Twenty-five years ago, a young mother found an outlet for her creative passions—sewing pillows, bedding and draperies for family and friends. Thanks to a friend’s encouragement, that mom founded Custom Drapery Designs and discovered a way to combine creativity, entrepreneurship and family. This businesswoman is Brenda Baxter, owner and principal designer.
Passion. Determination. Focus. Commitment. Drive.
With these five entrepreneurial tools and a quarter of a century of commitment to excellence and exquisite couture details, Brenda and Custom Drapery Designs stand tall and strong with mighty plans for their future.
Passion.
Brenda’s passions for careful attention to details, family first and fellow women entrepreneurs shine forth in all she does.
In each and every project she’s led—from some of her earliest luxury pillows made for her parents to the dining room design that earned her first place in an international design competition—Brenda finds ways to incorporate tiny touches that add up to a masterful design.
From the beginning, she committed to family first in her business model. Her three children grew up with her business and discovered ways to play and imagine with fabric scraps or bolts. Brenda has always scheduled time for the important things like lunch dates with her elementary-aged children, dress shopping with a teenage daughter, wedding events—both in 2018—with her two sons or long weekends with her daughter, now a junior in college.
It was this model that inspired Brenda to hire other moms, enabling them to work while keeping time with their children paramount. In 2010, Joy E. Rancatore, freelance writer—now published author and owner of her own publishing company—began her partnership with Brenda by assisting with website content and written materials.
Stephanie Freeman, lead designer, joined the CDD team in 2014, bringing with her expanded interior design services to complement and enhance the existing full service window coverings, upholstery and soft-goods firm. Together, she and Brenda have presented clients with some stunning reveals.
The most recent addition, Kristen Badowski, social media coordinator and office manager, joined in 2018. Prior to joining CDD, Kristen had an eleven-year career in technical marketing, pausing to focus on raising her two children. Now that they are in college and middle school, Kristen decided to focus on her love of graphic design and photography by joining CDD. She loves the day-to-day management of the company’s digital assets and creation of content to show off CDD’s latest and greatest projects.
Determination & Focus.
Every design provides Brenda and Stephanie new challenges to overcome and opportunities to embrace. They approach each with determination to make the finished product the best possible.
This same focus has earned both multiple design awards. Most recently, Stephanie participated on a team of professional designers that won second place at the local IDS Dallas meeting’s SWATCHED contest. Competing in the interactive design exercise—and then placing—is yet another reflection of her talents.
Brenda’s determination to always push herself and her design abilities aided her in achieving her first design competition win all the way to first place in Decorative Trim and Hardware at the 2018 VISION Design and Workroom Competition Awards Gala. These honors come as no surprise to those familiar with her high quality of work and focus on every detail.
Commitment.
Along the way, Brenda has maintained her commitment to her clients, striving always to dig deep into their needs and desires before presenting them with materials, colors and sketches to take their dreams one step closer to reality.
Through tragedy rose another commitment—this one to a cause. Brenda’s firsthand experience with the heartbreak that ALS brings to family members and how it affected her father during his battle with it brought her to be a champion for the cause of finding a cure.
On October 26, she will participate in the Dallas Walk to Defeat ALS in memory of her father and on behalf of all the families who are currently battling or might face it.
Drive.
The same drive that pushed Brenda on the late nights and early mornings of building a business after a full day of being mom continues to steer the CDD ship. The whole crew eagerly awaits a showroom expansion in 2020!
Would you like to speak with Brenda and Stephanie about how their vision can bring your dreams to life? Schedule your in-home consultation today!
