If you are looking to spruce up your home with a new window dressing, there are many to choose from depending on your budget
Here is a selection of indicative costs from windows we’ve dressed over the years. You’ll see the cost of curtains, roman blinds, vertical blinds, roller blinds and more. But before we dive into specific figures, here is some general advice on choosing window dressings.
Off the shelf or custom-made curtains and blinds?
With a limited budget, you might buy a pole from a DIY shop, choose off-the-shelf curtains and hang them yourself. But you may end up with a dressing that doesn’t quite fit.
If your budget allows, many retailers offer a bespoke service for your precise measurements. They carry a wide range of fabrics and the order can arrive within a few weeks. But you then need to fit the window dressing yourself. Similarly, you’ll find many on-line sites selling blinds and curtains – you provide the measurements and within a few days, your blind will arrive. Most suppliers’ web-sites show how to measure accurately, so follow this advice and you’ll be fine.
With an even larger budget, you can select your own fabric and take it to a curtain-maker. The advantage is that you choose any fabric you like, and the dressing will fit perfectly. You should ask the curtain-maker to measure and hang too, as they will have all the right tools and fixings and experience to overcome installation problems.
Curtains or blinds, or both?
Because blinds use less fabric, you might choose a more expensive material for these, and spend less on the curtains – this works well in combination, because a plain curtain frames the more exquisite blind, allowing it to stand out.
In addition to the size and number of windows, other factors that affect the cost, include hand or machine stitching, the type of pleat, and whether lined or interlined. This French pleat gathers nicely and creates more uniform folds when drawn, but is more expensive to produce than a simple pencil pleat.
More ornate dressings include swags and tails; in this example we actually removed these curtains to create a more contemporary design. But the previous owners clearly wanted to set off this Georgian apartment with a period window dressing.
Finally, don’t forget any holdbacks, tie-backs, tassels and hooks to dress your curtains when open. The embrace needs to be large enough to hold back the curtain, allowing it to hang naturally without looking squashed.
Cost of window dressing
The prices below are for budgetary guidance only, estimated at 2023 equivalent prices. Being bespoke in one way or another, using designer fabrics, these examples are at the expensive end of the market.
Cost of curtains and roman blinds
Sitting room roman blinds and dress curtains. Cost of window dressing:
Long silk roman blinds x 4: £3200
Dress curtains: £1700
Fitting, includes making and covering the fascia, hang and dress curtains: £520
Total: £5420 + VAT
Roman blind and mechanism
Fabric: £450
Make and fit: £330
Total: £880 + VAT
Bedroom Curtains (note goblet pleat and the neat, efficient folds that this creates): £1500
Blind in high-end fabric: £1350, including fabric covered fascia and deluxe mechanism
Fitting: £650
Total: £3500 + VAT
Drawing room – 3 roman blinds in mid-range fabric, includes covered pelmets and delux headrail: £1600 + VAT per blind
Bedroom curtains – velvet, lined, with french pleated heading (fabric £620; making £390): total £1010
Roman Blind (2.3m wide) – black out lining (fabric £300; making £325): total £625
Curtain pole and rope tie backs (pole £275; tie backs £100): total £375
Fitting: £200
Total: £2200 + VAT
Bedroom roman blinds and mechanisms x 3: £3350
Bedroom curtains x 3 pairs: £2400
Poles and holdbacks: £750
Includes fitting
Total: £6500 + VAT
Master bedroom – 5 roman blinds (one not visible to window on extreme left of photo) with deluxe mechanisms: £1850+VAT inc fitting
More generally, bespoke roman blinds tend to range from £350 – £650 + VAT each, depending on fabric and size.
Cost of Roller Blinds
This roller blind has a matching cassette cover: £380 + VAT inc fitting
Hot pink roller blind: £150 + VAT inc fitting
Bathroom roller blind with bespoke image of Manhattan from supplied photograph: £380 + VAT inc fitting
Cost of Pleated Blinds
Duette honeycomb pleated blackout blinds with smart cords (so no dangling strings): £380 + VAT each single blind.
Duette honeycombe pleated blinds without smart cords (needs smaller cassette to fit narrower bay) and smaller blinds to the above: £310 +VAT each single blind.
Cost of vertical blinds
Vertical blind, 2.3m x 1.2m: £310 + VAT
Vertical Blind: £750 + VAT (includes fitting) 3m x 2.1m
For pricing information on more general home improvement topics, read our page on home renovation costs.
