Buying window treatments & window blinds on the internet these days is an easy and fun process. Pick the style, pick the brand, pick the color – you get the picture. While customization is exciting and important, you need to remember a couple of key considerations when ordering custom blinds to ensure that you are satisfied with your purchase.
First, do your homework! Make sure you research 3 or 4 different window treatment brands & styles so that you can figure out what you like & dislike about all of them. Once you do that, you’ll have a pretty clear idea of which brand and style caters to your specific aesthetic taste.
Second, take the time to order samples and swatches and find the color that really brings your room together. Don’t be shy ordering five to ten different samples. These companies know that you’re making a big investment and will typically facilitate that by helping in any way they can. While doing this, also take note of the fabric or material. Is it durable? Does it feel crisp and high quality? Keep all of your samples so that you can compare them to samples of other brands.
Once you find the perfect custom blinds brand, style, color & fabric, you move on to the most important part of custom window treatment ordering: dimensions. You must really, really focus on getting good measurements. If you wing it or ball-park it, your shades will most likely not fit right as ordered. What you DO want is for these things to fit your windows like a glove; what you DO NOT want is to be performing emergency surgery on your new blinds to make them just barely fit. Print off your measurement instructions from the blinds store’s website and follow their exact instructions. Once you measure, measure again. Once you measure again, have your wife, husband, boyfriend, girlfriend, son, daughter or whoever is on hand to double-check your measurements. Once you feel confident in the accuracy of the measurements, make your purchase!
If you were diligent and methodical about ordering your new custom blinds, you’ll have an easy installation that leads to a great new look. If you fudged on some of the steps I’ve outlined, you may find that your blinds aren’t what you hoped they’d be; maybe they’re not the right color, maybe they’re not the right fabric, maybe they don’t even fit your window right. Unfortunately for the latter group, most custom window treatment sales are final and returns are typically not accepted unless your product is defective.