Blindsgalore launches Canadian site

Launched on July 1st, 2011, Blindsgalore Canada is now open for business.  This new website offers a great selection of high-quality, custom window treatments from top brands, at low online prices.  Plus, just like in the U.S., Blindsagalore.ca offers free shipping and samples on all of it products. This online model of window treatments shopping offers significant savings for consumers over traditional brick and mortar stores.  Additionally, it offers those Canadians that live in rural areas a highly convenient and affordable shopping option.

Blindsgalore.ca offers a comprehensive selection of window blinds and shades from Bali, Graber as well as their own signature brand.  All products are custom made, that is they are manufactured based on the exact measurements of the customer.  This means that they fit better and work better.

Compared to its online competitors, Blindsgalore offers a different sales model, wherein they offer everyday low prices, as opposed to an endless cycle of sales promotions.  This allows customers to get the best price when they are ready to purchase, rather than waiting for the next big sale.  Blindsgalore occasionally runs a promotion that offers an additional 10% off their already low prices, and Blindsgalore.ca launched with just such a deal.

This blog post will is a simple “how to” measure your windows for inside mounted blinds and shades.  Knowing how to do this will help you save a lot of money.  How?  Because if you can DIY, you can take advantage of much lower prices available through online vendors of made to measure blinds; They are, by far, the lowest cost option – cheaper than even the big box stores.

What you’ll need:

A paper and pen and a steel tape measure. If your window is up high, you will need a ladder. Pretty simple.

Tips:  Before you start measuring, remember to round to the nearest 1/8 inch.  Do NOT take any additional deductions from your measurements, the manufacturer will make the necessary deductions.

Here’s how:

Measure the width first, in three places:  the top, middle and bottom.  Write down all three measurements.  Select the SMALLEST measurement.

Measure the height next, in three places: the left, center and right. Write down all three measurements.  Select the LONGEST measurement.

Now that you have your width and height, there’s one last thing you should check. For inside-mounted window treatments, it is important that you are aware of your mounting depth.  As a final step, measure the depth from the outer edge of your window casing to the window itself.  Every blind or shade has different sized headrails, the operating mechanism at the top of the blind or shade.  For example, if your mounting depth is 2 inches and the headrail of your blind or shade is 2 1/2 inches, then it’s going to stick.  Just be aware.

Also, make sure there are no other obstacle in the window casing, like alarm sensors, locking mechanisms, etc.  These will interfere with the operation of your blind or shade.

When you are ready to select your window treatments, take a quick peek at the products “specifications.”  This will give you the minimum mounting depth information and tell you whether or not your blind or shade will fit “flush” or stick-out.

Stardecorating has got this in spades

Star Decorating has actually been around a while.  Actually in one form or another, they’ve been around since 1985!  The site sells custom window treatments and area rugs. The site’s tag line is “Your Online Home-Furnishing Superstore!”  Don’t know if selling blinds and rugs qualifies them as a superstore, but let’s not start arguing semantics…

Anyways, there’s nothing terribly amazing about what they offer; nothing terribly amazing about the website either.  It looks like a site that was developed in the middle/late 1990s.  What is notable about the website are the prices and their selection of brands.  If you are looking for a great deal on name-brand, made to measure blinds and shades, and don’t need any fancy graphics and glossy images – then this is your online blinds retailer. Seriously.

Stardecorating offers just about every major manufacturer of window treatments worth noting:  Bali blinds, Levolor, Kirsch, Graber and M&B. They also offer their own signature line.  They even offer an express line of window treatments wherein you can get your order in 3 days…

Basically, Stardecorating fills the niche of those customer who more or less, already know what they want and are price shopping.  It’s unlikely you’re going to find an online retailer with lower prices than this company.  That said, they still offer customer service by phone, as well as free shipping and samples.  So, Stardecorating sure could use a better site. But it appears they opted not to spend the money, and instead run a lean operation so they could pass the savings onto you.  Based on what I’ve seen, the tag line on their home page should be, “No Frills, Just Deals!”  Now that’s an accurate statement.