Windsor Life: 2019

BETTER BLINDS AND DRAPERY North American Made Custom Window Treatments at Competitive Prices As Better Blinds and Drapery celebrates their 25th Anniversary this year, clients know that they can count on them to be there for new window coverings, parts, service and warranty work. A bare window can look and feel cold. “Blinds, shutters and draperies pull a room together,” says Kate, who has co-owned Better Blinds and Drapery with her husband, Mark, since they purchased it in March 2014 when the original owner retired. “Window treatments are esthetic as well as practical. In addition to privacy, they provide insulation against winter cold and summer heat, and protect flooring and furniture from fading,” Mark says. As a specialty shop offering blinds, draperies, shutters and fabrics, Kate points out, “We do just one thing and we do it exceedingly well. One misconception is that custom means expensive or inaccessible. It does not,” Kate says. “Upholding our standard for quality is just as important to us as being competitively priced.” Many clients are homeowners who want to dress their windows in ways that reflect their good taste. Some do a single room; others select treatments for their entire dream home. Other clients are corporate, requiring durable, attractive blinds and other coverings for the windows of their commercial buildings. “People appreciate that we have a modern showroom with our products on display, for custom order and purchase,” Mark says. “It’s beneficial to be able to see, feel and operate our window treatments. As certified motorization experts, having many different options ready for clients to compare is key in the selection process. There are so many choices.” After narrowing down the products and colours they like, the clients receive a free inhome consultation for final selection. While Kate and Mark take care of people in the Better Blinds and Drapery showroom, in clients’ homes, the fulltime staff designer creates beautiful treatments to dress windows. “Many clients aren’t sure what they’re looking for. We provide as much assistance as requested,” Kate says. Custom draperies are made locally, in Windsor, by their fulltime seamstress. In the factory attached to the showroom, staff manufacture, resize, and repair blinds. “Unlike some competitors, our blinds aren’t premade, stockpiled and then cut down. Ours are made exclusively for your windows,” Mark explains. Their on-staff installation specialists complete the final check measure to ensure a perfect fit for every window before ordering. Approximately 4 weeks after the order is placed, they return to install the treatments. “All of our staff are very experienced and helpful,” says Mark. Interior designers and decorators are invited to bring their clients to Better Blinds and Drapery and see the possibilities. “Home tailors are also welcome to browse among our extensive fabric selection that Canadian mills sourced from around the world,” Kate says. Kate and Mark are always delighted whenever the company’s previous clients return. “They say their draperies and blinds are still in great condition; they just want to update the colours or styles to match newly painted walls or new furniture,” Kate notes. “We continue providing the same enduring quality and service today.”