A couple of fabric stores we checked out are all about providing that quality, expensive look at the "Stretch Your Dollar" price.
When Brigid Roberson got a couple of quotes from interior designers on drapes for her home, she had sticker shock.
"We wanted this fabulous look and we found we couldn't afford it with a new house," she said.
So that's when she discovered Fabric Decor, located at 7250 Harwin Dr. The store is a wholesaler but also open to the public. It's known for its high-end fabrics without the high price tag, and it's where Houston's top designers shop.
"It's a place where people look for bargains. Our fabrics are from $1.95 and all the way up to $30 to $40," said Rebecca Zhou with Fabric Decor.
There are thousands of fabric choices and more than 5,000 options on trimmings and tassels. You won't find professionally trained interior designers on site or a chichi showroom but...
"There is value for the customer, yes," Zhou said.
The store is also famous for its clearance section, where they sell designer fabrics for as little as $1.95 a yard up to $4.95.
Our next stop to find designer fabrics on a dime is a store called Perfect Windows, located at 3035 Fondren in southwest Houston. The store is popular with interior decorators for its showroom floor packed with designer fabric for $9.99 a yard.
"We offer $9.99 fabric because most fabric here is discountinued fabric, so we can afford the price $9.99 to the public," Perfect Windows owner Peter Wang said.
About 90 percent of the fabrics on the floor are priced at $9.99. Rolls and rolls of fabric that were originally up to $40 a roll are now discounted by as much as 75 percent.
Wang said his store was originally wholesale up until two years ago when he saw a demand from the public for high end fabrics.
One of the best places to find a bargain on fabrics is in the scraps section. You can find scraps of fabrics priced from $1 to $3, which are perfect for those small valances and pillows.
If you have any questions about choosing the right fabric or figuring out how much to buy, Peter Wang can give you a good estimate or at least steer you in the right direction.
Keep in mind, the fabric stores keep costs down by keeping a limited number of workers, so you might have to be patient if there are several people in the store.
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