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angski

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#312491 21-Apr-2024 20:14
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I am looking at getting new curtains. 
There are so many players in the market place. I am totally confused who to approach. 

I know there is no such thing as free lunch and you pay for what you get. I am hoping that i can answers to the following questions

a. if you have installed curtains/blinds in your house, what do you regret that you should have done but did not?
b. if you have installed curtains/blinds in your house, what do you regret that you should have not done but you did?
c. Why did you choose that specific curtain supplier? and why did you not choose the others?
d. Did you go the DIY route and buy the roller blind online? Any advice if I walk DIY path?
e. Any advice in hunting for curtains? eg colour, pattern, pricing?

 

thank you


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networkn
Networkn
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  #3221188 21-Apr-2024 21:10
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Curtains including wooden blinds and nets cost us as much as Carpet and the people we dealt with were below average for price and above average for service. 

 

2 Years after our nets were up, they had sustained sun damage and they replaced them FOC. 

 

https://www.dialadrape.co.nz/contact/

 

We have used them a couple of times over the years. 




timmmay
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  #3221189 21-Apr-2024 21:11
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Roman Blinds Direct were great. I found them online when I was looking, service was excellent, I have no association other than a satisfied customer. I like the electric roman blinds, maybe I wish I'd had them wired in rather than battery models but battery is good - especially with the little solar panels they sell which help keep them charged. The Sunshade blinds they sold us are great too, no motor, same vendor.

 

Doesn't matter where you go, curtains and blinds are expensive.


tweake
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  #3221192 21-Apr-2024 21:16
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i've replaced my bedroom ones, really need to replace the rest of the house.

 

blackout curtains are not perfect, you get quite a bit of light around the edges. not recommended for those who like to wake up at dawn.

 

make sure you get full length curtains no matter what sized windows. those little windows above beds are just nasty with the amount of cold air falling off them.




JayADee
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  #3221539 22-Apr-2024 17:53
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Definitely get lined curtains, the kind of lining sewn on (or tacked on as they do) and light proof. In theory you could replace the liner someday vs the whole curtain.
We got solarline silicone lining. Good insulator. Makes a big difference summer and winter. Helps the drape of the fabric too if you opt for a lighter weight material. Might as well get white lining (vs say, 'oyster') because it bleaches to white anyway. The solarline lining makes them black out curtains regardless of colour of lining or curtain weight which is great for fussy sleepers. I have black solarline on one non-sun-side window and it's good in that spot.

 

Inverted pleats are nice if you're doing curtain tracks vs rods. Sort of a boxy looking pleat. I have no opinion on track vs rod. Whatever you like I guess.

 


Go full length to floor. Fashion taste and practicality will dictate if you want them just almost touching the floor or hitting the floor and breaking a bit at the bottom. Or puddling if you're feeling swish and don't have pets and kids. How far UP the wall you have them go will be dictated by your wallet, taste and ambiance of the room. They do look nice all the way to the ceiling in any situation but my wallet did not extend that far. If I had the money I'd go all the way up.

 

Synthetic material apparently holds the colour better and wipe/wash up better and are less expensive. Mine are some kind of synthetic, I like them. They're solid dark red/burgundy. They all fade in the sun regardless. They really ought to extend the lining past the middle edge of the curtain a tad to avoid sun bleaching but none of mine do. I'd ask for that next time! 

 

Pattern and material are largely going to be dictated by budget and taste. I reckon you pretty much can't go wrong with a pleasant, solid colour that goes well with your room colour. Bonus, they're cheaper. 

 

if you are getting any blinds know if you want them inside the window frame or outside it and how far down you want the blind to sit. If you're getting Roman blinds on the outsides of windows definitely go down over any sill and trim. On top of the sill doesn't look that great in my opinion. That's a mistake I made on my tow Romans on the two small windows I have.

 

We have wooden blinds in the bathroom and over the kitchen sink. We got them over the trim and they stop right at the top of the sill and that looks fine. (Our sills stick out a bit, if they didn't I'd have them going lower)

 

I got a matching wooden blind in the dining area that I’m of two minds on. It's handy to be able to limit/angle the morning sun (from being in our eyes at the dining table while still having sunlight) but I think a blind inside the frame plus a curtain outside would have been better. But in our case it's probably not possible anyway due to the window hardware. 

 

I stuck with one colour and style drapes for the whole house's windows and French doors minus the two spare room ones we didn't replace. Three years later I'm still really happy with them. As for the very small window in the toilet and master bedroom under the eves that get no sun I got a funky cotton print I really like and had it made into Romans. I'd be much happier if I'd got them made a touch longer— I wish someone had given me advice on that.

 

I have two friends that have a house lot of roller binds on their modern builds. One friend has the normal pull kind and the other friend has mechanised ones. They seem happy with them.

 

I went with Guthrie Bowron (sp?) because there's pretty limited choice where I live. Wait till they have their 'free make' deal if you go with them.

 

I bought the fabric for my Romans online from Martha’s and had Guthrie make them.

 

 Not sure where my two friends got their blinds, but not there. The automated guy got his online. He did tell me where but I can't remember.

 

Consider, too, a blind inside the frame, curtain combo or a double track with sheer curtains window-side and and heavier, lined curtains room-side.

 

My sister has the sheers plus curtains.

 

 


tweake
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  #3221554 22-Apr-2024 18:57
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JayADee:

 


Go full length to floor. Fashion taste and practicality will dictate if you want them just almost touching the floor or hitting the floor and breaking a bit at the bottom. 

 

 

you always want them on the floor. stopping airflow is the name of the game. hence why pelmets are good, tho you can get a fabric version.


timmmay
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  #3221560 22-Apr-2024 19:22
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Roman blinds have a closed top that acts somewhat like a pelmet.

JayADee
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  #3222639 25-Apr-2024 10:32
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tweake:

 

JayADee:

 


Go full length to floor. Fashion taste and practicality will dictate if you want them just almost touching the floor or hitting the floor and breaking a bit at the bottom. 

 

 

you always want them on the floor. stopping airflow is the name of the game. hence why pelmets are good, tho you can get a fabric version.

 

 

Thumb up. on the French deck doors off the kitchen I have them not quite touching as it's a heavy traffic area between us and the dog. Everywhere else they touch for that reason.


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