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6 6 G R A P H I C S P R O • J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3 G R A P H I C S - P R O. C O M A P P A R E L D E C O R A T I N G W hen garment decorators think about markets into which they might expand, their thoughts often center on markets that require garments. at's logical — the word garment is, after all, right there in the name of the industry. e problem with that thought, however, is that it is limiting. Focusing only on garments may cause a shop to ignore other lucra- tive markets that could potentially be very profitable, and which don't always require specialized equipment or know-how. One such market is that of home decor. It's a large and profitable decoration space, and one which can be relatively easy for a garment decora- tor to enter. e first thing to do is define the scope of the mar- ket being discussed, which is often wider than people think. e home decor market "encompasses a wide range of tangible materials and artifacts such as furni- ture, art, accessories, and so on." When people think of home decor, they tend to think of large pieces like sofas or bedroom furniture. ey often forget that home decor is also what goes on the walls or is used to decorate the tables or the floor, and even includes things like kitchen or bathroom towels. e home decor market offers an extensive range of opportuni- ties for decorators, if they're willing to investigate the space and spend the time to create products that will appeal to people who want to decorate their homes. One fertile area for embroiderers, screen printers, those who do sublimation, or those who work with vinyl to expand into is decorative items for walls or tables. Putting vinyl sayings on walls is a huge trend right now, and works for both the home decor and office or business decor markets. And yes, before someone says it, there are big box stores and other places offering vinyl sayings online. e edge that a garment decorator has over a big box store is the abil- ity to offer installation and custom products. And, most likely, they can also offer a wider range of col- ors or vinyl options and possibly sizes as well. Just because a big box store has part of a market segment Interior Decoration Create products that people want in their homes B Y K R I S T I N E S H R E V E Kristine Shreve is the founder and CEO of Kristine Shreve Consulting, which offers writing, marketing, and business development services. Kristine is also the creator and host of the Business + Women podcast and is also the director of marketing and outreach for Applique Getaway. Kristine was the director of marketing for Ensign Emblem and EnMart from 2006 to April 2020. These are dyed reed foot- stools made by Jerilee Medearis of Three Sisters Broom Shoppe. (Images courtesy Jerilee Medearis) doesn't mean they have to dominate that market. Remember to sell on your strengths. Machine embroiderers and sublimators can also do well in this space. Kitchen and bathroom tow- els can be embroidered with cute sayings or mono- grams. ere are sublimation products like photo cubes or slates, holiday ornaments, garden flags, accent pillows, address plaques, and other things that can be used to add decorative accents to a home. Embroiderers can also do wall hangings, table run- ners, mug rugs, and other embroidered items. Keep in mind that all of these items can be customized and sold for a premium price, as they will be unique to the individual buying them. It should also be noted that machine embroidery designers and those who design for sublimation have provided a sub- stantial amount of designs to satisfy the home decor category.