Blinds & Shades
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Need recommendation for re-stringing Roman shade
Jan 2013
We have 4 roman shades in our bedroom that are beautiful,
but the cords have all broken so we can no longer raise or
lower them. Does anyone know of a place we could take them
to have them re-strung? Or if we could do it ourselves, let
me know that, too! Walnut Creek area would be best, but I
could travel. Thanks! Broken Strings
Alcatraz Shade Shop on the corner of Alcatraz and Telegraph
in Oakland should be able to do this. Jane
Either Alcatraz Shade Shop or Berkeley Shade will do it for
you. roger
You might try Alcatraz Shade Shop at Alcatraz and Telegraph
in Berkeley. Or you might be able to find an instructional
Youtube video that will show you how to do it. Anon
You should call Cal's Custom Drapery Installations in
Livermore, (925) 583-5371. They recently came to my house in
Berkeley to install some roman shades. They discovered that
one of the new shades had arrived with a broken string, and
they took it down and re-strung it on the spot. They were a
very pleasant, expert husband-and-wife team. They do
installations all over the place, so you may be able to have
them come by your house when they are in the neighborhood.
Sarah
This is easy.
Get a friend to help balance / hold the other end while you
unscrew it from the wall. Lay it wrong side up on your
dining table. (Buy nylon clothes line from the hardware
store.) Tape the new line to the old cord and pull it
through the holes. Shake the dust outside & re-hang. Done!
Pleated Shade Pull Repair
Aug 2012
I have a pleated shade from 3-Day Blinds--when I tried to
open it this morning, the pull string broke. I guess the
whole headrail has to be opened up and the mechanism
re-strung. Does anyone here know someone who could fix it? I
am in North Oakland without a car--the shop is in Walnut
Creek, hard to get to and charges a lot to have someone come
out. Any help for me? My poor living room is dark.... I
can't replace the whole shade because it matches another
shade there. Thanks Love(d) my broken shade
Alcatraz Shade Shop, on the corner of Alcatraz and
Telegraph. They do all kinds of window shade repairs
(including the type that you describe) and sales, and they
make roller shades. Plus, they are a local, family-owned
shop. (510) 658-2734.
Alcatraz Shade Shop @ Telegraph & Alcatraz 658-2734
(www.alcatrazshade.com) Nice folks; I bet they can fix your
shade.
Window blinds (honeycomb, insulating) installation
April 2012
We are looking for recommendations for help to measure,
choose and install window blinds. We'd like the honeycomb
type that can be lowered from the top or raised from the
bottom, to let in more light, and we need more insulation.
There were some really good recommendations from several
years back (e.g. for Michael Alexander) but the links and
phone numbers don't seem to work. If you recommend someone
(ideally someone not too expensive) please email me? Thank
you!
Check out the Alameda Shade Shop. They are a small,
family-run business which has been around for decades, and
they do not only local jobs, but work across the country,
too. They have a great inventory and will help you through
the decision-making process with ease.
We worked with them on 2 rooms in our house (more to follow,
when the budget allows) and were very happy with the entire
process.
Just one suggestion: the co-owner, Diane, is not the most
warm and fuzzy person. We found we got better customer
service from her husband (who'll come to your house for
exact measurements) and employee (a woman with long, black
hair). Alameda Shade Shop Customer
Hunter Douglas Honeycomb Blinds Worth the Money?
Sept 2011
Hi Everyone,
We are looking for window coverings for our home, which are
all single-pane windows. We like the look and energy
efficiency of the Hunter Douglas honeycomb blinds, but they
are really expensive. We've been quoted several thousand
dollars to do all 16 windows in our house (we'd probably
prioritize doing the living room and master bedroom first.)
We haven't looked into putting in double pane windows yet,
but imagine that would be really expensive too. Does anyone
have experience with Hunter Douglas honeycomb blinds and do
you think it's worth the money? Anon
I wouldn't put honyecomb blinds on single pane windows. You
are likely getting condensation on the inside of the
windows. This will cause mold to grow on those type of
fabric blinds. That's what happened with our honeycomb
blinds.
You are better off putting your money into double pane
windows. That is what we did. We didn't do it all at once
since we couldn't afford it either.
--double pane homeowner
When we moved into our house there were already HD blinds in
most rooms. We bought another HD blind and have been very
unhappy with it. All the HD honeycomb shades we have are
top-down, bottom-up and I find the mechanism to be quite
sticky. Recently I purchased a Bali black-out honeycomb
shade (online from blinds.com) for half the price and I am
much happier with it. I didn't do the top-down thing
because of the bad experience with the HD shades, but it
works great and looks just as good (if not better) than the
HD shades. If you're handy with a measuring tape, online
ordering is pretty low risk and will save you money. Also,
the online companies will send you free samples of the
colors. Good luck! anon
Hunter Douglas duettes are of definite quality. I own Slats
Blinds and do sell them. I also have other brands that are
quite less and are also very durable. Shoot me a email if
you like and i can discuss the differences and prices.
Thanks, Don
If you are thinking of replacing your windows in the next
couple of years as your post suggests, you should not break
the bank on high-end window coverings now. Depending on how
you do the replacement, the blinds may not fit the new
windows. Ours did not. Anon
yes, these blinds are fabulous. I got mine at a place called
Draperies by Susan. Have four living room windows, double
hung Marvins. The shades go from the bottom up. I love them.
they were worth the money. Shade owner
Roman Shade repair
Aug 2011
We have a roman shade on which the outside-facing white
fabric is ripped and heavily sun damaged. I want to keep
the fancier inward-facing fabric since it matches several
others in the house that are not damaged. Where could I
get this backing fabric replaced?
Mary
You could try Marsh Interiors in Emeryville. They made and
repaired Roman shades for us and did good work. Jessica
Solar Shades vs. Window Film for hot sunny big windows
July 2011
I would greatly appreciate hearing about any solutions you
have found having a large bank of floor to ceiling windows
on very hot days. Here are my thoughts: although its not an
issue where I live for too many days of the year, on the
very sunny hot ones it does become furnace-like inside.
Also, I am afraid of fading to the kitchen cabinets, etc.
But I do not want to block the view, or ruin the mid-century
look. Has anyone had experience with Smith & Noble solar
shades, do they work, and are they better or worse than
window film, more expensive, etc. Does window film really
cut down on the heat, and does it distort the view out? Are
their other options? Thank you so much for any information!
Scorched
Both of these are great solutions. If you're looking for the
lowest cost, window tint is the way to go. I prefer roller
shades with sunscreen fabrics. The allow great visibility
but can up to 99% of the sun rays out. The smith& noble
stuff is just so cheap though, I'd go with a real shade
company with good quality stuff you wont have to end up
replacing in a couple of years time. Try Alameda Shade Shop
in Alameda or Advanced Shading in Hayward.
Window tint is much cheaper and you will definitely see a
real difference in the temperature. Most installed films
come with lifetime warranties as well. There's a bunch of
different kinds, but the tint company you work with should
be able to recommend a film based on your needs. I can
highly recommend Daystar window tinting, I've used them
myself in my home office and they do a great job. Their
number is (510) 749-7505 and the website is
http://www.daystarwindowtinting.com RDT
We recently installed tinted mylar shades. We considered
film but our windows weren't good candidates (frames are
steel and prone to rusting). Film would have been a little
less expensive than the shades but we're glad we got the
shades. They are darker than the film we would have gotten
(to preserve our view) and can be rolled up when the weather
is gloomy. Our house was built in the 1930's and we also
installed venetian blinds, which don't look out of place.
I would estimate that the shades cool the house by about 10
degrees. I have read that film help keeps heat in the house
in the winter; don't how what shades would do. Francesca
We bought solar shades from Smith and Noble about 8 years
ago and absolutely love them! They have a nice minimal,
clean look, don't block the view and cut our heat gain
easily in half. I understand the darker colors preserve the
view much better, but may not protect from as much heat, so
choose carefully. I'd also consider blindsgalore dot com.
They have very competitive prices and we've been equally
happy with them. ~~No longer roasting
Blinds - who gives you the most for your buck?
July 2011
I need to replace some window coverings and wanted to know
where you get the best deal?
Stores like Home depot, Leowes and JC Penney carry blinds
and I'm sure there are many others. But who gives you the
most for your buck? Thanks
I've used www.blinds.com several times and been pleased with
the quality, PRICE, and service. Cheaper even then Home
Depot and Lowes, plus free shipping. The blinds.com house
brand is just as good as the other brands from what I can
tell. Try blinds.com
I have used selectblinds.com and blinds.com for decent
custom-fit blinds at rock bottom prices. The only problem is
if you are looking for a very particular shade of color, you
will be taking your chances, because you are ordering
online. Elisabeth
Seeking Levolor Cellular and Roman Shade Reviews
Aug 2010
I am trying to find durable window treatments for our new home. I am
undecided between Hunter Douglas Honeycomb Cellular Shades and Levolor
Cellular or Roman shades. Does anyone have experience with either of
these
brands? Levolor is less expensive. Is that because the quality is not as
good?
Would love to hear reviews.
Magi
We have Levolor cellular blinds in our house - some
single-celled and and some double-celled. We chose them
because they were BY FAR the most sturdy of all the ones we
looked at. We did our ''shopping'' on blindsgalore.com, and
they will send you a bunch of swatch samples at once. So we
checked out a number of different brands - levolor, hunter
douglas and bali are the three I remember, but there may
have been others. And the levolors were the strongest by
far. We tried ripping all of them, and some of them tore
right away, others stretched out of shape, but the levolors
held up really well. So they won. We've had them for a year
now and are still very happy with them. (We got top
down/bottom up cordless - so far they work great.)
We never looked into roman shades, so I can't comment on those.
happy levolor owner
How to wash Mold in Cellular shades?
Aug 2010
Anyone own cellular shades (we have Bali brand) and find
that there's mold in them? We have an older 1920s home
with single pane windows so it gets a lot of condensation
when it's cold outside and we've got the heater on.... I'm
thinking this is why we started seeing mold in our shades.
Does anyone know how to clean it??
Oddly, we had purchased another pair of cellular shades
for our daughter's room (generic brand, not Bali, from
JustBlinds.com) and it doesn't have mold on them? Anyway,
any advise is greatly appreciated!
~Sad about Mold
I also had mold growing on the back side of my Bali cellular blinds. I took
them
down and scrubbed them in the bathtub. It got the mold off, but it also faded
the already-light color on the front. I'm not entirely sure I would recommend
it
because it probably shortened the life of the blinds, but at least there's no
mold
anymore.
I'd love to see a better idea...
Cordless blinds that aren't Smith & Noble
May 2010
Want to get cordless blinds for our kids' room but can't
stomach Smith & Noble prices. Maybe I'm reading their
pricing chart wrong, but it looks like a cordless 60 x 48
inch blind will come to at least $450. We're looking for
sturdy blinds with bright color fabric options.
Any other alternatives out there? Cordless is a must, for
safety reasons.
Thanks!
anon
I had the same problem. Kept hoping for a better sale from Smith & Noble and
the blinds always seemed to cost $300-$400 per window. I ended up buying
from Steve's Blinds and Wallpaper. http://www.stevesblindsandwallpaper.com/
They were super helpful with the order over the phone and I got THREE cordless
cell shades with black out option and down/up pull option for only $225,
including taxes and shipping. They were easy to install and they work really well.
Very happy with them. Good luck!
Happy Blind Customer
Check out Steve's Blinds online. We were so disappointed
with Smith & Noble that we returned our blinds. We then
found ''Steve's Blinds'' online, and got beautiful Hunter
Douglas cordless window coverings at a price that was way
less than Smith and Noble. They were great over the phone,
helped explain how to measure (If I can do it, anyone
can!), and we're really happy with our windows now.
Bed Bath and Beyond has great cordless shades. Not a lot of colors, but durable
and less than Smith & Noble. And they do custom widths if you don't see the
width you need- you just have to ask and someone will go to their computer
and make a special order for you. I used the one at El Cerrito Plaza.
happy mom
You might try JC Penney, we found them much less expensive
and have sales all the time. We bought our cordless blinds
(Bali Diamond cellular) there. I will say my pet peeve is
that the shade does not snug up to the top rail as firmly as
I'd like (of course you can eliminate that visual with a
valance.) At the time the sales person told us of the
different brands, guarantees, etc. (and we've already
replaced one- free) and also of upcoming sales. It is worth
it to be cognizant of the sales cycle as they do seem to
have revolving sales.
Jeff
We bought Bali blinds on sale at Home Depot two years ago
and liked them a lot. They have tons of colors, and they do
have a cordless option plus top-down, bottom-up.
We did have one break pretty early in the process, but they
quickly sent a replacement (they wouldn't install it for
free, but because the top part was still up, we easily
snapped in the new one).
We bought 12+ blinds and I'm certain we didn't pay $400,
even for the bigger windows (including installation).
Like our Bali blinds
You should check out a JC Penny Home Store. We used the one
in Concord, right by Sun Valley Mall. We had gone the Smith
and Noble route before and were very happy with our blinds
but after our remodel (and new window sizes) we needed to go
a less expensive route. The JC Penny blinds are fabulous. A
designer will come to your house with sample books, do the
measurements, etc. The work was very well done and the
installation & follow up were all great. We also had some
drapes made.
JC Penny also has premade blinds if you have standard size
windows.
Local business for honeycomb cellular shades
Feb 2009
I'm finally getting around to choosing honeycomb cellular shades
for my living room. One window measures 95'' wide & faces west. I
checked the archives, but I'd like more recent reviews about
local businesses(i.e., Marsh Interiors, Draperies by Susan,
Consumer Shades in Berkeley,) or even Home Depot or Costco.
tired blinds
We have used Deirdre Dugan with Budget Blinds (an independently
owned and operated franchise). She is really easy to work with,
efficient, and has great products. We have used her for both
cellular shades and wood blinds in two different houses. She can
be reached at 510.357.2400.
Cindy
Custom window shades for LOTS of windows
Nov 2008
After remodeling we have LOTS of new windows, all sizes to cover.
We want shades, rather then curtains or drapes.
Top and bottom opens, possibly solar shades, roman shades, nice
looking ''something'' for 2 sliding doors and 2 french doors. I've
been told JC Penney is a good place. I think we need someone to
come to the house and measure and tell us about possible options.
Our kitchen, dining room, living room, master bedroom face west and
our back yard and we'd like to keep it light and not lose our
view....
Any suggestions are appreciated. Thanks in advance.
June
We've had good luck with custom shades from SmithandNoble.com. I
haven't used their in-home consultation/measurement service, but I think
it's free.
Lots of Windows, Too
Cleaning ''waffle'' shades
Aug 2008
I have a number of the ''waffle'' type shades in my house that need
to be cleaned. They need a professional! Can anyone recommend a
good place to take them.
Thanks
sick of dirty shades on clean windows
I highly recommend you call Harry, who specializes in cleaning
shades and drapes. He may be able to do them on-site, but even if
he has to come take them down and reinstall them, he does a great
job for a reasonable price. I ran through the Yellow Pages for
Berkeley/Albany/Oakland when I needed silk shades cleaned after a
fire, and was very lucky to get a referral to him: he's got a
corner on this market. His number is 510-507-4737. Good luck!
Terry M
Cleaning service for Hunter-Douglas Duette blinds
Aug 2006
I'm looking for a referral to get our blinds professionally
cleaned, preferably on-site, as the places I've consulted want 3-
5 days' turnaround, which for us is unacceptable. So much the
better if affordably priced. Thanks!
Carol
I can happily suggest Bubble Magic in Alameda. Their service is terrific, careful, fast,
well priced and trust-worthy.
I have been very, very happy with their service.
Louise
March 2006
I'd like to highly recommend Michael Alexander 510-776-0163 for help with
measuring/ordering/installing HunterDouglas shades/blinds. We purchased the blinds
from an online company (Star Decorating turned out to have the best prices). He
installed 22 Hunter Douglas blinds for us (mostly honey comb style) in about 2 hours.
He was trained by HunterDouglas. He charged us $10 per window, which was a third of
what I was quoted elsewhere. He was also very flexible with scheduling and reliable.
Debbie
Feb 2006
I recently had the pleasant experience of working with Marsh Interiors to replace the shades in my living room and dining room. I went in a couple of days before Christmas with my own two kids and a neighbor child I was caring for, and the people were completely welcoming and not freaked out about kids with dripping rain coats invading their lovely showroom. They took time with me and even entertained the kids with the remote-operated shades. I made my order, they came out to measure, called shortly thereafter to say the shades were in, and came to install them the same day! When a couple of my windows proved to be uncooperative with the shades, the guy simply took them away, made some alterations, and returned to install them a few days later. I can't say enough about how nice I found all the people I dealth with. They have all kinds of interior design products and services, not just window coverings. I highly recommend these people! Their number is (510) 547-7540 a!
nd their showroom is on San Pablo Ave in Emeryville (or is it Oakland at that point?) across the street from Pak-N-Save.
happy with my shades
Where to buy Hunter Douglas blinds and shutters
Nov 2005
I am looking for a good local store for Hunter Douglas blinds and shutters. I checked the archives and everything was a few years old. I have also heard good info about Smith and Noble.com but I would like to check out some stores in the east bay if possible.
Wendy
I purchased white composite 2 inch blinds for my entire ground floor windows from Nationwide Floor and Window Coverings and am THRILLED! Connie Welsh is the owner and came to my house. She brought several samples - all wood, composite and aluminum. Within one hour, I chose my blinds and had the windows measured. Within 10 days, they were installed! They look beautiful and Connie gave me excellent advice.
They bring the showroom to you, so it is helpful if you have some idea what you want. They do carpet, vinyl, laminates, hardwood, ceramic tile, area rugs and window coverings.
Connie can be reached at (925) 855-9222 or at www.FloorsandWindows.com. I guarantee you will enjoy working with her.
Sabrina
Window shutters
July 2005
Hi there! I would like some advice on a good place to purchase wooden Plantation Shutters. I am also interested in a places where they have staff that can come to your house and give advice and measure, etc.
Thanks!
Shelley
I just purchased white composite 2 inch blinds for my entire ground floor windows from Nationwide Floor and Window Coverings and am THRILLED! Connie Welsh is the owner and came to my house. She brought several samples - all wood, composite and aluminum. Within one hour, I chose my blinds and had the windows measured. Within 10 days, they were installed! They look beautiful and Connie gave me excellent advice.
They bring the showroom to you, so it is helpful if you have some idea what you want. They do carpet, vinyl, laminates, hardwood, ceramic tile, area rugs and window coverings.
Connie can be reached at www.FloorsandWindows.com. I guarantee you will enjoy working with her.
Sabrina
June 2005
We recently moved into our new house and, after a trip to EXPO, realized we'd need a second mortgage to afford the Hunter Douglas window coverings we had admired there (especially the ingenious and lovely Luminette coverings). Wound up going thru Costco's Hunter-Douglas connection and we are thrilled and delighted, having gotten just what we wanted for 1/2 the price that Expo was asking. A design consultant comes to your home with lots of samples and ours spent a lot of time with me, since I'm a real stickler/perfectionist. We had our treatments within 3-1/2 weeks and they are stunning. Plus, you get the Costco/Amex rebate, if you have their credit card. Can't recommend going thru Costco highly enough.
Carole
April 2003
Hi - in our new home we will need some sort of window covering for
the sliding glass door in the master bedroom that leads to the balcony.
We're not sure how to go: vertical blinds or drapes. We will also want
to eventually (relatively soon?) replace all the existing blind in the rest
of the house. Has anyone used 3 Day Blinds? Comments positive or
negative? Can anyone recommend a place that would be good for both
blinds and drapes? We'll need to put drapes in the living room and
dining room as well. We're in Walnut Creek. We've never bought blinds
or drapes, so we are not exactly sure what to take into consideration
and certainly not where to shop. Thanks!
Lori
I have had very good experiences ordering from the Smith+Noble
catalog. I think they mail their catalog too often, but they are nice on
the phone and quick to fulfill. I recommend purchasing swatches and
samples (they reimburse on your order) so you can pick the right
colors. It's quick and easy. Plus they are much less expensive than
local shops who custom order for you. We have gotten metal blinds,
and I also like their ''cell shades'' that pull up from the bottom but
also down from the top - we have them in several rooms. Gives extra
privacy but lots of light. Good colors. They also make drapes and
other kinds of blinds. Have fun!
Jocelyn
October 2002
We need a window covering for a largish bedroom window
and have decided on accordian style, single cell, blackout
shades for insulation, etc. I've priced Hunter Douglas at
JCPenney's and even during their half off sale, the prices at
Smith and Noble beat them. Has anyone purchased from S
and N recently? I saw one recommendation in the archives
from 2001. Any other sources I'm missing?
Thanks.
Jessica
I purchased most of the window coverings in my house from
Smith & Nobel and am VERY happy with the quality of the
materials used as well as their sales and service. Just be
very careful to measure and communicate EXACTLY what you
want with your shade. For instance, which side do you want
the pull on, etc.
Previously I used 3 day blinds for my window coverings and
was not happy with the quality of materials used. All of
the pull mechinisms have broken.
jmdrew
I have use Smith and Noble several times over 4 years. I
am very pleased with the cost and quality of their
products. You just have to measure properly and be able to
handle the easy installation.
they are a good choice in my experience.
elizabeth
I had Roman shades custom made by Smith and Noble for our
kitchen. I love them. They are of excellent quality, and
I received them in a very timely manner. I went to their
web-site and found additional fabric choices in their close-
out section, so I saved a little more. I did order
swatches before putting in my final order. As I recall,
they apply the cost of the swatches as a credit to your
order but within a specified amount of time.
Sarah
We just bought pleated shades from Smith and Noble. I am
satisfied with the shades, the price, and the service. The
only drawback to me was the color/material selection was
not as broad as at a store like Alcatraz Shade, and it's
much harder to view everything they have. Smith and Noble
was about half the price though, which seems worth it to
me. For example, the cost of the top-down/bottom up
feature was 50% less at S & N compared with Alcatraz. I
like the idea of buying things from small local shops, but
it didn't make sense in this case.
Deborah
I have used Smith and Noble for a number of items
(horizontal blinds & custom balloon shades) and have been
very happy with their service. Quick turnaround time, too.
Kim
I would NOT recommend any window coverings from Smith &
Noble. I purchased two items from them and will never
purchase another. The first item was a pull-down shade,
which looked beautiful in the catalog; when the shade
arrived, however, the edges were unfinished, and the wooden
bar at the bottom edge could slip out because the fabric on
the sides had not been sealed. Moreover, the fabric had
been wrapped around the bar unevenly, leaving the bottom of
the shade crooked. Although the company generally does not
accept returns of custom items, the quality of this shade
was so poor that I insisted they take it back--and they
did. The second item was a set of four curtain panels;
although the panels were supposed to be the same size, the
actual length of each panel differed by as much as two
inches. Because I liked the fabric, I ended up keeping the
panels and hemming each of them to the same length. Sure,
the prices are much less than Hunter Douglas, but so is the
construction quality and, in my case, the level of customer
satisfaction.
Kathy
I recently purchased Hunter Douglas Blackout Cellular
blinds online. At www.blindswholesale.com they have the
best price I could find. HOWEVER, at www.blindsgalore.com
they claim they can beat any price by 5%. So I priced the
blinds I wanted at blindswholesale and then called
blindsgalore. They honored the 5% discount. They wanted
to know the web address, etc. The whole process was
painless. They also include shipping.
August 2002
Has anyone ever made Roman shades' How difficult would it
be for a novice seamtress' Do you know anyone who makes
them inexpensively'
Ellen
I made my own Roman shades. I sew
maybe once a year and am far from accomplished.
I referred to a handy little book I purchased (''The Shade
Book'') at Hancock Fabrics. It's hard to say how long
the shades actually took to make - I had an 18-month
old ''helping'' me the whole time. But the inexperienced
should allow one or two free afternoons to make one
shade. This isn't counting the preliminary reading and
shopping - just the actual construction.
Tip: The adhesive tape rings don't last very long. I
found the dowling + eye screws much better in terms of
looks and durability.
Good luck!
rronayne
Have you tried looking on HGTV.com? I have been suckered
into watching that station lately, and I saw an episode
about making Roman Shades. If you go to the website and
look up Roman Shades a whole list of stuff comes up
regarding making Roman Shades as well as recommendations
for books. You might also try a fabric store to see if they
have any patterns, etc. you might be able to use.
Lisa
I recently made roman shades and consider myself to be a
novice sewer. If you'd like, you can come by to look at
the shades, and I can lend you the pattern. I made two
different types of roman shades. After this experience, I
believe that anyone who can sew a straight line and measure
can make roman shades.
Daphne
July 2002
I'd like to buy folding (accordian-style) paper window
blinds (3 feet wide) and I can't find them anywhere. I had
bought them at Cost Plus a few years ago, but they no
longer sell them. Neither does Pier 1 nor Berkeley Ace
Hardware. Any suggestions?
michael s.
I found accordion paper blinds at Home Depot (the
Emeryville location) a couple of years ago. They come in a
few standard sizes, which can be tailored to your windows
with scissors. They were located near the wallpaper
section in a box on the floor (a little hard to find and
most of the employees could not help us). Good luck.
You will find some at bed, bath and beyond either in El
cerrito or in Oakland, at the window blinds section.
Laure
We got ours at IKEA; they were very inexpensive too!
Monica
Someone to make roman shades
April 2002
I want to find someone to make simple top down/bottom up roman shades for me. I tried a
couple of shade shops but the prices are exorbitant (one quote being 500.00 MORE than
the next). I would attempt them mysef but the fabric I'm using is 55.00 a yard, I need 4
shades and I really want them to look professional. Any suggestions?
Barbara
I have used Carrie Bishop many times, she made lovely roman shades for a number of windows and
covered cushions for a nook & chairs. She is very reasonable and has great suggestions for
fabric, etc.
652-9224
Lisa
You might check Home Depot (and Expo) for ready-made shades. They have lots of fabric choices,
and will make shades to the size of your windows. Merry
Try looking in the J.C.Penney's catalog for Roman Shades. I got some there several years ago
and they
were not expensive, come in various colors; not very fancy fabric, however.
Diane
While I'm not a professional seamstress, I've made more than a dozen
shades for my home and friends over the years. I use the method
described in the Sunset book which results in a tailored shade but
does not have a rod at each fold like the ones Poppy Fabric makes. I'd
be happy to show you some examples and give you a quote. I'm sure I
can beat those prices!
bprice
Regarding your roman shades. I might be able to help you. I am an
interior designer(and mother of two young daughters) who specializes
in window coverings. Since you already have your own fabric, I can
measure your windows, provide accurate yardage requirements, place
your order with one of my work rooms and schedule my installer to
install your new shades. I am reasonable in price and fun to work
with. anne AT anddesigns.com (510) 526.4579 anne
Roman Shades
March 2002
Can anyone recommend a company that makes Roman Shades? How about the Drapery
Source? Are they good?
Barbara
For drapes, roman blinds and shades, I've recently worked with Smith
and Noble, a catalog and online company based in Southern California
(I think it's www.smithandnoble.com). Our new house has tons of
windows and no window coverings, and we ended up getting honeycomb
blinds for the bedrooms and drapes and roman shades for the living and
dining rooms. They will send you swatchs of many fabrics and can also
make up any fabrics you send them. They are quick, produce high
quality work, and were much less expensive than any of the local
window decorating stores I checked out, including the EXPO Design
Center, although Expo has a truly incredible variety to choose from.
Vali
2001
I highly recommend Jim Gay at All About Windows in Piedmont. He just installed
plantation shutters in my living room and did a great job. He is very knowledgeable and
his prices are very reasonable. Jim can be reached at 510-547-4087. Feel free to mention
my name.
-Elizabeth
Accordion blinds
2001
I'd like to buy those accordion-like shades that seem
to be attached to the bottoms of windows and are pulled
up to close (as opposed to more traditional shades that
are attached at the top).
Does anyone know which store sells such shades or does
anyone have any they'd like to sell?
You can get them at 3-day Blinds, as well as thru Home Depot. We have the double-cell ones,
and really like them.
-Leslie
I bought "honeycomb" blinds at the Berkeley Shade Company at 2039 University Avenue in
Berkeley (841-3171), and have been very pleased with them. They were expensive and I paid
extra for the mylar-coated black-out variety, but they have been wonderful for keeping my
daughter's room both dark and warm (great when she still took daytime naps!). I was pleased
with the variety and the service, and after three years, they are still in great shape. The
Alcatraz Shade and Blind Shop (6400 Telegraph Ave, 658-2734) is huge and has been in
business for decades. I'm sure either of these businesses would have a full range of shades and
blinds, including the ones that open upwards or downwards, or both, and that they would also
provide repair service or referrals. You can get similar products pre-made or even
custom-made at Home Depot or the like, but I tend to think for something you may keep for 20
years if it's made well and done right the first time, it's worth it to patronize a locally-owned
shop and get the individualized service.
Smith and Noble, the company that produces the "Window ware" catalog, sells
a variety of "top down" shades. Try their website at smithandnoble.com.
Stephanie
I've had very good results with shades and blinds I ordered from
Smith & Noble. Check out their website:
http://www.smithandnoble.com/
Ginger
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