Impress Blinds

Made-to-measure blinds, curtains and shutters from a West Yorkshire workshop

Impress Blinds produces made-to-measure window dressings that are hand-finished at its own workshop in West Yorkshire. The company presents itself as handling the whole process in-house: an advisor visits the customer's home with the range, measures each window and prices the job on the spot, and the finished order is later installed by the firm's own fitters. Measuring and fitting are included, and every blind, shutter and motor carries a one-year guarantee.

Product range

The catalogue is organised into three main families, each with its own sub-types:

• Blinds: roller, vertical, wooden, Roman, Venetian and electric models.
• Curtains: made-to-measure drapes and headings.
• Shutters: full-height, café and shaped designs.

Within blinds, the site also groups options by room, with dedicated sections for bathroom, bedroom, children's, kitchen and living room windows. Named collections featured as the ranges its fitters hang most often are Illusions, Alba, Amara, Serenity and Vista.

Blackout and light control

A specific line of the range addresses blackout needs. The blackout fabrics are coated to block light and are fitted tight to the recess to keep it out. The company states that its advisors will indicate when a room requires side channels or an outside-recess fit to achieve proper darkness, for example in bedrooms affected by street lighting, early summer mornings or nurseries used for daytime naps.

How the service works

The process is presented in three stages. First, the customer books an appointment for a day that suits them, at no cost and with no obligation to buy. Second, the advisor brings the full range to the home, helps choose for each window, takes precise measurements and provides a quote during the visit. Third, once the order is manufactured, the company's own fitter installs it, squares it up and removes the packaging.

Customers can order free swatches, choosing up to five colours to see during the home visit. The company says it offers more than 1,000 fabrics and finishes, from bright cottons to blackout faux-woods. A phone-based measuring tool gives an approximate window size as a rough guide to cost; the measurement used for manufacturing is the one taken by the advisor during the appointment.

Manufacturing and guarantees

Impress Blinds states that every blind, curtain and shutter is crafted in its UK workshop and hand-finished there. The firm describes its fitters as direct employees, fully insured, and presents the one-year guarantee as covering every blind, shutter and motor it fits. It also mentions aftercare by telephone for adjustments. A price promise is listed among its commitments.

Coverage and payment

Advisors run fitting routes across England from the West Yorkshire workshop, and the site invites visitors to check their postcode to see the days fitters are in their area. Finance options are available, with the advisor explaining the alternatives during the appointment. Seasonal promotions on selected blinds, shutters and curtains run through the year, and the advisor applies whatever offer is live on the day of the visit.

Guides and case studies

The website includes a library of 63 buying guides organised into categories such as buying advice, comparisons, measuring and fitting, room by room, and care, safety and warmth. Topics covered include choosing between blinds, curtains and shutters, blackout performance, measuring for recess and exact fits, and curtain headings (pencil, pinch, eyelet and wave). There is also a gallery of installed projects with case studies, including faux-wooden venetians in a modern townhouse, linen Romans in a country kitchen and blackout rollers in a loft bedroom.