It takes two, baby!

There can be magic in a duet… Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell*, Neil Diamond & Barbra Streisand, Peter Gabriel & Kate Bush, Renée & Renato (ok, perhaps not the last example). But the other perfect pairings bring together the unique character and contrasting strengths of two different voices to create an effect which is greater than the sum of its parts.

The same can be said of interior design. With over 30 years’ experience of providing blinds and other shading solutions to homes across the UK, we at Appeal know that every design has its pros and cons. Our design consultants are trained to lay out those facts and we are not one of those companies to push a solution that does not suit your needs. In fact, at times, when there’s a dilemma – say, you’re torn between the look of one product and the insulating properties of another – we can often find a combination that gives you the best of both. So, let’s have the combo convo…

Perfect Pairings

Blinds + Curtains

Many of our customers, especially in period homes, are attracted to the convenience and effectiveness of blinds – the control they give you over light, heat and privacy in any room – but feel that curtains look right in the setting. Particularly in a bay window, a combination of blinds against the window itself, with a curtain across the recess entrance, works very well. Appeal offers several speciality blinds – Honeycomb Energy Saver, AluPleat® and Solar R® rollers –  with particularly effective insulation properties, reflecting the cold on winter nights, or the excessive heat of direct sunlight.

Alternatively, because Appeal offers a fully bespoke service, you can elegantly frame the window with curtain panels but actually use Roman blinds (in the matching or a complementary fabric) for the effective shading.

Most of our Roman blinds, Pleated blinds, Roller blinds and Venetian blinds are available with the ULTRA® and ULTRA PLUS® Smart Blinds – rechargable powered blinds with one-touch control (or app and voice command control with ULTRA PLUS®) and no cables or cords. That makes complicated combinations simple to use.

Shutters + Blinds

Wooden window shutters are a sophisticated addition to windows, offering a traditional means of light control (by angling the slats) but fitting both period and contemporary homes alike. And Appeal shutters are beautifully made – from sustainable hardwood, slow-cured in a kiln to resist warping, built with durable mortise and tenon joints, and hand-finished with multiple layers of paint or varnish. They can be combined with a Honeycomb Energy Saver blind with blackout coating to add an extra thermal and light barrier at night.

You can also combine Informal Café shutters – which cover the lower half of a window – with your choice of blind for the top half (or running the length of the window behind the shutters). This is ideal for ground floor rooms – allowing sunlight in but giving you privacy during the day, with full shading after dark.

Blinds + Blinds

It’s also possible, depending on the circumstances, to have two blind systems on the same window. For example, you can have pleated blinds fitted directly to the panes. Translucent ones provide a gentle light suffusing the room; a blackout option gives you the opposite effect; or choose a bright colour for extra pop in the decor. Then overlay Roman blinds in your choice of hundreds of patterns, for an aesthetic flourish and extra sound insulation. Ask your design consultant what is possible at a no-obligation appointment.

Room Combinations

Not all great combinations have to be as close as the same window (Patti Labelle and Michael McDonald recorded their hit duet ‘On My Own’ just as the title suggests!). In one room, a single shading solution might not be the answer.

• You might choose full-length curtains for French windows but find that matching Roman blinds are more suitable for the window in the same room.
• For sliding and bi-fold doors, Appeal offers a state-of-the-art alternative to curtains – Finestra. These are elegant hanging vanes of voile material. You can step between the vanes, and they rotate between sheer and opaque settings. These combine well with Roller blinds on side windows, ClearView lantern roof blinds for overhead glass, or any number of other options.
• In garden rooms, the natural materials of wooden shutters and Original French Pinoleum (handmade from wood reed strips) combine beautifully to give you a room full of dappled light and a tropical feel (complete with hurricane outside, if recent weather is anything to go by).
  

  

It’s all about the details

Appeal has been making blinds for over 30 years, and we are always developing and improving our products. An important issue is child safety and we are aware that blinds cords can pose a danger.

We offer a range of products which remove the risk… notably, our ULTRA Smart Blinds range – battery-powered, remote-controlled blinds do away with the cord (and mains wiring) entirely. The same is true for tensioned pleated and slow-rise roller blinds. We can also provide crank- or pole-operated blinds.

However, if you opt for blinds which require a loop cord, rest assured the following safety features are fitted:

• Breakaway connectors that come apart when subjected to pressure
• Cleats to tie off any hanging cords 1.5m above the floor level
• Tensioning devices to keep looped cords secure

Real News vs Fake Reviews

Appeal is proud to announce that we have been honoured with one of the first Platinum Trusted Service Awards from Feefo – the truly independent customer review site.

Now, some readers may take that news with a pinch of salt. After Which? – the Consumers’ Association – revealed the scale of organised fake online reviews, the UK Government (Competition and Markets Authority) has launched an enquiry into the problem. Appeal fully endorses the fight against fake reviews – and that is why we are signed up to Feefo.

With Feefo, only genuine, verified customers can leave a rating and review. No third party has access and we at Appeal have no way of influencing the reviews, which you can see – without editing – on our site. Because of that, occasionally, you will see a negative review … but you will also see our response and efforts to resolve any issue. However (sorry to be smug), the vast majority of what you will see are positive reviews.

Those genuine positive reviews are what have earned Appeal the Feefo Gold Trusted Service Award for the last five years – and we have long seen this as a badge of honour, as unbeatable service is as important to us as the highest quality products. Now, Feefo has introduced a higher accolade, Platinum Trusted, only awarded to those who consistently reach the required standard for three years.

*P.S. To any Motown superfans – we know ‘It Takes Two’ was by Gaye and Kim Weston, but Marvin & Tammi were the ultimate duet pairing!