Meet the new, stylish duo behind Table Mesa Shopping Center’s newest tenants, Drop Match. Kara Korhonen, owner of the wall paper and window treatment company, sat down with us to shed some light on what exactly Drop Match is, what it took for her to find the perfect brick-and-mortar location for it, and what Boulder and beyond can expect in the future.

The lease officially began February 1 and Drop Match will open its doors in mid-March.

What made you choose Table Mesa for your location? What were you looking for in an ideal space? 

“South Boulder is my home and I loved the idea of a three minute commute! I live in the neighborhood behind the Table Mesa Shopping Center and my son attends school at Southern Hills Middle School. And, because the Table Mesa Shopping Center bustles with activity, I knew it was the perfect location for Drop Match.” 

From a financial perspective I needed a small space. From a visual perspective I knew I could create a big, beautiful impact in a relatively small space. I’ve always been able to visualize – you have to in this line of work –  so when I toured the 764 square foot shop (which includes a storage area and bathroom!), I knew it was perfect for Drop Match.”

Tell us a bit about Drop Match. How did it all come to be? 

“I am a registered dietitian nutritionist and have worked in that realm for many years – as a nutrition counselor to babies and children, as a nutrition site supervisor and nutrition counselor to seniors, as a long-term care dietitian and as an online nutrition instructor to culinary students. However, it was time for a change. I’d always loved design and decided to take some classes at Front Range. In January of last year I got a job working as a design consultant and loved it! The company consulted on paint, window treatments, fabrics and wallpaper. I loved working with the window treatments and wallpaper. Because I did not make a liveable wage there – but loved the work and knew I was really good at it – I decided to venture out on my own. I had a little money saved up and decided to go for it. 

Because I love to learn, I attended courses for window treatments (in New York, Washington, Illinois and online) and wallpaper (in Dartford, UK). Initially, I worked from a home office, but I found it extremely difficult to sell wallpaper schlepping big, heavy wallpaper books around town. I realized if I wanted to really succeed, I needed a physical space where people could come and thumb through wallpaper books, look at and operate different window coverings, and discuss needs and wants in home decor related to window fashions and wallpaper. 

What kinds of people/needs do you encounter? What problem does Drop Match solve? 

“I work with all kinds of people – homeowners, renters, designers, real estate agents, general contractors, business owners and property management companies. As we all know, purchasing a home is a major investment and new homeowners often want – or need – new window treatments. I am able to provide them with options whether or not their cost investment is large. 

Let’s face it, Boulder is an expensive place to live and there are many renters. I see many rental properties with aluminum blinds because they are functional and cost effective. However, they don’t always suit the renters’ aesthetics. I work with renters who want something a little visually softer – and still easy on the pocketbook. 

In gorgeous sunny Colorado, often we need to control the natural light coming into our home. (Most people don’t like to wear sunglasses indoors.) I help clients by discussing their needs. For example, is it painfully hot and bright in the afternoon sun? Do you need privacy during the day? Do you need privacy at night? Do you need to protect your flooring and furniture from the sun? And then coming up with types of window coverings that will suit their needs – and be visually appealing.”

What’s in store for the future for Drop Match? 

“I’m excited because we’ve added Hunter Douglas to our window coverings product line and Osborne and Little to our wallpaper selections. I’m thrilled to be able to share with customers the latest in technology, fabrics and patterns. I can’t wait to help make people’s homes more beautiful!”