About Us
Our Mission is to create beautiful, high-quality products, a genuinely helpful and pleasant customer experience, and a positive and meaningful work environment. To continually improve our skills and knowledge to be the most reliable window treatment expertsin New Zealand.
Our history
Curtain Concepts was established in 2001 by Karen & her husband Dave. Karen had spent the previous decade managing the Furniture & Furnishings Ltd. workroom, which was owned by Sharon. When Sharon decided to retire, Karen & Dave purchased the business from her, but relaunched under the name Curtain Concepts Ltd. Karen was able to take on all the original staff from F&F, including Debra, who is still our production manager to this day.
Over the past two decades, the workroom has seen three different locations, a dozen makers, In the years leading up to Sean & Chelsea buying the business, Karen had stopped taking on new customers, preferring to focus on a smaller number of key accounts while spending more time with family. With the addition of the new owners came the ability to start taking on new accounts again, without sacrificing any of the strong foundations that Karen, Debra, Denise, Maggie, and Leanne had established.
Our future
With the same core values as always and a new injection of energy, we hope to connect with more designers, apprentice more makers, and continue to learn and grow. We are always exploring ways to reduce our environmental impact, enrich the lives of our staff, and give back to our community.
“She who works with her hands is a laborer. She who works with her hands and her head is a crafter. She who works with her hands and her head and her heart is an artist.”
– adapted from St. Francis of Assisi
Behind the seams
We are a friendly team of makers, who bring our hands, heads, and hearts into the workroom every day to create high-end drapery for some of New Zealand’s most beautiful homes. We love what we do, and enjoy our days together at work.
Karen Parkinson
Director since 2001
(Semi-Retired since 2022)
Karen is the creator of Curtain Concepts. She built a business with a reputation for quality and has established strong customer relationships lasting over two decades. As a small business owner, Karen played many roles in the company – from cutting fabric and pressing hems, to site measures, quotes, and bookkeeping, she somehow managed it all herself. After selling the business to Sean & Chelsea in 2022, Karen has hung up a few of her hats, stepped down as director, and now enjoys a part-time role in the workroom. Outside of work, Karen enjoys traveling, spending time with friends & family, and a nice glass of wine.
Debra Hooten
Production Manager since 2002
Debra has been here from day one – she is our jill of all trades, and the real boss of the workroom. As our most experienced machinist, she sets the high quality standards for the rest of the team, and makes sure things are running smoothly in the workroom. She is usually found measuring off the finished length of curtains & linings, sewing hems & headers, inventing ways to do the impossible, and solving problems for the rest of the team. Outside of work, Debra enjoys spending time with her family, and weekends away at her bach in Whangamata.
Denise Smith
Fabricator since 2003
Denise is our finishing expert. Once the rest of the team has finished the sewing work, she does all the assembly required to get our products ready for installation, and does the final quality check. She is usually busy hooking & shanking curtains, cutting headrail, and stringing roman blinds, but will also help with pressing hems, hemming linings, or lending a hand to anyone that asks. Outside of work, Denise enjoys spending time with her fur babies, visiting friends, and vacationing in Australia.
Magnolia Kautauke
Machinist since 2003
Maggie is our roman blind expert. She calculates, fabricates, and sews all our roman blinds, but is also confident sewing hems and matching patterns.
Leanne Subrayan
Machinist since 2017
Leanne is our header expert. She is usually found sewing headers, calculating pleat & gap sizes, and sewing pleats, but will also sew or press hems, and measure off linings when needed.
Sean Parkinson
Director since 2022
Sean is Karen’s son, and the co-owner of Curtain Concepts. He does all our site measures, and is our expert on hardware solutions & the technical aspects of installation planning. He spends the majority of his time doing site measures, meeting with clients, and preparing estimates and worksheets, but can also be found cutting fabric and doing scone runs for the staff. Outside of work, Sean enjoys watching soccer & other sports, playing guitar, and spending time outside.
Chelsea Theriault
Director since 2022
Chelsea is the other co-owner of Curtain Concepts. She manages the office & workroom operations, and can be found anywhere from answering emails, scheduling, and bookkeeping, to cutting fabric, or making the odd roman blind. Outside of work, Chelsea enjoys reading, spending time outside, and listening to music.
Malcolm
HR Manager Hazard since 2023
Malcolm spends most of his day harassing the rest of the staff to throw his ball for him, but also enjoys building nests of fabric scraps, breaking down the cardboard to be recycled, investigating lunchboxes, and antagonizing courier drivers.
Felicity Mountfort
Machinist since 2024
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