VISION Magazine Names WCAA Members As Their Best of the Best!
Each year, VISION Magazine hosts an award ceremony to celebrate the best and brightest in the window covering industry. This year, at the 28th Annual VISION Design & Workroom Awards, nine WCAA members took home an impressive fifteen awards!
The VISION Design & Workroom Competition Awards were founded by Window Fashion VISION publisher Grace McNamara 28 years ago. She realized that people in this small but important segment of the interior design industry were often overlooked in other competitions. As the only award program that exclusively recognizes the work of window covering professionals, these honors call attention to the importance of window coverings and the people who specify and make them. This year’s awards were sponsored by WCAA Industry Partner, Kirsch Drapery Hardware.
We are absolutely thrilled with our members’ accomplishments, and couldn’t be prouder to have them as part of the WCAA tribe. Congratulations to all of the winners, and thank you for continuing to make WCAA home to the most impressive minds in the window coverings industry!
Want to see which members won, and for what? Read on to find out more about these impressive members and & their award-winning designs! Let their stories and talent inspire you, and maybe next year, you’ll be taking home a VISION award of your own!
Sigita Nusbaum - Delaney Window Fashions
Sigita Nusbaum is the proud owner of Delaney Window Fashions, LLC, based in Fishers, Indiana. Sigita took home two awards at this year’s ceremony: 1st place in Combination Treatments, and 2nd place in Top Treatment workroom categories.
When asked about her award-winning design, Sigita had this to say: “The client purchased antique sheet brass cornices and was looking for a custom drapery designer to incorporate them into window treatments. These offices and living room window treatments reflect the client’s personality and his passion for antiques. His house was part of The Underground Railroad, which is part of this client’s small town’s history. Part of the house details were preserved during renovation, such as the original window glass - complete with air bubbles and initials of past residents! In the custom window treatments, we incorporated “old and new” and made them grand, just as the client wished.” Without her client’s praise, she might not have been encouraged to enter this year’s competition.
Great job, Sigita! Your client got exactly what they’d hoped for, and you got some well-deserved recognition in return. Congratulations!
Leigh Anderson - Willow Drapery & Upholstery
Leigh Anderson, owner of Willow Drapery, Upholstery, and Blinds, is no stranger to being awarded for her incredible work. In 2014, Leigh was awarded the Designer of the Year by IWCE and VISION Magazine, and since then has steadily kept up her winning streak. This year, Leigh took home 1st place in Upholstery & Slipcovers, as well as 1st place in Soft Shades.
Leigh Anderson is among the most accomplished and celebrated Interior Designers in the nation. Her self-avowed passion for working with fabric and color has catapulted her into the elite ranks of the industry's soft goods experts, true artists of whom there are but a handful. And her multiple industry awards are a well-deserved testament to the skill, talent and design genius that have kept Willow Drapery & Upholstery clients coming back for a decade.
Leigh puts her all in what she does, and it shows through in all aspects of her business, including her motto: “Whatever your needs, Willow has it covered.”
In fact, Willow Drapery & Upholstery is all about YOUR style, not what's on the cover of this month's "hot" magazine. While they certainly keep up on the latest trends, the Willow team’s goal is to work with you to create an interior that reflects your personality, taste, color palette and how you live.
Congratulations, Leigh! We’re so proud of your many accomplishments, and can’t wait to see what else you achieve going forward!
Melinda Peters Elliot - Fine Designs & Interiors
Melinda Peters Elliott is the owner of Fine Designs & Interiors Ltd which is a full service Interior Design Studio and Custom Drapery Workroom as well as Fine Designs Coffee and Gifts which is a local coffee shop, gift items, fudge, custom framing, and more. Melinda is an active, proud member of her community of London Ohio in which she started a local networking group, London Business Network, she is a member of the Downtown London Association, Madison County Chamber of Commerce, London Business Network, and a business partner with Madison Health. She is also an Affiliate ASID Member, a WCAA Virtual Member, WFCP- Master and a member of the local NARI and NKBA group. She has 3 boys and her husband and 2 dogs.
This year, Melinda was awarded with 1st place in Whole Room Integration, but Melinda isn’t new to being recognized for her work. Among her achievements are: Kirsch’s Designer of the Year in 2004, and is a 7 time winner of VISION Magazines's past awards. Elliott has a certification from ASID as a ReGREEN Specialist, she has been named one of the 19 Best Interior Designers in Columbus, Ohio by Freshome, is a 4x winner of the Best of Houzz - Customer Service award, and so much more.
Melinda continues to grow in her business and her talent by keeping up with trends and honing her natural born “Eye for Design.” She’s been in the window coverings industry for over 29 years, and has truly taken the industry by storm!
Congratulations, Melinda! We’re so proud to have you in our Tribe!
Laura Nelson - Sew Nice
Laura Nelson is the owner of Sew Nice, a WFCP Certified Window Treatment Workroom. Laura is a proud member of WCAA, having served as Program Chairperson, Vice President & President of her local Indiana Chapter, and is currently serving as Secretary on the National Board of Directors.
This year, Laura & Sew Nice were awarded 2nd Place in the Soft Shades category.
In her 25 years of experience, Laura has taken pleasure in collaborating with home-owners, interior designers, and business owners to enhance and update their homes and offices! Laura regularly attends professional seminars and conferences to ensure she stays up-to-date on trends and techniques. She enjoys using her knowledge and experience to provide solutions for challenging windows, older homes, privacy/light control issues, and refreshing or updating furniture.
Laura prides herself on continuously giving back to the industry, frequently sharing her knowledge with her fellow designers as an instructor at national and local seminars and conferences.
Congratulations, Laura, on this well-deserved award! WCAA couldn’t be prouder of the work you’ve done in the industry and within our organization!
Linda Bassert - MasterWorks Window Fashions & Design
As the owner of Masterworks Window Fashions & Design, LLC, Linda Bassert specializes in collaboratively working with her clients to create and transform residential interiors and small business spaces in the greater metropolitan Washington D.C. area, including Fairfax, Vienna, Fairfax County and other Northern VA suburbs, and Montgomery County, MD.
At this year’s award ceremony, VISION Magazine awarded Linda & her team 1st place in Specialty Window Fashions. Sherry Simon, another WCAA member, fabricated Linda’s winning design.
A Certified Window Treatment Consultant, Linda’s expertise in custom window treatment design is nationally recognized. In addition to designing both soft and hard window treatments, including shutters, from Lafayette, Hunter Douglas, and Comfortex, Linda also designs reupholstery, custom bedding, and custom pillows to create and update your personal spaces. Custom products are crafted by our partner workrooms and installed with care by professional installers. Linda is a Somfy Expert in window treatment motorization, another specialty at Masterworks. She has an additional specialty in paint color consultation, both interior and exterior.
The breadth of design styles in Linda’s work reflects the individuality of her clients. While staying abreast of current fashions in interior design and custom window treatment design, and the latest in custom drapery hardware, fabrics, trims, and shades, she always seeks the best solution for her clients.
Linda’s relationship with her clients forms the core of her work both as an interior decorator and as a window treatment professional, and is reflected in the breadth of her work. Linda’s versatility in many design styles is grounded in an understanding and study of historical design and art history. Linda previously served as President of her local Northern Virginia WCAA Chapter, and currently runs social media for the chapter.
Great job, Linda! We’re so proud of what you do and couldn’t be happier to see you recognized!
Tracie Bresnahan - Custom Creations
Tracie Bresnahan is the owner of Custom Creations, an award winning, full service, drapery workroom servicing direct to the trade. With a primary focus on quality, integrity, and collaboration, Custom Creations is known to provide the highest level of quality products and services to their customers.
This year, Tracie took home an incredible 5 VISION awards, including 1st Place Bedding & Pillows, 2nd Place Combination Treatments, 2nd Place Ingenious Installations, 2nd place Upholstery & Slipcovers, and the coveted title of 2020 Workroom of the Year!
Tracie is the current Board President of the Window Coverings Association of America, and brings so much talent and thought to everything she does. Much like Tracie herself, Custom Creations prides itself on being a turnkey operation -- handling all the details to bring your design to completion.
Tracie holds a Bachelor's degree in Apparel Engineering and a Master's degree in Quality Assurance Technology from Southern Polytechnic State University. She worked in the apparel and the consumer products industries for 12 years.
Tracie opened Custom Creations in 1996, fabricating custom window treatments and accessories. With her engineering background she has built a business specializing in one of a kind and challenging design solutions for clients; such as custom cornice boards, headboards, ottomans, draperies, valances, bedding, pillows, etc.
Tracie's work has been seen in publications such as Southern Living, Jezebel, Better Homes and Gardens and Kid's Rooms. Collaborating with her on some of her projects is her husband Brian, who has a degree in Architectural Engineering. He is a huge asset in designing and building custom projects with her for clients.
Congratulations, Tracie, for this incredible accomplishment! You continue to inspire in everything you do, and we couldn’t be prouder and more honored to have you in our Tribe!
Elizabeth Gerdes - Stitch Above the Rest LLC
Elizabeth Gerdes is the owner of Stitch Above the Rest, an award-winning window treatment fabrication and design studio serving customers in the metro Atlanta, Georgia area.
At this year’s VISION Award Ceremony, Elizabeth was awarded 1st Place in Specialty Window Fashions. Previously, Elizabeth has been named VISION Magazine’s Award of Excellence and was named Workroom of the Year in 2017.
In 2003, while trying to make a few extra dollars selling custom nursery bedding on eBay, Elizabeth Gerdes founded Stitch Above the Rest, LLC. Operating out of her dining room while her children slept at night and relying on the sewing skills she learned growing up as the fourth child of twelve, Elizabeth continued to grow her business by selling custom-made items to local boutiques, craft shows, and residential clients.
In 2007, Elizabeth wanted to diversify her offerings and went back to school, at the Custom Home Furnishings Academy in North Carolina, to become a Certified Career Professional in custom window treatment fabrication, design, and workroom operation.
Surviving and thriving during the recession, Elizabeth continued to carve a path for Stitch Above the Rest, LLC to become a leader in this industry for quality, customer service, and commitment to the client. She has created an invaluable reputation that has been given five stars by her clients.
Elizabeth’s team professionally designs, fabricates, and installs a full line of custom window treatments, including high-end draperies, curtains, shades, valances, and top treatments. In addition, Stitch Above the Rest creates custom bedding, nursery items, cushions, and even redoes small upholstery. Serving both Commercial and Residential clients, Elizabeth & her team are truly a one-stop-shop in the industry.
Congratulations, Elizabeth! We are so proud of what you and your team have accomplished, and can’t wait to see what you’ll do next!
Sara Brennan - Sara Lynn Brennan Interiors
Sara Lynn Brennan is an award-winning Entrepreneur, CEO and Principal Interior Designer at Sara Lynn Brennan Interiors, the first and only full-service interior design firm in Waxhaw, North Carolina who specializes in Transitional Design.
She and her design-build team take spaces from Bare Bones to Beautiful by utilizing her exclusive, approachable and stress-free design process, transforming and renovating homes from start to finish.
This year, Sara was given the 2nd Place award for Whole Room Integration. Sara’s design work has been nationally published multiple times in well-known publications such as Romantic Homes, Traditional Home, Window Fashion Vision, and Cottages and Bungalows, where she is currently a columnist.
Sara is also recognized as a visionary and innovator in the design industry for her unique and signature design processes and packages which have led to a tremendous amount of fast growth for her own business, as well as teaching and coaching opportunities for her such as motivational speaking, serving on panel discussions, hosting local design shows and Sara is often invited to speak as a guest on top industry podcasts and webinars. Sara’s confident, unique and fearless approach to business and design make her an inspiration to those who work with and around her.
Sara is known for her recognizable “Romantic Transitional” design aesthetic, where she mixes soft and natural elements with timeless, Transitional style. She’s made it her mission to educate the world on the beauty of Transitional design so that more families live in homes that adapt to their lifestyle, function with their needs, and tell their personal story in the most beautiful way possible. Bottom line, Sara’s award-winning design team is not just about the pretty, they pride themselves in creating homes that families can really LIVE for years to come.
As a recent addition to the WCAA tribe, and as one of our first WCAA Influencers, we truly couldn’t be prouder! Congratulations, Sara, on your endlessly inspiring work and outlook!
Vita Vygovska - Vitalia, Inc.
Vita Vygovska is the owner of Vitalia, Inc, a nationally recognized authority on quality window treatments and awnings. This year, Vita’s work earned her 2nd place in Specialty Window Fashions.
Vita was born and raised in Ukraine and came to America via a Rotary Exchange program when she was 15 years old. She received her bachelor degree in Marketing and Fashion Merchandising from Albright College, which she attended on a full scholarship. Next ten years were spent in “corporate America”, advancing through the ranks to Director of Marketing for Lenox China, while also pursuing an MBA from LaSalle University. After a lot of consideration, she decided to leave the comforts of the corporate job in pursuit of happiness and achievement as an Entrepreneur.
In 2006 Vita started her business. Professionalism, honesty and integrity are the backbone of her business philosophy. As she runs her day-to-day business, she is often reminded by her former bosses’ words, which have become true guiding principles: “resilience and persistence make a path for success.” Today, Vita’s company is a comprehensive, white-glove, concierge-level and tech-driven measurement, fabrication, installation, and project management company exclusively for interior designers.
Vita is a well-respected voice in the window coverings community, frequently making guest appearances on various platforms with other industry giants like Mitchell Fabrics and LuAnn Nigara of A Well Designed Business ® podcast
Congratulations, Vita, on this incredible accomplishment!
