Made in St. Louis: Designer says draperies are 'icing on the cake' to room design

Discount Draperies

Designer • Norma O’Bryan

Age • 39

Family • Husband of 18 years, Timothy O’Bryan, and one son, Tyson, 12

Home • O’Fallon, Mo.

What she makes • O’Bryan provides in-home design services, then manufactures and installs custom draperies throughout the metro area

Where to buy • Discount Draperies provides in-home consultations and works by appointment only. Contact Norma O’Bryan by phone at 636-345-0760 or through the company website, discountdraperiesonline.com.

How much • Prices vary by the design and by the fabric used, but O’Bryan uses $400 per window as a benchmark price.

Norma O’Bryan loved interior design from the time she was 10 years old. “My dad let me redo my room, top to bottom. From paint colors to carpeting to furniture, I created my dream room,” she says. “It was all pinks and purples — including a pink carpet — with all white furniture. I loved everything about the process.”

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Norma O'Bryan, owner of Discount Draperies photographed on Thursday, Jan. 25, 2018. Photo by Laurie Skrivan, lskrivan@post-dispatch.com

Laurie Skrivan

She followed through on her dreams, studying interior design in college. During her internship at a design studio, she enjoyed working with fabrics and styles to dress a home’s windows. After graduation, she spent 10 years designing at a large firm specializing in window treatments.

In 2008, O’Bryan opened her own business, Discount Draperies, focusing on in-home design services and custom fabrication in her shop in Wentzville. She oversees each project from inception through installation by her company’s three-person crew, which her husband, Timothy O’Bryan, heads up. She’s celebrating 10 years in the business this year. She loves her work, her customers and the synergistic, creative energy she derives from each project.

Customer focused in-home design services • O’Bryan works with her clients starting with early meetings through referrals, phone or email inquiries. Everything begins with conversations. “First, we talk about their needs, which rooms will be addressed, and what color schemes they have in those rooms,” she says.

Personal style and on-trend discussions, phase one • “I typically make two visits to the home for the design phase. At the first, I bring fabric swatches with me — we literally have thousands of fabrics to choose from. We talk about style, personal preferences and current trends.” O’Bryan stays on top of trends in the world of windows through sites like Houzz and Pinterest. She relies on the St. Louis home magazines to keep up with what’s new in the area. “Right now the trend leans toward tailored simplicity, with custom cornices or box-pleated styles,” she says. “Stationary panels framing windows is popular now, as well as using contrasting fabrics and color blockings in the same panel. The top third may be a different color or pattern than the bottom third on a treatment,” she says.

Picture this • Back in her studio, O’Bryan uploads photos and sketches of possible treatments in precise detail. “We make it easy for people to see how the designs work,” she says. “When I email renderings, or return with computer-generated images, homeowners understand how the window treatments will look, and we can make modifications if needed.”

Cut and sewn • Once a customer approves her designs, O’Bryan orders the fabrics and sets up the job her workroom. “Everything here is hand-sewn and hand-finished, locally,” she says. “I’ve worked with the same people for 10 years now and we’re all invested in doing things right.”

A family affair • “My husband Tim and I work together on the business,” she says. “He does the installations and a lot of the paperwork. When our son, Tyson, was younger, he wanted to work with us when he grew up. Now, at 12, he wants to be a professional ice hockey player.” Tyson is currently a goalie for the St. Peters Spirit. “We travel a lot to games,” O’Bryan says.

Bringing it all home • O’Bryan’s talents will be on display at the Builders St. Louis Home and Garden Show March 8-11 at the America’s Center. “Our window treatments are all throughout the 1,700-square-foot featured home built on site for the show. We worked with designer Candice Wideman of Youtopia, who did all the design, furniture and colors for the home. Our booth is directly opposite the display,” she says.

Icing on the cake • “I think window treatments are like the icing on a cake — they can draw a room together, frame a view or add interest. I’m always on hand at the installation to do whatever is needed — steaming out a wrinkle, adjusting a pleat — I do love my job,” she says.

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