazing interior designers over these last couple of years and have strengthened my relationships with those who also believe in the vision I have for growing my workroom business.
This business comes with many challenges and risks throughout the process. Many of the materials I use come from high end fabric manufacturers so I have to handle these products with lots of care. I typically start by initing contact with designers when they reach out about a project. I’ll measure the windows for the project and provide them with an estimate on the scope of the work needed. Once we have approval we’ll order fabrics and I fabricate everything by hand with my workroom assistant, Joanna. Together we see each project through from the initial measure to the installing and dressing out of the draperies, etc. I always make sure my clients are absolutely happy with their window treatments. These can be a big investment into your home but they provide so many bonuses to your home such as light control, privacy, temperature control, noise dampening and overall, it just makes the space cozy!
I attribute a lot of my success to the support of those in this amazing industry. It is a close knit group as there are not many custom workrooms around these days. Businesses like mine are a rarity and I love learning new techniques of the trade from my mentors so I can keep this industry moving forward into the future. I also have the support of my loving family. Without their love and encouragement I don’t think I would be where I am today. I’m ready to keep moving forward with the new trends within the interior design community with fresh eyes and the drive to make any vision come to life for my clients.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
For the most part, it hasn’t come with challenges that I can’t overcome. I am a quick thinker and decision maker which has enabled me to keep business moving forward. I am so fortunate to be in an industry where the demand is always high and business has never slowed down for me.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I specialize in window treatments such as draperies, shades, valance, cornices, and any other amazing ideas my designers have for their client’s homes. Everything that comes through my workroom is made of the finest materials and no expense is spared on creating a high end window treatment experience for my designers. I work out of my garage which was converted into a fully insulated room and is a continuation of our home now.
I am more known for my love of eclectic styles and am so proud of the projects I’ve had a hand in designing too. I think the handcrafted element of my business is what sets me apart from the rest. I am a partner in home design projects for my designers so I take on the stress of the window treatment logistics for them throughout the process. Each and every project is nothing like the one before so I have to create a plan on how to fabricate their vision every time a new fabric comes through the door. I absolutely love the creative side of my business and it’s what keeps me motivated and moving forward to keep growing a bigger and better business.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
I think the custom element and service I provide is the most important aspect of my business. Many window treatment workrooms accept jobs, fabricate them, and send them off to the designer. I work more as a full service workroom where I coordinate the installation of the project and I don’t leave the job site until everyone is happy with what I’ve created. This can be attractive to designers who are already bogged down with all the other parts of their home design projects so I provide something many other commercial workrooms can’t.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://lavenaluxeinteriors.com
- Instagram: lavenaluxeinteriors
