Blinds and shades are as necessary as good sunglasses. Despite every New Yorker's desire to have big windows and lots of sunlight, curtains and/or shades are so important not only for style, but also for tempering the energy from the outside world as it flows into your home. Which doesn't mean you need to cover your windows too much. Sheer curtains that rest at the side of your windows and solar shades are great solutions. To take care of the blinds or shades, we recommend Blinds & Beyond on 13th street. Holly and Dennis Cappella run their own shop. They will help you select what you need from their sample selection and then measure and install your blinds or shades personally. Specializing in wooden blinds, solar shades, woven wood shades, and sheer and blackout roller shades, they work with motorized mounts, cornices and draperies as well. Problems? I haven't run across any yet. The Cappella's are super nice and on the ball, and can quote you a price and schedule installation usually within a week. As for price, shades and blinds with installation will cost you (I was quoted $175 for the roller blinds I chose and $260 for the solar shades), but the result and lack of labor make it worth it.
If you want to do it yourself, I recommend the budget shades from Janovic Plaza, which will run you $50-60 a piece and will take some careful measuring.
Thanks for showcasing smaller businesses. Chain stores, while offering cheap stuff, are ruining the fabric of our communities. They outsource jobs to China, destroying the "Mom and Pop" businesses that keep our neighborhoods human.
hi my name is Chris Fiedorowicz i`m a blind and drape installer and curently looking for a job my
phone number is 347-693-0619
I ordered from Blinds and Beyond, and a week into the process (admittedly very late), I changed my mind about the color I wanted. I called the owner and asked him if I could get a different color, and he said I could. Alas, when he brought the blinds, they were in the original color. He apologized, said he had sent in a revision to the order, and promised to get back to me in a few days. This was months ago, and I have not heard anything. My blinds are nice, though they were no bargain, and I actually like the color. But I wish the owner had been straight with me.
After struggling for over two years to figure out what kind of blinds would work in my apartment, I went to Blinds & Beyond where Dennis solved my problems in five minutes. They are a bit pricy, but for the piece of mind (measuring) and convenience (installation), I was more than happy to pay.
On the installation front, Holly was very accomodating of my schedule, offering a Saturday installation and then coming up with a before work time slot that allowed me to get my blinds asap.
Great customer service, great product and the joy of supporting nice people in a small business. A+.
They are super nice, helpful, with no pressure involved. Good advice when asked, and by the way, their prices are very reasonable for such personal service. Forget Janovic or designers! They can get you the same or similar product at an honest price.
Blinds and Beyond are very professional, easy to deal with and a very good deal for what they offer. Their product recommendations, installation and service have been excellent.
Need quality installers with 10 years plus of experience, call Joe @516-858-6538.
Had a wonderful experience with Blinds and Beyond and recommend them highly. Holly and Dennis are at the top of their game and very easy to work with, in addition to being really nice people. I shopped Janovic, Silk Trading/ABC and a couple of places in Soho. I went with Blinds and Beyond based on a recommendation from this site and a gut feeling. From my initial showroom visit to the final installation, I knew I made the right choice. Today, I have great blinds throughout my apartment. I seriously recommend them to everyone I know...you won't be disappointed.
I had the worst experience with Blinds & Beyond. The installation was poorly done, the shades started fraying badly, one of my clutches broke, and Dennis stopped returning my phone calls long ago. I paid a premium to support this small business recommendation but was greatly disappointed by the workmanship and honesty of this shop.
I'm looking for window treatments and this info was really helpful. I have to say that the work in their photo gallery looks really sloppy, and that must be the best they've done. I'm taking the good reviews with a big grain of salt....