Curtains - any recommendations please?

[UntamedShrew]

We are buying a house and the sellers are taking all of the curtains with them

I need to get some quotes but the sellers will only allow access for 2 quotes so I would like to make sure that the 2 quotes I do get are from reputable suppliers who aren't going to rip me off.

Does anyone have any recommended suppliers please? They would need to come and measure up and give me advice on fabric type, then make & hang them.

I was thinking John Lewis compared to some local independents (we are S London) originally, but now I'm only allowed 2 quotes I might ditch JL. Or do them and just one independent.

Anything else I should think of or consider?

Thanks very much.

Wait until you move in. Hang up a couple of plain sheets intheenings until you get a feel for the house

Having previously worked for John Lewis I can confirm that all John Lewis made to measure curtains and blinds are all made in the UK FROM SCRATCH!

The express service is made by John Lewis Partners in Lancashire and takes 7 calendar days to make and deliver to your door.
The reason it can be done so quickly is because the fabric is milled in the same factory! (No waiting for fabric to be delivered from suppliers).
It is woven on one side of the building and carried across to the girls at the sewing machines who work in pairs to make your order. It is absolutely fascinating to watch how quick they knock them up. If you want pinch pleat headings it is done using buckram on a machine. But it isn't a robot, it is a woman at a machine. You can also have interlining and blackout lining. The also make cushion covers & tie backs. Unlike other companies they don't charge for delivery and the cost of header tape and weights are included in the price. They can also deliver them to your local store or defer the delivery date if you are going away.

The bespoke service is made by outworkers in Bolton. This take about 3 weeks to make blinds, curtains, pelmets, headboards, tie backs, cushion covers. The reason being that you have to use the bespoke service when using fabric made by outside suppliers such as Designers Guild, Harlequin etc. It can take a week to receive the fabric. So to make your bespoke items in two weeks is still impressive. This is the service you would use if you wanted something a bit more unusual like goblet heading, floppy heading, chefs hat heading, leading edges, contrast heading/bottom, fringes/trims, austrian blind, pelmets etc. You would also use this service if your item was over 4.5 width and over 250cm drop. And you would also use this if you wanted hand finish and no visible stitches. The 7day service will only do up to 4.5m width and 2.5m drop, which is still pretty impressive.

Your curtains arrive ready to hang (unlike Next and Dunelm)
Delivered free (Unlike Next and Dunelm)
Mitred corners and penny weight (Unlike Dunelm and Next)
100% cotton lining (unlike Dunelm and Next)
Fabric and lining attached by blind stitch (unlike Next and Dunelm)

If you have any questions feel free to ask. After working there and (regretably) getting my curtains done at both Dunelm and Laura Ashley I do believe you get what you pay for.

Hi 5babyangels. I've been reading your posts and I'd like to speak to you about a quote for curtains. Can you direct me to your website please? Thanks a lot. Yvette

You've already had lots of good advice - but if you are looking for curtains for children, I'd recommend kidscurtaincompany: they have a great range and I've been very happy with the curtains from them. Years ago I had a party-time job in Laura Ashley so have a reasonable idea about measuring and how it works. You won't want "skimpy" curtains in most rooms but may be more relaxed with the children's rooms. If you are moving over the summer, I'd be fairly relaxed about waiting a few weeks if necessary and then make sure you get them right. If you can borrow some, great, but personally I wouldn't spend money on temporary curtains - I'd rather either save it or put it towards nicer permanent ones.

Hi, I am not sure if this is appropriate but I was reading your thread with interest. I have a soft furnishing business and we supply bespoke curtains all over the UK. We often work with London customers and many of them come to us after a poor John Lewis experience. I would be happy to speak to you and give you an idea of costs for our hand sewn made to measure curtains. If you google my name "Natalie Canning" you can take a look at our website and get in touch if you have any questions. Whatever you decide good luck :) Natalie

I had quotes for bespoke from John Lewis and they were actually crap! The guy told me I couldn't do something in my bay window which we did get done.

Surprisingly we had it all done by Laura Ashley in the end - it's not just florals but some lovely linens etc. We used their home interior service and because we ordered the cost of this service was refunded against the cost of the curtains, roman blinds, etc we ordered. I also ordered during their 30% sale and indeed the interior woman was able to further discount it, even the curtain poles etc. Although they don;t fit they recommended a local independent who was brilliant.

The cost was far better than the JL quotes who weren't able to discount other than any sale price on fabric.

Interesting how people often start off with JL in mind as the place to go and are often disappointed. The larger companies are all having their budgets squeezed in all directions so their prices are the same but often the quality suffers. :(