Gothic Lace Curtains; Not Just For Old Houses!

When Cooper Lace introduced the Gothic lace curtain panel, we envisioned them enhancing grand, mid-century homes with high ceilings and broad windows.  Their elegant architectural motifs are a natural for this kind of interior, and indeed, they've been used in mansions all the way from California to Australia.Then, a client in south-eastern Massachusetts just purchased four of them for his loft apartment; it's on the ground floor and abuts the parking lot.  He's delighted that they allow plenty of light, but give him privacy at night.

Tales From A Tower

A customer from Pennsylvania just sent us these installation photos (and please, send us yours!) She owns a wonderful Victorian home with a tower, and chose Alexandra for her first floor and Hunter Rose for the second.  
She writes: "Thank you for helping me dress my tower windows in beautiful lace. Both patterns are so very pretty." This is the most rewarding part of my, and my associate Christine Light's job, making your houses beautiful. 
 

Lace Seflies

We're so flattered when our customers send us photos of their Cooper Lace panels in situ.  We're creating a gallery of them now, and ask that you send us yours.  Here's the latest one that's appeared, our C. F. A. Voysey Oak & Acorn. Please email submissions here.

It's Nice To Have Options!

One of Cooper Lace's very first customers loves her Old Colony lace door panels, but sometimes she's in the mood for Arts and Crafts instead; so she purchased a set of Kelvin Rose lace curtains for her Manhattan apartment as well.  It's remarkable how switching patterns changes the character of her French doors; as the photo at right reveals. Visit our Historics Line for the lowest prices and fastest delivery on Meadow-Lily, Kelvin Rose, Neo-Grec, Victorian, Cottage Panel Pairs, The Stag and Mimosa, along with other Scottish Nottingham lace curtain panels.

With Thanks To You All

Seven years ago, on Thanksgiving weekend, I quit my job of 16 years. I was deeply unhappy, and after taking a little time off, decided to create the best lace curtain company in existence. It was a field I knew intimately, and I wanted to offer the most distinctive patterns that were unrivaled for their artistry and quality. Additionally, I was determined to have the finest customer service, not only for any company selling lace, but for any company, anywhere. 

To make my task even more challenging, I launched just as the Great Recession began taking its toll on the global economy. It was damned scary for the first couple of years, but I stuck it out, steadily adding patterns and always keeping my customers' interests in the forefront. My goal was and is to always satisfy my clients and to do it as quickly as possible, even with the typical bumps and glitches that every retailer experiences.  In fact, I received this email today:

"Mr. Cooper, We would like to state that the exchange occurred because of my error. We noticed that when we made you aware that an exchange was needed that you immediately sent the replacements even before receiving our payment.  We have thoroughly enjoyed doing business with you."

Today, Cooper Lace is the largest retailer of Scottish Cotton lace in North America. We now offer more than seven times as many patterns as when we started with our Exclusives, including our recently added Historics line which features the highly popular Meadow Lily Arts and Crafts pattern. We've grown so much, that I've enlisted a colleague, Christine Light, to handle fulfillment for this and our Traditionals line.

Yes, I'm blowing my own horn, but only because I wanted to show just how very grateful I am to all of you for contributing to that success.  I am humbled by your patronage and your faith in the company that bears my name.

Thank you, and I wish you all the happiest of Thanksgivings.

Dan Cooper

Grecian Surprise

Volttage Pictures/HitRecord FIlms

Usually, we're well aware of when Cooper Lace will appear in a film or television show, but this time, we had no idea. If you're going to see "Don Jon", the new film starring Jason Gordon-Levitt, Scarlett Johansson and Julianne Moore, keep your eyes open for scenes towards the end of the film in Ms. Moore's Craftsman-style home. You'll most likely see our Grecian Panels artfully hung in the French doors.

We're a Bargain!

A friend sent me the above image: it's an 1850s Illinois newspaper advertisement for lace curtains, and it proudly proclaims lace curtains priced at "$5 to $100 a pair"  I did a little research, and it seems that an 1850s dollar, with inflation, would be worth $27 today.  Thus, this firm's cheapest curtains would be $135 a pair or $62.50 a panel.  In fact, our Cottage Lace Panel starts at only $69 a pair! We don't have anything, though, that costs $2700 a pair or $1350 a panel...

Fastest Lace in the West

Neo-Grec

Victorianna

In the heat of the summer,  you'd think things would quiet down in the World of Lace. Not so; in fact, Cooper Lace's Historics line has been flying off the shelves. For those in search of Nottingham cotton lace curtains in the Victorian and Arts and Crafts styles, our extensive selection of long-time favorites such as Victorianna, Neo-Grec, Meadow Lily, Kelvin Rose. Not only does Cooper Lace offer these at the lowest prices, we promise to deliver them in less than 10 days from date of order, or the shipping is free. As of this writing, every pattern and length is in stock, and we've been making a lot of customers very, very happy with our speedy delivery times and personalized customer service. If you're reading this from outside of the United States, we'd be delighted to be of assistance! In the past month, we've shipped to Italy, Finland, Australia, Russia and Canada. Please contact Christine Light at 866-286-6552 (toll free in the US) or 781-718-9339, or email her at christine@cooperlace.com. 

Kelvin Rose

Meadow Lily

We're Adorable...

While Cooper Lace has been featured prominently in many films, television programs, and museums, this is the first time the world of fashion has come knocking on our door:  Adore Me, creators of a beautiful lingerie line contacted us recently; they were in need of lace curtains for the set of a fashion shoot, and were seeking something light and airy that would accentuate their latest additions to their line.  We sent them a large box of samples from our Traditionals collection, and they selected several, including Lydia.  We were mightily impressed with the results; although we admit to being upstaged just a little by the enchanting model....

In Excelsis Brownstone

Cooper Lace was selected to provide the lace curtains for Mableton in Santa Rosa, California; possibly the finest restoration of a Victorian mansion in recent memory.  Overseen by Steve Rynerson and Paul Duchscherer, the window treatments have been executed by the extremely talented Victoria Lenox of Lenox Interior Motifs.  She recently shared these photos of our Brownstone lace, designed by Bradbury & Bradbury wallpapers, and hung in a Turkish Revival room.  We'll be displaying more of our lace shortly, but wanted to show you this right away!

Two New Lines; 19 More Patterns!

Meadow Lily 

Finally!  

Yes, I know I said February 1st, but in the scheme of things, March 14th isn't too bad.  So here's the news:

The Scottish mill that weaves our curtains has been so impressed with our progress (we're their largest North American lace curtain customer), that they've offered us two new lines of historic reproduction lace curtain panels to represent!

Our current line has been renamed Cooper Lace Exclusives, and the two new lines are Cooper Lace Historics and Cooper Lace Traditionals.

Our Historics line is composed of cotton Nottingham lace curtains woven in documented patterns from 1870-1930, and features such notable designers as C. F. A. Voysey.  There are also great mid-Victorian designs, and some wonderful Arts & Crafts patterns such as Meadow Lily (seen above), and a Mackintosh-inspired panel, as well as a Chinoiserie/Art Deco pattern.

Our Traditionals line, also of Nottingham weave, is assembled around the mill's archival patterns of late Victorian and early Edwardian designs; these are the finest examples available of floral and foliate patterns embellished with swags and wreaths. All of our new patterns are available in pure White or Ecru/Ivory.

Lydia from our Traditionals

Because we're literally doubling our offerings, I've enlisted the services of an associate, an old friend and colleague, Christine Light.  I met Christine and encouraged her to work with me for another firm  many years ago, and thus, she is very familiar with the Historics line.Christine is a terrific person, and in her, you'll find the same exceptional customer service and attention to detail that you've found at Cooper Lace Exclusives. You can reach her at christine@cooperlace.com or 866-286-6552.

Starting the Year Off Right

Happy New Year from Cooper Lace!

I received the following unsolicited email from a client recently, and it (along with many others) made my day:

"Just a quick note to let you know I got my lace yesterday.  That was fast; I really wasn't expecting them so soon.   I have to say, I Love them!  Thank you for the great service.  I've been looking at your web site for a while and always pictured how fabulous the lace would look in my home.  If you haven't guessed, it's an old A&C bungalow.  When you love your house it deserves the very best! Looking forward to placing another order in the future.  I will send some pictures soon."

Thank you, Cathy, and thanks to all of you who have purchased out lace curtains over the past five years!

 Also, Brownstone Lace is now available for your windows and doors!  

In closing; watch this space on February 1st, for we will have a very exciting announcement about our line of lace curtains!

Dan

Privacy Made Perfect

Happy Thanksgiving! Here’s a sneak preview of Cooper Lace's newest pattern, Brownstone, and it will be available January 1^st, 2013.  

I spend a good amount of my time in Brooklyn’s charming Park Slope neighborhood, (as well as Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago and San Francisco) and as I studied all of your beautiful front doors, I realized that they were crying out for a lace pattern that was harmonious with the architectural styles dating from 1850-1900. 

Old house dwellers in urban areas need privacy and light, and Brownstone provides both without sacrificing either! Designed by Steve Bauer of Bradbury &Bradbury wallpapers, it emulates the etched or frosted glass patterns that were found in so many entries during the mid-to-late 19^th century.

Brownstone will be sold as a running yardage with side borders that we will custom-cut to your requested length at the time of order.  We will add rod pockets at the top and bottom, if you request them, and then all you need do it slide them onto to your curtain rods.  If desired, we can also make pairs of curtains for your windows.  Brownstone is not only a “city” pattern, it’s perfect for suburban and rural settings as well!

That's Showbiz

photo credit: HBO

Cooper Lace appears frequently on the sets of films and television shows; aside from having the most distinctive lace curtains available, we also keep extra large sizes in stock just in case a film company needs a rush delivery. Last week, we were very proud to ship our Eastlake Panels to the set of HBO's Boardwalk Empire. As the new season unfolds, I'll be able to tell you where and when to watch for them.

I'm Here To Help!

Photo by Petr Kratochvil

A lot of Cooper Lace's customers ask for assistance in measuring and selecting the appropriate width, length and even pattern of lace curtains for their homes; often, they seem reticent to do so, as if they were bothering me.  Nothing could be further from the truth!  I am always delighted to speak with our clients, and it's a pleasure to put someone's mind at ease, especially when they have a challenging question such as adding bottom rod pockets to a lace panel for a French door or figuring out how to cover a huge arched fanlight with lace sheers.
  
On countless occasions, frequently during the evening or on weekend mornings, I have listened to clacking of tape measures and the dragging of a kitchen chair towards a bank of windows. So please, if you've got questions or concerns, call me anytime at 888-433-7801 (413-549-1063 for international callers) and I'll speak with you personally. The office phone forwards to my cell in the off hours, but I shut it off when sleeping, so there's no need to worry about disturbing if you're calling from Australia in the middle of your day (it's happened).  Email works as well; I'll respond as quickly as I can, usually within the hour: my address is ceo "at" cooperlace "dot" com.

Photo by Huong Phan

Yours,

Dan Cooper

President and CEO, Cooper Lace

In Situ

Here at Cooper Lace, one of the things that flatters us the most is when a satisfied customer takes the time to send us a photograph of their new lace curtains in place. Without further ado, here are several examples...

Eastlake

Glen's Edge in Prairie Green

Art Deco 

Prairie Sumac

William Morris Lace Curtains

 As you may know, Cooper Lace is the first and only firm to create a lace curtain using a design by William Morris. We're very proud of our Morris & Company pattern, Cherwell, for we had felt that this great designer had been ignored for far too long. What you may not know is that lace curtains are one of the most difficult objects to photograph; from inside a room, they look washed out and it's difficult to discern the pattern against the brightness of the outdoors light. 

The secret to Cooper Lace's great images is our photographer friend, Huong Phan. Huong finds the beauty in every vignette, and makes it transcend the mundane product shot.  She was so skilled photographing our Gothic Lace Curtain Panel, that when the opportunity arose to shoot inside a wonderful 1915 English Arts & Crafts house in Amherst, MA, I rang her immediately.  Here are my two favorites from the session, with all thanks and credit going to Ms. Phan.

Hill House Gothic

I spent yesterday in Hill House, a massive Second Empire dwelling in Amherst, MA, with my friend and photographer Huong Phan. We were taking pictures of the new Gothic Panel with a sort of "Great Expectations" theme. The photos are amazing (we've got 350 to choose from), but I wanted to share this one with you, as I'm so smitten by it.

Too Big For a Cottage

As of March 1st, 2012, Cooper’s Cottage Lace, LLC will be known as Cooper Lace. After five years of rapid growth, “Cottage” was beginning to sound a bit quaint; we started with six Arts and Crafts lace patterns, all of which focused on the 1890-1910 period, and now we have fourteen patterns appropriate for houses dating from 1790 to the present! Our unique approach to selecting distinctive patterns quickly separated us from all of the other lace retailers and won us rave reviews for our quality and beautiful patterns, to say nothing of our consistently providing the best and most personalized customer service. Our patterns are available in more lengths, and more importantly, more widths than any other company. We’ve expanded from a tiny newcomer to the leading provider of the finest 100% Scottish Cotton lace panels, and our products now enhance countless homes, museums and film sets. I’m very proud of our success, and so very grateful to all of you who have supported us over the past five years. Our new website will go online very shortly, and, to celebrate, my next blog entry shall introduce our newest pattern, which I promise you is the most spectacular lace curtain design created in the past century! Its sneak preview at a trade show last week actually stopped attendees in their tracks; in 21 years of selling and designing lace curtains, I've never seen a response like this to a lace curtain panel!

That's A Wrap!

We've just placed the last (for the time being) of our rush Christmas and Hanukkah orders on the loading dock. It's been frantic, and our seamstress, Ana, has been truly heroic in finishing the dozens of custom requests we've received in the past weeks. Now it's time for year-end inventory and a week of planning for what promises to be our best year yet.

Not that I can complain about the last year; folks, you've been wonderful, and I am humbled and flattered by your patronage.

The big news is that shortly, we shall be unveiling our newest lace curtain pattern, and I promise you that it will be the most spectacular lace panel to be woven in the past century!

I make this claim with no reticence or qualifiers. No other lace curtain pattern in production comes even close to it; It's of a style that has been ignored by so many for so long, and will be unique in its field. I've shown it to a select few, and I've never seen such a response in my tenure. And there are other surprises that shall accompany it! So watch this space, and be amazed.

Finally, I wish you all the happiest of holidays, and thank you again for making 2011 such a great year for us.

Yours,

Dan Cooper, President
Cooper's Cottage Lace, LLC