When choosing the best custom made curtains, it's a good idea to check out several upholstery or drapery shops that provide this service. Picking a skilled custom curtain maker is important; you should be able to examine samples of his or her work as well as check references from satisfied customers. Be aware that if you're not sure of the curtain style, color and material you want, the samples of custom made curtains in a particular shop are likely to be a good indication of what the designer may suggest to you.
If you're not impressed by a custom curtain company's samples, it's best to move on to other shops. After all, if you're going to the trouble of getting curtains custom made for your home, it's likely that you'll want to get years of use out of them. Unless you really love the design, construction, material and overall look of the custom made curtains, you'll be unlikely to feel that you got your money's worth.
In many cases, if you are confident about the business and its quality custom curtain work, but are not particularly enamored by the material choices it has, you may be able to buy your own textiles from a fabric store. Many custom curtain businesses will work the pricing out for customers who want only the designing and sewing services rather than also choosing fabric from that specific company. Make sure that the custom curtain maker you choose has experience working with the type of fabric you choose though, whether that is silk, denim, cotton or a synthetic material.
Designer curtains that you love can make a great style statement in your home, so take your time in making decisions about fabrics and styles. Many types of design companies today use computer programs that can allow you to get a realistic look of different options. With these types of software programs, it's possible to view your basic window type with custom curtains of different looks and materials placed on it to help you get a better idea of what to choose.
Since custom made curtains generally cost more than ready-made versions, consider the labor costs as well as the materials. If the design is very simple, you may be better off value-wise to make the curtains yourself, unless your sewing skills are really poor or you don't have a machine to produce even-looking hems. Oftentimes, the best way to handle the value aspect of getting custom curtains made is to first decide on a few style options and get quotes, with the type of fabric to be used, from different businesses who want to do the job.