hungryhorace

Hello!

Now the worst winter in recorded history is started to leave us here in Boston, I'm starting to begin the repairs to our house.

As part of the repairs, I'd like to replace our curtains to match our new paint colours. However, as there is no John Lewis here, I am at a loss where to go for good quality curtains.

IKEA / JC Penney / Bed Bath and Beyond are all junk, so they are out. Any recommendations / ideas?

joto

Find an interior designer or something similar and get them custom made to your specs. That would be ok if you plan on staying in your house for quite a while, otherwise the BB&B, JC's and Ikea would be it. Target, Kohl's, Sears and Macy's do curtains, but those would likely come under your "cheap junk" category as well.

kins

Online - Pottery Barn, West Elm, Smith & Noble, Room & Board, Crate & Barrel.

Weeze

My friend got excellent ones from etsy.

GeoffM

No idea where you are or whether these are chains but:
- Jo-Ann Fabrics
- Michael's
- Hobby Lobby
- Anna's Linens
Not necessary off-the-shelf / ready-made though.

Nutmegger

Not a personal recommendation as I don't do curtains, but I understand that Ethan Allen are supposed to be good:

Drapery | Ethan Allen

Duncan Roberts

I'm impressed with the pottery barn ones. Not cheap but nice quality. We just bought a couple of additional sets because the first lot we're so nice.

hungryhorace

Thanks everyone. I've just phoned an interior designer who said she can manufacture bespoke curtains. We didn't plan to do this so soon after our house purchase but as everything's being taken care of with the insurance we thought now would be as good a time as ever.

Thanks again!

Orangepants

We had drapes made for the living room and the master bedroom. The living room ones are fabulous and the amount of material (fullness) was perfect - about 2.5. The bedroom ones I wasn't as hands on and the guy made them so full (must be about 3.5) that they looked ridiculous. I had to get them altered. So not only did I pay way too much for them in material cost but the guy was a complete a**hole about altering them.

I should have stayed with the original woman.

scrubbedexpat091

Other then price, I cannot for the life of me see the difference between normal curtains and expensive curtains, all look the same to me.

markonline1

I used to think that. Till I started working nights!

hungryhorace

Try finding some decent black out curtains that aren't 'expensive'. Unfortunately good quality in this area comes at a cost. Like Mark says, getting a good nights sleep involves a completely dark room for me.

Weeze

I used to be like that. It made most hotels dreadful. Over the course of a few months I gradually started letting a little light in. Now we just have blinds and hotels are much more pleasent.

lizzyq

A blackout blind gives the option of choosing lighter weight curtains and the combination gives better thermal insulation.

hungryhorace

Completely agreed. We have blinds installed so maybe we won't need black our curtains. Just depends on the cost really.