Consumers have many choices when it comes to various products. It’s America and there are plenty of places to shop. First it was the big box stores opening and then the internet. We do not know what the future holds, but one thing is certain. Consumers represent 70% of the purchases made in America so there is a lot of “pie” to go around. Where does one turn when it comes down to window treatments?? Yes, the internet and big box stores sell them, but so do a lot of small business owners.
One needs to evaluate several things when deciding where to shop. Probably the first two and most important things are your lifestyle and how you want your home to look and the other is budget. Custom window treatments and especially drapery panels and valances are all hand crafted. Drapery panels come in various pleating styles allowing for unique looks depending on one’s 
taste. Is your home traditional, transitional or contemporary? Can one get the unique look by going to a store or the internet and buying something already premade? The answer is no. Ready made products are made to certain sizes and when it comes to windows, the sizes can vary greatly. A readymade will get your window looking close, but it just is not the same as custom. If budget is your concern and you have limited dollars to spend on a window(say less than $100 a window), then custom is just not going to work for you especially in draperies and valances.
When it comes to blinds, shades, and shutters for windows, use a reputable company that orders the product and made to fit your window. Hunter Douglas and Comfortex Window Fashions are two blind , shade and shutter companies who continue to manufacture most if not all of their products in the United States. They sell two and 2 ½ blinds, but what they have done is transform the market over the past 10 to 15 years offering products that are shall we say “soft” in nature allowing a look of drapery but still considered part of the blind and shade market.
Decide what you want in style and have a good idea for a budget and this should help one navigate the waters to find the right place to purchase your custom window treatments.
