Choosing the right window coverings for your home isn’t as easy as it sounds. The question is, do you buy ready made roller blinds right off the shelf, or go with custom made roller blinds blinds that are made to measure?
When it comes to choosing between custom made blinds and ready made blinds, My Direct Blinds know a thing or two about making the right decision to suit your needs. We’ll provide you with an overview of the pros and cons of custom made blinds versus ready made blinds, so you can be more informed about which option is best for you.
The pros of custom made blinds
Custom made roller blinds offer many benefits, including:
- They are customised to perfectly fit to your window. To fit your roller blind within your window opening is considered a more aesthetic choice as it displays the decorative window trims. To get the same look with a ready made roller blind you’ll likely need to have it cut down – which has drawbacks in itself. If you choose to cut down a ready made roller blinds, the edges will fray as they’ve not been professionally cut. If you manage to fit it inside, you’ll likely have larger light gaps on the edges as ready made blinds are not made to fit exactly. Window sizes can vary quite a bit.
- Custom made blinds are manufactured to Australian Safety Standards, which will ensure protection for you and your family.
- Most of our fabrics feature GreenGuard Gold certifications and are tested to Australian standards, making them great for asthmatics as they will emit less VOCs when compared to ready made roller blinds.
- My Direct Blinds has on offer many different choices of fabrics to better customise your roller blinds and this will ensure you get the best look for your home. We only offer premium components that come with a 5 year warranty.
- You’ll be able to see free samples of the colour and texture in your own home before purchasing, making sure the style fits with the rest of your home décor.
- Custom made blinds are high quality and durable and come with a guarantee for installation and material with 5 years.
- Custom roller blinds come with a wide range of options, so you can tailor your choice to suit your personal preferences. Customizable options include UV blocking aka sunscreen fabric, blockout, light filtering fabrics, mechanical controlling via chain or cordless options, programmable timers via smart hub motorisation options, voice controlled blinds, rubber inserts on base rails, larger tube upgrades, chain upgrades and a massive range of colours and textures in not only the fabrics available but also the components and base rails. We only use Australian engineered components, that are simply put much more sturdy and long lasting.
- They can be made to fit any dimension, so there’s no need to worry about finding the right fit for your excessively large or small windows.
- The price point of our custom made blinds is not too different from ready made roller blinds.
The cons of custom made blinds
The only con to keep in mind when choosing custom made blinds is that it’s a more time-consuming process. You will need to allow time to choose your design then await the manufacture and installation of your blinds. With My Direct Blinds this is typically a 12-20 working day process.
The pros of ready-made blinds
Buying ready made blinds offers several benefits, including:
- Ready made blinds are quick and easy to find and buy. All you need to do is go to a blind store, find the ones you like that fit your requirements and you can purchase them instantly.
- You can install ready made blinds yourself, which means you can put them up as soon as you’ve bought them home. However keep in mind, that you shouldn’t skimp on your home – ready made blinds often have a tacky feel to them. ‘You get what you pay for’
- They often present a slightly cheaper option, although My Direct Blinds offers custom blinds at factory direct prices for a more affordable customised option.
The cons of ready-made blinds
The cons associated with buying ready made blinds are significant, mainly:
- You are limited in the size and style you can select. If a shop doesn’t have the colour, size or texture you like, there’s nothing you can do about it. You have to either accept blinds that aren’t completely to your liking or continue hunting until you find a store that sells the right blinds, which can be a lengthy and frustrating process.
- Quality is not assured with readymade blinds, so you can never be fully confident that the product you’re receiving will last.
- Aesthetically & functionally, they are often inferior, the fabric may V or fade in a short period of time. The base rails are often small round tubes without enough weight in them to keep your fabric properly taught. Over time the fabric will pucker as the base rail design is inferior.
- Fabrics are often cheaper, and thinner – may emit harmful VOC’s. There are no standards to adhere to when the blinds are made overseas.
- Fabric edges may begin to fray, as they could be cut down locally or not cut from the factory with the right technology.
Our verdict – Which is the better choice?
When considering the pros and cons of both custom made and ready made blinds, choosing custom blinds is the clear winner. Custom made blinds can be a little pricier and you have to wait a bit longer, but this process ensures you do it right once and don’t have to think about it again, and in our view the price point is not vastly different. The result will be a high-quality product that perfectly fits your window, using a texture and colour you love that compliments the rest of your home design.
