Custom Window Treatments – What You Need to Know Part II

There are several ways to go to purchase custom window treatments. You can go through a big box national chain store. These companies can provide competitive pricing because they deal in large numbers of sales, however they often do not sell soft window treatments and therefore can only provide you with the functional hard treatments (there are some very attractive hard treatments and if your design style calls for that, this could be a good alternative). Because they are dealing in large quantities (quantities of clients and orders nationwide), however, these companies may not always provide you the quality of customized, “on your time schedule”, personal and hands on service that a smaller “mom and pop” type of company may be able to provide. And again, they are only going to sell you what they sell and nothing more so you may not be given the best possible choice for your home and design style.

There are many smaller companies specializing in different types of window treatments that can also provide competitive pricing as well as more hands on, customized service. Some of these companies may only provide hard treatments and some may only provide soft treatments while others may provide both. It is important to ask a potential vendor what types of treatments they specialize in and if they only do one or the other. Some, if they only deal in hard treatments, for example, may work closely with a decorator or seamstress who can also provide you with the soft treatments if you should need them (and vice versa). Ideally, however, if you are interested in learning about and seeing ideas for both types of treatments, it is best to find a vendor who deals in both. If she is good at her job she will be able to tell you what type of treatment will best suit your home.

You can also purchase window treatments online. There are some large companies that offer websites where you can enter your own measurements and choose from a limited selection of types and styles of treatments. Their pricing is comparable to other large big box national stores. If you are comfortable with a measuring tape and making good design decisions this could be a good alternative for you. However, again, you are limited by their styles and design choices and you have to make sure your measurements are exactly accurate as there are no returns on custom orders. You are also missing the personalized, hands on support and design expertise that could be available to you through as smaller company or designer.

Window treatments are like the jewelry of the room. However, they are often the most neglected part of home design. Many homeowners who work hard to create a cohesive decor for their home are often at a loss as to why it does not feel pulled together and complete. More often than not it is because they have neglected to address their window treatment needs. Windows are a very important part of a complete design scheme and need to be addressed appropriately, whether your design style is traditional or contemporary.

Hopefully you have a little better understanding about the different ways to acquire custom window treatments so that you can be more confident in choosing the perfect type of vendor for your window treatment needs.