A Deep Dive Into Buying Window Blinds

Let’s take a look at the residential window blind world.

There are two major manufacturers of blinds:

1. Springs Window Fashions

   1. Owned by a private equity firm

   2. Consumer brand is “Bali”. Often associated with Home Depot.

   3. “Dealer Only” brand is “Graber”. These products have a lifetime warranty.

   4. They have other US brands including Horizons, Mariak, Vitale

   5. Based out of Wisconsin. If you recall from our article on electrical generators, many manufacturers are based in WI.

2. Hunter Douglas

   1. 75% owned by the private equity firm 3G Capital

   2. Consumer brand is Levilor. Often associated with Lowes.

   3. “Dealer Only brand is Hunter Douglass. These products have a lifetime warranty.

   4. They have other US brands including Luxaflex, Duette, Silhouette, Vignette, Pirouette, Luminette, Enduris, Nano, Platinum, Facette, QuadroClad, Luxalon, and 3form

   5. A Dutch company with US headquarters in New York, but manufactured throughout the US

Some interesting “connections” in the blind products world include:

• “Blinds.com” is owned by Home Depot. Heavy google ads activity.

• “Selectblinds.com” is owned by Hunter Douglas. Heavy google ads activity.

• You can only buy Graber and Hunter Douglas branded blinds from Dealers

• There are many online retailers of blinds who are simply “branding” generic foreign (cheaply) made blinds. You’ll notice they use the same “custom build tool” on their websites.

Final Thoughts

Be careful out there when buying blinds!

Here are a few tips to guide you along:

• Shop around. Whether you are buying directly, or through a dealer. Get multiple quotes.

• A lot of online retailers play the “Bed Bath and Beyond game” of high prices but many many random huge discount “sales”!

• Know who you are buying from. See the weird connections above.

• Pay attention to mounting space requirement specifications before buying.

• Really understand how big the blind headrail is (the piece at the top, and whether that is going to look “right” in your room. Cordless blinds made these headrails much larger than corded blinds.

• Don’t forget about the tax credits discussed HERE.

• Be super careful when measuring, OR, higher a local dealer to take the risk!

Weekly Maintenance Reminder - Cleaning Window Blinds

Window blinds are an often overlooked cleaning chore.

Your blinds can attract a lot of dust. Blinds near sinks and kitchens often become coated in a thin layer of grease.

A few tips for cleaning window blinds

1. Use a brush vacuum attachment to first vacuum off all the dust from the blind.

2. For non-fabric blinds, spray the blinds with a degreasing style cleaner before wiping with a microfiber cloth or rag.

3. For fabric blinds, use a damp microfiber cloth to wipe the fabric of all loose debris.

4. Dry clean or wash fabric curtains which can be removed.

Sweden Awesome Homes For Sale

Here are a few examples of some amazing homes from the northern European country of Sweden. Do these homes reflect the style of IKEA furniture?

1. Country Garden Property - Southeastern Sweden

   Over 10,000 square feet of country living space. Asking about $5 million. With 14 bedrooms and 10 bathrooms, there will be plenty of room for your guests. Check out the amazing greenhouse!

   Check It Out Here

1. Urban Villa in Malmo - Just East of Copenhagen

   About 2,000 square feet . Asking about $1 million. With an amazing patio, wood burning stove and plenty of natural light, this is a relaxing environment near the heart of Sweden.

The content of this newsletter is for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Always perform your own due diligence before making any financial decisions. There are no sponsors of this newsletter.