February 3, 2017
GP Drapery is the source for the most gorgeous fabrics and hardware from around the world. Our latest project was a three-month long epic tale of international shipping and remote coordination from abroad. All this to outfit a beautiful villa in Cabo, Mexico
It started with a call from Dr. Phil’s daughter in law, the lovely Erica McGraw, with a special request for help in outfitting her new family vacation space with custom window treatments. Right away we began tracking down high-end fabrics and drapery hardware from around the world. Here’s a bit more about the roadblocks we navigated to get the project completed.
1. Designing for a space we’d only seen pictures of. Good thing we have active imaginations, because the initial presentation we prepped was based solely on photos of the villa. Before making the pitch we reserved a conference room at The Four Seasons in California. One hour later we had made all of the design decisions for the entire home thanks to our detailed storyboards. When it came time to begin manufacturing the drapery and drapery hardware we did so based on measurements taken by the client.
2. Getting hardware through multiple customs stops. Selecting the high-end drapery hardware and custom shades was easy. Getting it shipped from sites all over the world was the challenge. Half originated in London while the other half came from as far away as Germany. Once everything landed stateside, the journey was only half over. After packages made their way through US customs, we had to ship them again into Cabo where everything crossed international boarders for a second time. Carefully coordinating packages and keeping a watchful eye on the multiple shipments as they moved about the globe was challenging and fun. Fortunately, nothing was lost or delayed in transit.
3. Remotely overseeing the installation. All installations take oversight; however, this one was especially unique since we remotely supervised and instructed an electrician to outfit the space for motorized shades. The direct installations of the drapery itself were also managed remotely from the US. To ensure the process went as smoothly as possible, GP Drapery prepared an installation sheet for each room. That way, when the packages were opened the installation team would know precisely which drapery, shade and hardware went in each room. For two whole days we made ourselves available while the Cabo installer asked questions via face time.
In the end, despite the challenges, we absolutely loved working on this project. By the time it was all said and done we had manufactured the whole house with custom high-end window treatments, creating a luxurious space for our clients and their family.
No matter the level of difficulty, it was all worthwhile upon reading the following message from our client, “I can’t thank you enough for your help with the drapes and figuring out where everything goes. I am here in CABO and everything is looking AMAZING…”
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