Window Coverings
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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
March 2006
My baby's room has french doors that let in a lot of sunlight. I would like to buy or
make curtains for the french doors that keep the sunlight out. Where can I purchase
blackout fabric? Also, can I sew this fabric to the back of the curtains?
anon
We bought blackout panels at Bed Bath Beyond. They were about $40 for
two panels with a magnetic strip down the middle. We're using them to
cover a door as well, and they really do block out the light. The
package might not make this clear, but they do have loops along the top
to attach to curtain hooks. The directions explained how to do this.
We're just using them plain (less attractive, but easier!). You might
open the package in the store to see if it's what you're looking for.
Rebecca
We had the same problem, with sliding glass doors in our new baby's
room, facing the rising sun each morning. I went to Bed Bath & Beyond
and bought some thick dark denim/navy blue curtains (the tag says
''ink''). They don't block out 100% of the light, but I'd say a good
80%--perfect for the baby to sleep in daylight, but so we can still see
what we're doing if we go in there.
They're cotton/polyester, but look like cotton, & have an abstract
floral/leaf pattern (but all the same dark blue color, so you have to
look closely to see the pattern).
The top has those contemporary ''tab top'' loops, so we just installed a
bar across the top with 2 holders attached to the wall at either end
(also available at BB & B), and it works GREAT. The tag says Brentwood
Designs. The curtains will also be usable and stylish for years to
come, when it's no longer a baby's room!
Good luck,
Heidi
I hand stitched black out fabric to one set of curtains and machine
stitched it to another. They have it at poppy and stone mountain and
daughter. it is sometimes called 'eclipse' it is basically rubberized
muslin. recently it was on sale at the outlet on san pablo and ashby. it
is well worth the effort!
Jessica
I bought some blackout fabric panels on ebay. I used it to line some
roman shades and it works great -- comes with hooks to attach to inside
of existing curtains and magnetic tape for closures.
MKM
You can get blackout panels at Bed, Bath and Beyond.
If you want more eco-friendly try Gaiam.
Good luck!
anon
poppy fabric sells blackout fabric on broadway near college ave and you
can sew it to the back of your curtain, though if you want the room to
be really dark, my husband cut pieces of wood to fit in the window like
a frame and put the fabric around the wood so no light seeps in around
the edges. simple to do if you have a saw.
day sleeper
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.
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
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
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
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
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
August 2002
Would like a recommendation for a place for getting drapes made or purchased
for a family room sliding patio door. This area also gets a lot of direct
evening sunlight so any suggestions will be most welcomed.
We thought JC Penneys had a large selection of
drapes/curtains, especially the beautiful sheers. As for
thermal or lined drapes, we didn't feel they had much of a
selection, but in the end it worked out fine. If you place
your order by going into the store, they waive shipping
charges (we went to the Pleasanton store). And you can
return drapes at their customer service desk at the store.
This was very helpful since we had to do MANY
exchanges/returns since it was so difficult for us to
really visualize what the drapes would look like in our
rooms. So, the return policy is very good.
September 2002
I want to hang curtains over two windows that join at the
corner of the room, i.e, one window is on the north facing
wall and the other's on the east facing wall and they
connect right at the ne corner of the room. I wanted to
get some kind of decorative curtain rod, but the ones I've
found all have ornaments that extend beyond the window trim
and therefore won't fit. Can anyone suggest where I might
find an attractive rod that can turn a corner?
alisa
I had great success with Country Curtains, a mail-order
drapery catalog. They noticed that I was ordering the wrong
rod for the valance I'd chosen, and steered me toward the
correct one. http://www.countrycurtains.com or 1-800-456-0321
Jenifer
Ikea sells a corner piece that will attach two curtain rods
to allow you to turn the two rods into one curtain rod that
runs around a corner. Its only a few dollars. The piece
seems to be a standard size--we used it to attach two
curtain rods that we baught at Target.
Mara
April 2002
Are there things such as storage boxes specifically for drapes, and where can I buy them?
Our drapes are about 8 feet tall. I guess it would be desireable to store them upright to
minimize wrinkles?
hana
Cleaning drapes is expensive but it solves the storage problem. They will come back to
you folded into the pleats and in a long plastic bag. It would be best to store them by
hanging them somewhere.
FYI I priced the cleaning and got vastly different quotes--count the pleats; it is how they
price them. I went with the lowest price which may have been a mistake---the drapes
were old (and dirty) and came back shredded in places.
Mary Ann
Where to Have Drapes Made
April 2003
Any recommendations for skilled and creative upholsterers
of older furniture? What about someone who can make Roman
shades and other types (fabric, not blinds)of window
coverings? Christina
Carrie Bishop does very nice roman shades, upholstering and
slip covers from her studio in Oakland/Emeryville. She also
has a great eye for color and design.
You can reach her at 652-9224.
Lisa N.
Where to Buy Simple Curtains
Lynn
I just moved to an old house that needs a bunch of curtains. Some of the
windows are standard size and some are definitely not. Can anyone recommend
a good place to buy curtains? Or to have them specially made? I like simple,
non-frou frou stuff in plain colors, linen, etc. Thanks!
We also moved to a house that needed curtains for approximately 25 windows!
We did a couple of things. For two rooms, we purchased accordian blinds
in a soft material from 3-Day Blinds -- cheap, fast, no hassle. We
purchased pre-made curtains from several stores -- Pottery Barn, Bed Bath
and Beyond, Restoration Hardware, Z Gallery. Some have catalogues to order
from. Then for our large front window, we had The Magazine (on the I-80
frontage road, near Hearst and Fourth street) make custom curtains and
purchased the hardware (rod and rings) from a store in San Rafael that I am
forgetting the name of, but that The Magazine recommended). We are happy
with all the window coverings, and we did it fairly cheaply.
Wendy
I missed the original request about curtains, but I take every
opportunity to pass on an idea we had. We had to take curtains down in
my son's room because of a dust mite allergy. I went to Home Depot and
bought plain, white, black-out shades. My son then drew pictures (3 rain
forest scenes, because he was then studying rain forests in
kindergarten). I copied the pictures, enlarging them, onto the shares
and then colored them in with permanent markers (Sharpies, Magic
Markers, etc.) My son still says (4 years later) that heFs happy when he
goes to bed because the last things he sees are his shades. As a bonus,
the whole project is cheap enough that you could replace them whenever
your child outgrows them. You could probably also put up seasonal
shades, saving the normal ones for post-holiday times.
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
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
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
Curtains for Kids' Rooms
Can anyone recommend a good place to buy ready-made curtains
for a child's room? I need 3 matching
pair for a room that is now for babies, but the pattern needs
to be usable when they are older too. Thank you!
Try IKEA...they have some very cute stuff. It not
too expensive either.
MOM2TWOBABIES
Pottery Barn Kids catalog has some really cute pre-made curtains.
Pottery Barn just went on-line http//www.potterybarn.com. I assume their
kids stuff is there too.
Ilana
I bought some curtains from the Pottery Barn Kids catalog that were pretty
inexpensive. They're simple sailcloth panels, which I liked because they
didn't seem limited to a baby.
Dashka
IKEA has some choices - pretty reasonably priced. Some are rather loud for
my taste, but there's one or two quieter ones.
Suzanne
This isn't what you asked, but here's what I did. My son had beautiful, homemade
thermal roman shades in his room, until he developed a dust mite allergy! Then,
no more curtains. I bought white vinyl blackout shades to fit his window. He was
as excellent artist interested in animals, and especially the rain forest. So
I had him draw a design that he wanted on some 8.5 x 11 inch paper. (He drew 3 scenes
an Amazon rain forest, a Congo rain forest, and a Tasmanian rain forest(?)). I
then transferred the designs to the shades using permanent markers and marker
paint, available at Office Depot. He helped color them in, too. Now (5 years
later) they are still a source of pride, and he says he goes to sleep smiling
every night when he looks at them. Of course, if your child is a baby, you would
have to do all the work. But part of the beauty of this is that they are cheap
enough to replace whenever your child's (or your) taste changes. . .which hasn't
happened yet with us! (Also, I saw someone who later decorated miniblinds with
designs cut from solid color contact paper; this could probably work on shades, too.)
Try Ikea in Emeryville -- they have some cute ones in the kids' dept., but look
in the regular curtain dept., too. We bought some funky flowered sheers there
for our daughter's room. The Pottery Barn Kids catalog also has nice kids' curtains,
thought they're a bit pricey.
Leah
Try IKEA for children's curtains.
Ruth
-
I second Pottery Barn as a good choice for children's curtains. I got the sheer pocket panels
which allows you to put stuff into the curtains. You can buy their pre-made letters, leaves
etc., but I made my own out of felt into letters and the shapes of animals. Also I put some
pictures of me and my husband as babies and a few other little funky things. During the fall,
when the Chinese Pistache trees turn a vibrant red, and put the leaves in the pockets. So it
can be changed whenever you want, and as your child grows, can become another artistic outlet
for them!
hilary
Have you tried IKEA in Emeryville? You don't have to spend that much to
decorate with some of their accessories.
BLEW333
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
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
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