Well I'm a seamstress and though I'd love to make that kind of money I don't think I'd feel right about charging a client way more than I'd pay myself for custom work. But then hubby and I are big DIYers so we're kind of "cheap" so to speak.
1. What type of WTs are you looking at?
2. What size are the banquette cushions? I'm assuming the cost includes the foam too.
3. What's the cost per yard on fabric?
4. What is their hourly labor rate? I'm assuming the designer is also getting a portion of the final cost too.
All the above can make a big difference in the final pricing.

I priced Hunter Douglas cellular shades at a local store and they wanted around $20k for the whole house. I was able to price the same ones online and will spend around $11k. I live in an expensive area and we get charged a premium. Some people/customers just pay up ... others like myself, shop around for a better price.

The key is the word "custom." $7K is not remotely out of line for true custom drapes, meaning: You buy the fabric through a designer, send to a window trimmer who comes out and measures, your drapes are pleated, lined and interlined--with all hand stitching--and then installed, hung and pouffed for you.

However, there are a lot of other ways to get window treatments. Invisible hand stitching is really beautiful, but do you really need it? You could try Smith and Noble, or a local seamstress, or a retail product, and see whether the differences are worth it to you.

No, nothing else truly looks like top-tier custom window treatments (which someone shouldn't comment on unless they've seen them), but at the end of the day, it's just paper or fabric to cover your windows.

JGBM - I wish wish wish I would have known you were a seamstress!!! I would have preferred to pay you to make my drapes! BTW, we DIY'ers are not "cheap", we are just creatively thrifty! :c)

Lukki, I've not been in the business for long, but I've been sewing since I was a little girl and specialize in for the home sewing since it's something I've done for myself and family since I was a teenager. I would have loved to made your drapes. I'm working on three rooms now for a client and this weekend meet with another to measure and make cornices and a will be making pillows for yet another when she gets home from vacation. I also do woodworking which allows me to do combination work like the above mentioned cornices.

I started both businesses anew last fall. Though I dabbled in both a few years ago at the time I was our new grandsons full time babysitter. I really didn't have the time for both. I only watch him once or twice a week now so I have more time for my businesses.

I love the "creatively thrifty"! Works for us too. That would be a great name for a blog!

Speaking of blogs, I'll have to add them to my member page when they're ready.

here is the quote for the kitchen seating (banquette) cushions to give you an idea of what was quoted:

Bench seat cushions, self cord.
Size:60"Long x 24" Deep x 3" thick
Fabric: Suede-Nocturnal $39.90/yard less 20% with Teflon treatment applied on fabric $506.72 $1013.44
Bench back cushions, self cord.
Size:60"Long x 3" thick x 18" High
Fabric: 42143-272 Lake Blue $48.00/yard less 20% with Teflon treatment applied on fabric $510.20 $1,20.40

the cushion back fabric is westbury collection navy ocean chambray

seat cushion is fabricut 145 suede color nocturnal

i wish i could do sewing worth something! Let me know what you think. thanks!

Sophie, have you tried finding the fabric or another comparable fabric at a local fabric store? They might know of any local seamstresses that could do the work just as well, but for a lot less cost to you. Our Hancock Fabrics has a place for seamstress and tailors to put up business cards for their customers to take. I do that and also advertise on Craigslist under Creative Services. Much of my work is from word of mouth though.

If I understand correctly the cost per seat cushion is $506.72 and the back are $510.20 each? If so I'd say you're being over charged. Check the above mentioned options to find a local seamstress before following the lead of your designer.

Good luck!

I have used a store called Mill End here in the Washington DC area. I wanted ballon curtains and drawn curtains under those. I was exasperated with the service and their way of pricing. The only fair way is to get an invoice or cost proposal and a breakdown. Then you decide if this is how you want it. Your friends can see too. This way it is uniformly the same for everyone. The woman was incompetant and put down a price then changed it and added discounts from what from some unknown orignal price.etc. She never let me know the material was on backorder and that the whole project would be 5 weeks late. I had to constantly prompt her to check. No customer service and she has worked there 29 some years, Maybe this is the big city. I called them on it and still never received an invoice. It is worse than dealing with car salesmen. The best way to go if you can't make it yourself is find a solo seamstress by referral Buy the material yourself and ask someone to make it. These shops have a 100% mark up on material. You can go online and buy the same material with brands like Robert Allen.

Sophie,

I do not understand your pricing, why do you have two prices marked. Example: the bench cushion you have $506.72 $1013.44
What does that mean?

I would not say you are being overcharged. I do think you should shop around at local fabric stores. Many offer upholstery and window treatment fabrication, so you can ask them for prices. What someone pays in another location may not be relevant to you at all.

Wow! I guess I need to stop what I'm doing and start working for the shop that this designer represents! I have my own sewing business making drapery and other home decor items and actually specialize in fabricating window and bench cushions with piped covers - and charge no where near that amount of money! Without going into details, I see a huge profit in the actual cost of material used, (3" premium foam, material, cording), and the final price(s). Are there two bench seats? So I know what the actual cost of the foam, (wrapped in dacron batting, I hope), actually costs, and that with the fabric required, (3 yds. per cushion), comes no where near that total! WOW!

i'm back. thanks for all the great posts. i've been very encouraged!!!

- Lyban : the pricing is for 2 cushions each of 2 different fabrics. I had cut and paste from the quote so it didn't transfer well. The second set of cushions there was a typo and it should have around $1020 total not $120. So each cushion was around $500 each.

- i received an email from another member who relayed a story of local shop (which as it turns out is the same area that i live in - wash, dc) and how the pricing is sketchy at best and perhaps on purpose. Which encouraged me to go look at another shop.

- i went to g street fabrics here and they were more than happy to work with me! i thought they might be put off my shopping around but they were willing to try and find the fabrics and said they had a good sale going on. They even broke down the pricing for me right there. A big chunk (almost half) is the actual cushion and wrap. Her pricing was probably 20% lower to 50% lower from what we calculated there (other shop must have way overquoted on one of the fabrics because it was double the price of g street).

- the woman i was working with at the previous shop was let go so i would starting from scratch with them anyway. her subtitute didn't even have the quote that was sent! Fortunately my designer had taken good notes so i had enough to piece together what was quoted.

Well, I'll keep that in mind for the future, you can bet on that! That is a good name for a blog isn't it? My mother is a sewing wizard, made the school/summer clothes for all 5 of us girls and still found time to do curtains and what nots for our house. I still have a gingham valance she made complete with rick rack packed away. She just bought me a sewing machine as a gift last fall so I may shout out to you if I run into problems with some of the simple projects I'll be working on (if that's ok?) :c) I just dabble, nothing ever turns out the way I planned!

Nanny, you might want to revise your pricing, though; don't sell yourself short.
You said you don't charge more than you'd want to pay yourself, that might not be the norm in your area. Do you compare to others in your area ?

Well...as a non-sewer (person who sews, not sewage), I actually contemplate things like building rooms around ready-made curtains I like (did that in my bedroom, in fact, with a black and white toile) or designing a DR banquette to exactly fit cushion sizes available and in stock. Pathetic, but I don't have a custom budget for fabrics and it actually might be the case that the fabrics are the most important finishing touch and the hardest to find on the shelves...

I'm glad things are working out for you!

I'm back again. Feeling really empowered. Has anyone seen this site below and tried their products? I just stumbled upon it. Very intriguing. And the cushion i priced out was $160 vs $500 that i was quoted before (navy microsuede). Gotta watch the youtube videos - curiously entertaining and I learned something.

Here is a link that might be useful: custionsxpress

Your link didn't work for me, but you have perked my curiosity.

Is this the link?

Here is a link that might be useful: Cushions Express

Not sure what happened there but that is the site. Anyone try them? I like that they have so many different types of cushions and the prices are less than half of what i was quoted at a shop. The youtube video shows you the cushions and demos them which is helpful too.

A good place in the DC area is The Upholstery Shop, 757 Elden St, Herndon. I've used them for upholstery and draperies. Labor to reupholster a dining room chair, replacing the foam, and replacing the cane back with webbing and foam was $130/ per. They also touched up all the exposed wood.

I had all custom treatments in my previous home and they were beautiful and well made. The hardest thing on my part was picking the fabric and writting the check.

I do feel that the designer really marked up the fabric/labor etc.

I would do it again, but I would shop around for better pricing.

Even the wood blinds that I used in my sunroom were overpriced. But, my DH at the time, couldnt' be bothered hanging or measuring for blinds.