Custom Design Consultations

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Benefit from over 20 years of interior design and blind manufacturing experience with our customised consultation process

Planning a new build or renovation? Our 3-step process for successfully planning customised Window Furnishings starts with a Design Consultation with one of our experienced design team. This consultation will ensure your window furnishings are integrated seamlessly into your home from the design phase rather than in a rush towards the end of your build.

STEP 1.

UNDERTAKE YOUR CUSTOM WINDOW FURNISHING DESIGN CONSULTATION

WHY DO WE RECOMMEND DESIGN CONSULTATIONS SPECIFICALLY FOR WINDOW FURNISHINGS?

We recommend having a Window Furnishing Design Consultation during the design phase of your project to help you clarify the best Window Furnishing options for your home. Avoid confusion – set a clear goal for your window treatments from the start of your build.

This means you can then plan the fun aspects, such as fabrics and colours, later on with a clear understanding of what you want for your new home or renovation. No compromises.

Just like you’ve engaged your architect to create a unique design for you, we can help you make sure you’ve expertly planned for your window furnishings inside and outside your new home or renovation. Giving the same level of consideration to your window furnishings ensures they won’t just look amazing but will help to make sure your home is beautiful to live in too.

We are often asked to do this consultation with your architect, which we love as they can then include all of the details and fixings required for your proposed window furnishings into your working drawings and specifications for your builder and electrician, avoiding costly revisions and changes during your build.

Window Furnishings help you manage LIGHT | PRIVACY | ENERGY EFFICIENCY and can make a significant impact on the comfort and aesthetics of your home.

Too often we get calls 6 weeks out from move in day looking for window treatments. It’s not too late to get standard blinds and sheers but if you are hoping to have better than that and are considering things like hard-wired motorisation, recessed pelmets, concealed curtain tracks or decorative tracks holding heavy drapery, external blinds, outdoor awnings or automation to control your blinds and curtains your options may now be limited or compromised.

WHAT DO WE DO DURING A WINDOW FURNISHING DESIGN CONSULTATION?

We review your plans with you, discussing how rooms will be used, how they might be furnished and find out a bit about you and your design preferences.

We talk about the pros and cons of different options and what we think will work best in your spaces.

A design consultation will last 60-90 minutes in our showroom giving us plenty of time to carefully consider your project. We don’t offer the same cookie cutter solutions to all of our clients. The SOM Blinds team is here to provide you with a truly custom-designed premium window furnishing proposal. Our team is available to work with you from design through to delivery.

WHAT DO YOU GET FROM US?

You’ll come away with a Custom Window Furnishings Design Proposal outlining our recommendations for the ideal window treatments for your home based on our discussions with you. A bit like the preliminary design proposals you would have received from your architect.

This will be broken down into rooms and windows. You’ll get an overall budget estimate based on the window dimensions shown on your plans and the level of fabric quality you indicate you’d like i.e. blends or linens for sheers, premium or luxury fabric for blinds. Nothing is locked in so changes can be made at any time, our design consultation is the first step towards your Custom Window Furnishings.

What’s included in your Window Furnishing Design Consultation?

1:1 consultation with a senior window furnishing designer in our showroom (typically 60–90 minutes)
Review of your architectural plans and elevations
A custom window furnishing schedule outlining our recommendations for each room
Overall budget estimate for window furnishing scope

SOM Blinds Custom Window Furnishing Design Consultation Fee: $345 incl. GST

This fee is fully redeemable on orders over $5000 and may even be complimentary for referrals from select builder and architect partners.

Avoid compromises. Plan early. Build confidently.

STEP 2.

Get Your Custom Window Furnishing Specification Guide

The second step in our design process is creating a custom Window Furnishing Specification Guide, which you can share with your architect, builder, and electrician. Based on the selections you make during your initial consultation, this guide includes detailed specifications—such as pelmet dimensions, recessed track sizes, wiring requirements, and fixing details—ensuring your design team can plan and execute with clarity, minimising delays and costly revisions. We can also include technical details for external products requiring additional engineering to be incorporated into your working drawings.

If you’d like, we can liaise directly with your design and construction team, and our expert technicians are available to meet on site or in their office to discuss your project in detail. The Window Furnishing Specification Guide is priced at 10% of your budget estimate, fully redeemable against your final order.

Window Furnishing Specification Guide Fee: 10% of your budget estimate and fully redeemable against your final order

What’s included in your Window Furnishing Specification Guide?

Electrical wiring advice

Electrical wiring advice including what type of wiring will be required for your electrician based on the type of motors and automation planned. We will also specify the best location for wiring to be accessed to minimise any visible cables after we install your products. Eliminating the need for ugly wall plugs or power points above your windows.

Pelmet guide

Pelmet guide for your architect and builder – sized to suit your specific window furnishings to ensure maximum benefit – insulation and light bleed can both be compromised with poorly designed recessed pelmets.

Fixings required

Fixings required – especially important for external products such as folding arm awnings, external skylight blinds and external venetians. We will advise where we need timber fixings, especially important for oversized blinds and heavy drapery on decorative curtain rods.

Site visits

Site visits during construction are included to review fixings, pelmets and wiring with construction team as required. This also allows us to negotiate with your builder the best time to install products that may be tricky to access. E.g. second storey external blinds or installing skylight blinds while there is still scaffold in place to access the roof, or installing external products before landscaping is completed to minimise damage to new plantings. Working together with your construction team will always save you both time and money when it comes to installation.

The investment you make getting your Window Furnishing Specification Guide is fully redeemable if you choose to continue working with the team at SOM Blinds for the supply and installation of your window furnishings.

STEP 3.

WINDOW FURNISHING FINAL DESIGN PROPOSAL DETAILING FABRIC & COLOUR SELECTIONS

The third step in planning your Window Furnishings is to the fun bit, finalising fabric and colour selections.

After you have finalised your choices in plenty of time to start the production of your chosen window treatments we will prepare a fixed price quote for you. Pricing may vary from our initial budget estimate depending on the fabrics chosen and any additions or changes to your initial selections.

What if you haven’t or can’t decide on your colour scheme yet?
There is no pressure for internal fabric/colour selections to be made until production commences usually 10-12 weeks out from your move in date.

To proceed with your order we will meet with you again probably on site well ahead of your expected completion date. This timing will vary depending on the products you have chosen and on things like the time of year (Xmas installs always get booked out well in advance), some suppliers have shutdowns at different times of the year, shipping or air freighting products from overseas may increase lead times for some products.

We will then review and confirm with you all your selections and measure your windows to enable us to provide you with a final cost estimate.

Fabric and colour selections – can be made during a showroom consultation with one of our in-house fabric specialists. It’s great to do this prior to our site visit so we can bring your preferred samples with us to enable you to make final decisions about colour on site.

This allows you plenty of time to refine your colour palette and floor finishes before confirming your fabric and colour choices. Our budget estimate allows you plenty of flexibility when it comes to your final selections.

Frequently Asked Questions about Planning Window Furnishings

1. When should I start planning window furnishings in a new build?

When should I start planning window furnishings in a new build?
The best time to plan your custom window furnishings is during the early design phase—well before construction begins. This allows for proper wiring, pelmet sizes, and fixing details to be integrated into your plans, avoiding costly revisions later.

2. What’s included in the SOM Blinds Window Furnishing Design Specification Service?

You’ll receive a consultation with one of our senior designers, a review of your architectural plans, a tailored custom window furnishing schedule, a construction specification guide (wiring, pelmet, fixing details), fabric and colour selections and a budget estimate.

3. Do I need to choose fabrics and colours at this stage?

No. We focus on structural and electrical planning first. Fabric and colour selections can be made later in your build once you’ve finalised wall colours, flooring, and finishes.

4. Is the consultation fee refundable?

The initial design consultation fee of $345 incl GST is fully redeemable when you proceed with an order over $5000. Design Specification Guide fees are non-refundable but are fully redeemable on your order.

5. Can my builder or electrician use the specification guide?

Absolutely. The guide is designed specifically to help your build team install pelmets and prepare wiring for motorisation correctly and efficiently. Not having a wiring guide for automated blinds ready for your electrician at rough in is often regretted by home owners who find out it’s too hard to get wires to a window after plastering and cladding has been done.

6. Do you work with architects or interior designers?

Yes, we regularly collaborate with design professionals to ensure window furnishings are seamlessly integrated into your overall vision.

7. Can I book this service if I’m only renovating one or two rooms?

Yes—but keep in mind the service is most valuable when planning multiple spaces or the entire home and only redeemable on orders over $5000.

Book your design consultation with the blind and curtain experts in Melbourne

If you’re building or renovating, it’s never too early to consider what to do about window furnishings and we’re here to help. Let our experienced SOM Blinds team make sure you’ve considered the most important aspects before getting started, helping to save you valuable time and money in the long run! We’ll work with you to make sure your internal and external window furnishings don’t just look great but they work perfectly every day for years to come. This is what we specialise in, so we’re well-versed in what works and what doesn’t.

Call us on 03 9808 1807 or send us an online enquiry to make an appointment for your professional Window Furnishing Design Consultation.