Should curtains be this expensive?

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EclipseMum
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Should curtains be this expensive?

Postby EclipseMum » Thu Feb 28, 2019 9:36 pm

I’ve been shocked at the quotes for curtains for our new house. I get that material is expensive but we thought after trying some more “bespoke” local companies we would get a better deal from Hillarys- but no. They quoted us £7k!!!
Anyway, my question is, will getting made to measure curtains from John Lewis be more reasonable? In anyone’s experience?
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chorister
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Re: Should curtains be this expensive?

Postby chorister » Thu Feb 28, 2019 10:17 pm

Why not get a quote from John Lewis and see?  It's not that hard.
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mummy2-3
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Re: Should curtains be this expensive?

Postby mummy2-3 » Thu Feb 28, 2019 11:09 pm

John Lewis are really expensive for curtains - I recommend trying Linda Jordan on elegant_98@hotmail.com her blinds and curtains are much more reasonable, she also gets a discount on fabrics and has an amazing fitter who comes and puts them up.

Good Luck!
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Nims
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Re: Should curtains be this expensive?

Postby Nims » Thu Feb 28, 2019 11:21 pm

Oh gosh no, that is a total rip off. I used Julie Stewart from House of Clancy Stewart - she looked round our place, sourced the materials, sent me swatches of her recommendations, I chose the final pieces for each room and she made them all up and had them fitted and it came to a total of around 3k (ish) which I thought was extremely reasonable for the all inclusive service I received. This was about 3 years ago now. She is absolutely lovely as well and she was recommended to me from another mum who had her curtains done by her. Hope those helps and good luck with it all!
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sloaney donkey
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Re: Should curtains be this expensive?

Postby sloaney donkey » Fri Mar 01, 2019 10:20 pm

yeah ... rip-off ... try buying direct on the internet. Buy a couple of pairs and see if you like them. Hillary's are expensive and no better quality, in my humble opinion

Shutters - there are two major manufacturers and most come from there. Buy from Hillarys and it could be £500, John Lewis and it could be £400, a local reputable tradesperson £300, or an agent who supplies them only £200 and maybe £50 to a friendly mate to put them up.

Curtains - they all come from the same factories, but it is far more fragmented. Shops will outsource to an importer who may source them direct from a manufacturer. Lead times from manufacturer might be 2-3 weeks. From tradesman 4-5 weeks and from John lewis 6-8 weeks. All come from the same place.

Basically, if you buy from a high street store, you have to pay their ridiculous rent that goes to landlords who squeeze every penny out of them, they do not have control as they are dealing with a middle man who sources from the factory so times can be much longer than dealing direct

Blinds UK are very good. Again, an importer, but lead times half John lewis, prices 1/2 Hillary's and 2/3rds John Lewis. Use this code t buy on a Sunday: www.blinds-uk.net/?sunday-extra-discount=15  they must be christians because they do this every sunday

Graham Sanderson interiors - good. John Lewis just buy from him a set of blinds that cost me £250, and John Lewis wanted £410 for the same thing (they bought from him). You are basically paying John lewis sloane square rent contributions £160.
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https://kitchenrevolutions.co.uk/
https://www.paintthetowngreen.biz/
https://speakingofinteriors.com/
http://www.emmagreendesign.com/
https://www.hurlinghamdevelopments.co.uk/
https://primesteam.co.uk/
https://maroconstruction.co.uk/
https://www.create-spaces.co.uk/
https://londondoor.co.uk
https://roundhousedesign.com/
bea_louis
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Re: Should curtains be this expensive?

Postby bea_louis » Mon Mar 04, 2019 8:01 am

Hi
I am a curtain maker and all my clients have told me about the bad experience they had in the past with John Lewis
Service is really bad , curtains don’t hang properly and all is very expensive. You will never get a personal service from them unlike small trade people.
If you want me to give me a quote for all your curtains do not hesitate to drop me a line
Look st my website for inspirations
www.mamaisondesign.co.uk
Regards
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Kirstie’s Mom
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Re: Should curtains be this expensive?

Postby Kirstie’s Mom » Mon Mar 04, 2019 8:22 am

I hate to say it but if you want nice curtains it is very expensive . That quote seems fair but I’d have to know the size of window , detail and amount of fabric. I just moved house and paid close to £50,000 for curtains for a 4bedroom , 1 reception room standard Victorian house. However the curtains are beautifully made and will last for ever . You get what you pay for .
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LifestyleMum
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Re: Should curtains be this expensive?

Postby LifestyleMum » Mon Mar 04, 2019 8:09 pm

upholstered.solutions, a local soft furnishings service can help you with your curtains. We accommodate all budgets for a first class quality.
Simply email upholstered.solutions@gmail.com or call 07912 207703 for a chat. Look forward to hearing from you.
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mum_1980
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Re: Should curtains be this expensive?

Postby mum_1980 » Tue Mar 05, 2019 12:40 pm

I had a good experience with John Lewis. They are not cheap but I had good customer service. My curtains arrived later than anticipated, then when they did arrive, the fitter told me, there was a tiny bit more fabric than there should be (it was hardly noticeable). Anyway, because of this, I got £500 off which I thought was sizeable. Yes, it didn't go completely to plan, but the staff were helpful and the curtains look fab. This was about eight years ago though. I would get a quote from them again, but I would also compare with independent curtain makers. Curtains are expensive especially if you are doing the whole house in one go, but they don't have to be eye wateringly expensive-  don't just go with your first quote...
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https://www.create-spaces.co.uk/
https://maroconstruction.co.uk/
https://roundhousedesign.com/
https://primesteam.co.uk/
Annsw80
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Re: Should curtains be this expensive?

Postby Annsw80 » Fri Mar 15, 2019 6:02 pm

I also had a good experience with John Lewis. Not the cheapest by any stretch but very good service.
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RoofDoof
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Re: Should curtains be this expensive?

Postby RoofDoof » Sat Oct 30, 2021 7:20 pm

"Why not get a quote from John Lewis and see? It's not that hard" It is actually. They have an online system for booking quotations but then they send you an email after about a week telling you that if you don't ring back in 24 hours, they will cancel the booking. Friendly, no? It's arranged at the local branch but they refuse to give out local branch phone numbers. The wait time on their main customer service line is about 20-30minutes listening to mind numbing Muzak and then the person you speak to is usually clueless. 50/50 they will transfer you to someone with equal gorm levels. I had to fight to stay calm an patient while I used every negotiation skill I have to get them to transfer me to the branch. I succeeded only to be told by a very bored sounding customer service lady with fairly poor English that when they come over, they won't bring samples (most indy companies will happily do this) which forces you to take a day out to go to JL to see the samples. What is the point of a visit if you have to do that? It is a 2nd class service. Also, JL's range of poles and track are junk compared with what most indy companies offer. And they are NOT cheaper. And if they get something wrong, good luck arranging something on repair.
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Ramaboo
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Re: Should curtains be this expensive?

Postby Ramaboo » Mon Nov 01, 2021 6:03 pm

I've used John Lewis in a Victorian bay window. They were ok, pretty good overall but not as good as the others I bought from Pret a Vivre (Fulham, Wandsworth Bridge road) They were great from start to finish - not cheap but i'm normally a cheapskate and I went back to them when I moved and needed more.

If you want floor length or have slightly asymmetrical windows, sometimes you need decent curtains, othertimes online sellers are totally fine.  (I have a streetlamp right outside window so needed very close fitting blackout, and I'm glad I didn't try to measure and buy online. 

They measured, supplied and fit for less than the cost of doing it myself from Loaf (maybe £1300/£1400 for one large bay window, thick curtains to the floor)
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chabela007
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Re: Should curtains be this expensive?

Postby chabela007 » Mon Nov 08, 2021 8:34 am

I don’t think the quote is unreasonable for a house and don’t believe JL will be much cheaper plus as others said lead times will be long.
If you want good quality and good fitters it’s not cheap. I used curtain workshop in Balham for mine and very happy with the quality and fitting.
If price is the main factor you could always get several quotes and make a decision based on that. Likewise if you’ve got friends or family who can help with fitting you’ll definitely save as there’re always cheap fabrics
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http://www.hurlinghamdevelopments.co.uk/
http://www.ayrtonbespoke.com/
https://kitchenrevolutions.co.uk/
https://speakingofinteriors.com/

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