The scent of sawdust and the whir of power tools are enough to quicken Angela Boardman’s heart. Her lifelong passion for design has always been intertwined with construction and renovation, allowing her and her husband to breathe new life and function into every home they’ve lived in. “I have always loved new construction and the process of building a home from foundation to finishes. “I have had a hand in the design, construction, and renovation of every house my husband and I have ever lived in,” says Angela.
When her children entered middle school, Angela found the opportunity to step fully into the design world as a consultant for her friend’s custom curtain boutique, The Curtain Exchange. What began as a single role soon laid the groundwork for an unexpected education, where she mastered the art of window treatments while identifying a gap in the industry. “Back then, if you did not work with a designer, most people were unable to source custom window treatments and all that goes with transforming spaces,” Angela remembers.
Recognizing the need, Angela stepped in to provide design services for clients without access to professional designers, delivering exactly what they wanted. With no one else offering this approach, she fully committed to learning the business. For eight years, Angela immersed herself in fabrics, sewing, and the craft itself, guided by skilled artisans who mentored her along the way. “I became fascinated by the artisans in the workroom who sew custom window treatments,” Angela says. “Their craft is often passed down through generations, learned at the knee of mothers and grandmothers. These are rare, deeply talented individuals and increasingly hard to find.”
Angela also saw that small designers lacked reliable access to installers, upholsterers, and skilled craftsmen, creating major obstacles to serving their clients. In response, she opened Angela Boardman Curtains in 2009. Since then, she has bridged the design gap for both clients and designers, streamlining the process of custom window treatments into an effortless, cohesive experience. As Angela explains, “Talented designers have the beautiful vision of how they would like their designs to come to life, but need someone who can work behind the scenes to transform those visions into reality.”
Custom window treatments, including drapery, hardware, woven wood shades, shutters, fabric shades, valences, cornices, and custom pillows and bedding, are among the most requested elements when clients set out to beautify a space. Clients and designers collaborate with Angela to establish a clear vision for each project. She then meets clients on-site to take precise measurements and evaluate the space, ensuring materials and details align with the designer’s intent. Once a proposal is finalized and approved, Angela partners with skilled workroom artisans to bring the designer’s concept to life with exceptional craftsmanship. “Most people see a completed room in a magazine and say, "I want that". In order to achieve this look, many things happen behind the scenes…There is not a standard when it comes to custom window treatments. This is not a DIY project that you can hang over a weekend and have it look custom and beautiful”, Angela describes.
The designers Angela collaborates with, rely on her to help to pull an entire room together. Window treatments must balance proportion, support the space’s function, maintain visual flow between rooms, and integrate seamlessly with furniture. Trends point to natural fibers like linen and organic cotton that soften and filter light, while grasses, reeds, and bamboo add texture and dimension. In more formal spaces, velvet, silk, or chenille bring weight, volume, and drama.
The Bell Hotel in Athens, Georgia is a project that Angela worked on with one of the Atlanta area’s most notable interior designers, Claudia Stimmel. Claudia is the Founder of Simplicity a Southern Lifestyle, LLC and believes collaborating with someone that is as experienced as Angela is crucial to the art of pulling all of the elements of a room together. “Angela managed the curtain design and installation for The Bell Hotel in Athens, where each of the rooms had different window sizes, trims, and fabrics. I trusted her completely to translate my vision into reality, and she delivered exceptional results throughout.”
Angela is a consultant, visionary, and trusted partner to the clients and designers she serves, treating each one with the “Golden Rule” in mind. “I treat my clients exactly how I would like to be treated when I obtain the services of a business. Quite simply, you can never go wrong if you treat everyone with professionalism, dedication, hard work, and the respect you would like to receive. This has served me well for the past 17 years in this business.”
AngelaBoardmanCurtains.com.