I recently learned about a new vendor that has figured out how to solve the ever tricky issue of the cost of window coverings. So many of the projects we work on at HCD are complete room renovations or makeovers. Once we have designed the space and present it to the clients, inevitably, some cuts need to be made to the budget, and it often seems that window coverings end up on the chopping block. Despite our best efforts to explain to clients that not doing window coverings is like getting all dressed up for a fancy night out only to wear one’s house slippers instead of dress shoes. But it does become difficult to convince clients to spend many thousands of dollars on something they don’t see as necessary. This is when Haley and her firm Everhem come into play. The process involves having clients be responsible for the measuring and installation, and Everhem produces the product. By doing this, they have created a more cost-effective way of providing window coverings for our projects. Everhem can even refer clients to local installers, should they need one.
I had a chance to chat with Haley not too long ago and asked her a bit about her firm.
HCD: Tell me a bit about your company and what inspired you to start it?
Haley: When I first started in residential interior design, window treatments were often left for last in terms of both budgeting and timing, and it was a cardinal mistake. As I got more seasoned, I learned how to budget for and design window treatments and make sure they weren’t an afterthought. I developed an aesthetic and put together a playbook that would benefit other burgeoning interior designers and homeowners alike. A simpler way to design beautiful window treatments offered to everyone, not just my clients; that was the inspiration behind Everhem.
HCD: What is your professional background?
Haley: I worked in corporate sales for a hotel brand right out of college. That job taught me a lot about customer service, problem-solving and quick thinking. But ultimately, I wanted to be designing the hotel, not working for it. So that prompted me to go back to school for architecture and interior design. I started doing residential and commercial interior design, slowly built a following on social media, and grew my own brand.
HCD: What is the market that you are hoping to engage?
Haley: We’re hoping to engage the next generation of homeowners and interior designers that appreciate high-quality customer service but also value the convenience of online shopping. We offer both.
HCD: Tell me something unique or different about you that not many people know.
Haley: I was diagnosed with Type-1 Diabetes when I was five years old. It forced me to be very responsible and organized at a very young age. It’s a difficult disease to manage, and it’s not without its challenges. But overall, I think the silver lining is that having it set me up for success early on.
HCD: What do you do for fun when not working?
Haley: I like to spend time with my kids (4 yr old and identical twin girls) and my husband, have game nights with friends and family (virtually during Covid), cook, browse Zillow, and watch some guilty pleasure reality TV.
So, whether you are hiring an interior designer or prefer to go the DIY route, EverHem is a great way to get custom window coverings at a fraction of the industry cost. Maybe I should not have told you that, but after all, this blog IS all about my insider's secrets.
Until next time,
Heather