Review of Smith & Noble Blinds

When we purchased our new home we had a six month old baby. Needless to say, we didn’t care if our window coverings were made of paper bags or the best curtains money could buy. The fabric roman shades left behind by the previous owner were off-white and very boring, but good enough not to notice for years.

When they finally got too dirty to ignore we decided to replace them with new solar shades from smith & noble shade store.  I had heard Smith & Noble custom window treatments advertising on several of my favorite podcasts, including The Happiness Project (one of my favorite authors).

Smith & Noble Solar shades

I wanted custom window shades that let in as much light as possible because our house tends to be dark. They have a line called Roller Solar Shades that are supposed to reduce the heat that gets through, while allowing the light to come in. That’s exactly what I needed. I decided to get new shades in my living room and my son’s bedroom using these solar shades.

I ordered a few free swatches of fabric (out of a total of 61 options available), since this is a big investment for me. I decided to go with Essentials/ Egret (above on the left) for my living room because I wanted something very clean and simple. For my son’s room I chose a different style, Duality/white which is almost a small hounds-tooth pattern with blue and white (above on the right). The pattern is so small that it’s almost invisible.

The Measuring Process

When you place an order they send someone out to measure, which I normally do myself. This was a new experience for me. I’m used to making drapes, or at the very least ordering standard sizes. The person who showed up to measure was on time and very fast.

After they confirm your measurements they send you a quote, including any additional hardware that the measurer deems necessary to make the blinds work in your space, like extension brackets and bracket covers.

THE INSTALLATION PROCESS

The blinds took about a month to be made and shipped. The best part is that the same person that measured the blinds came back to install them. He was familiar with all of the windows since he had taken the measurements. The entire process of installation took just minutes and he did a fantastic job. Overall it was a great experience. I’m really happy with the way they look and operate. 

Smith and Noble Solar shades

They do provide perfect privacy, while letting in a lot of light during the day. The only downside is that at night, if you have a light on in your room and it’s dark outside other people can see in, not clearly but they can see outlines.

The blinds are very easy to operate and one of the key features is they have no cords, which I LOVE. They raise and lower very smoothly with no cords that hang down. 

They seem to be very high quality and I highly recommend them. The whole experience was very pleasant and the installer was very professional. I would buy again IF it’s a house I plan to stay in for a while. To give you some idea about pricing, my windows ranged in price from $245 to $293.

This is not an advertisement and I’m not being compensated for any opinions in this post.

smith and noble shades

curtains and blinds

I purchased new blinds that were the roller shades, but Smith & Noble offers a wide variety of window coverings that fit any home decor:

  • drapes
  • blinds both wood blinds and faux wood blinds
  • shutters both wood shutters and faux wood shutters
  • shades including cellular shades, honeycomb shades and wood shades
  • hardware.

They also have remote control shades.

Based on my first experience with the company I would definitely be willing to try their other products.

If you are looking for custom shades or blinds at a lower price read this article about where to find custom roman shades on a budget. If you want more help with how to measure your windows and find shades that fit, check out this post.

Smith & Noble shades

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11 Comments

  1. Did the roller solar shades have a bad chemical smell/off gassing? We ordered another brand and had to remove them as it was intolerable.

    1. We didn’t notice any bad smells at all. I guess one possible solution would be to unwrap them and leave them outdoors for a few days (if you haven’t returned them already).

    2. Do you know how to wash them? Thank you

      1. These can’t be washed. The best way to clean them is with a vacuum with an upholstery attachment. If there is a spill you can spot-clean them in place. I hope this helps.

        Andrea

  2. Could the drapery Smith and Nobles be washed in the washer with cold water

    1. I don’t have the drapes I only have the shades and they should not be washed in the washer. Only vacuumed and or spot cleaned.

      I hope this helps.

      Andrea

  3. hi. do you mind sharing the item number of your colors? I am not able to find them by searching for the name. Thank you

    1. Kelly,

      Thanks for your question. I checked my order and the color was 17302 (Essentials/ Egret). They have fantastic customer service.

      Andrea

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