Meet Our Team

Don Helms, Owner

With his roots in Northeast Nebraska’s farm country, Don brings that authentic "farm boy" spirit to everything he does. His 21 years of military service combined with farm life developed the characteristics our clients value most – honesty, attention to detail, hard work, and practical common sense. Don's expertise in window coverings is unmatched. He has a natural eye for helping you select the perfect style, color, fabric, and options to fit both your taste and the functionality you need. Whether it’s residential treatments, commercial shades, or patio solutions, you can trust Don to make the best recommendations. As a Hunter Douglas Certified Installer with over a decade of experience, he personally handles most of our projects, ensuring professional measures and installation every time. When he's not transforming spaces, Don enjoys family time, yard care, cooking, sports, and his newest passions – scuba diving and yoga!

Julie Helms, Owner

Growing up on her family's farm near Columbus, Julie is a "farm girl" at heart – and yes, she and Don have been happily married for many years! After serving 8 years in the Army, she earned her BS in Accounting and later built an impressive 25-year career as a business consultant, specializing in nurturing small businesses from inception to success. Julie combines her business acumen with a genuine passion for helping clients create beautiful homes. She applies that expertise to our team daily while continuously expanding her knowledge and appreciation for how window coverings enhance family spaces. As our friendly face in the showroom or on the phone, Julie wears many hats and is always ready to help with whatever you need when you visit or call. In her free time, Julie loves family time, traveling, cooking and baking, reading, yoga, flower gardening, and her newest passion – scuba diving with Don whenever they get the chance!

Heather Cunningham, Showroom Coordinator & Design Assistant

Heather's bubbly personality and natural eye for color and style helps to make each client’s window treatment journey both enjoyable and successful. You'll find her in the showroom most days ensuring everything runs smoothly, often serving as the friendly voice you'll hear when you call or the welcoming face that greets you when you visit. With her degree in Business Admin and Marketing from Wayne State College, Heather combines her design instincts and business expertise to help you make the best choices for your home or business. She assists clients in exploring window treatment options in the showroom and will schedule your in-home consultation and precise measure. When she's not helping clients transform their spaces, Heather enjoys gardening, watching sports, and spending quality time with her daughter, Charli. Heather invites you to visit her in the showroom or give her a call for all your window treatment needs.

Briana (Bri) Ripley – Sales & Design Consultant

Bri combines artistic vision with practical design expertise to create beautiful, functional window treatments and drapery. With a degree in Studio Art and Art History plus additional training through Metro Community College's Interior Design program, she brings both creative flair and technical knowledge to every project. Her passion lies in collaborating with clients to find solutions that perfectly match their vision and needs. When she's not designing window treatments, Bri paints and sells her artwork at local markets, enjoys live music, and hikes area trails, often with her beloved fur-sidekick, Sir Higgins the Chihuahua. Bri looks forward to working with you in our showroom or visiting your home to help create the perfect window solutions for your space.

Larry Klein, Installer

Larry, a former MLB player for the Texas Rangers, is a Hunter Douglas Certified Installer who specializes in the professional installation of window treatments. With his 30+ years of experience Larry is an important part of our team, primarily installing our shutters and the really “high up” stuff! Clients trust and appreciate Larry as much as we do for his friendly smile, expertise, and professionalism.

Oliver, Official Greeter and Top Salesman

Oliver is our beloved showroom mascot as well as Don and Julie’s family pet. He welcomes our showroom guests most days, creating smiles and sometimes even receiving a belly rub or a special treat in return. People often guess that he is a Maltese or other similar breed, but he is actually a Coton de Tulear, also known as the “Royal Dog of Madagascar.” Cotons are immensely charming, intelligent, and always ready to play and have fun. Their coats are profusely white and as soft as cotton (or, as the French say, “coton”). As a breed Cotons love their “people” and Oliver is no exception. He is happiest when he is wherever Julie is hanging out.