A look behind the curtain with George Clarke

George Clarke visited our teams in Nottingham to discover what goes into every Hillarys window dressing

Author George ClarkeArchitect & TV PresenterWritten 03/07/2020Updated 23/01/2024

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Modern living room with grey motorised roller blind and Bardot grey curtains, featuring a neutral color palette and soft, ambient lighting.

Somebody talking to a member of the product team in a hillarys warehouse which has rolls of fabric stacked onto the shelves

My visit to Hillarys in Nottingham

As an architect, I know when it comes to home transformations, your windows are key. Choosing the right window dressing can make a massive difference in any room, and it's so important to get everything just right.

I met Kevin and Yvonne from Hillarys to take a look behind the curtain to see what goes into each and every Hillarys product order.

an advisor showing a customer a variety of fabric swatches in their kitchen

Expert advice from the comfort of your home

So where does the process all start?

As well as making budget choices, you've got to make big design choices about colour, texture and the look and feel of a room.

"All Hillarys advisors are expertly trained to help the customer decide what’s best for their home"
KEVIN ANDREWS, LOCAL HILLARYS ADVISOR

An advisor measuring for blinds across a series of four wooden blinds

Professional measuring ensures the perfect fit

When it comes to measuring up, Hillarys have that sorted too. Kevin tells me that they ‘make sure we get the width of the curtain right and the drop, getting the perfect measurements.’

George Clarke and Yvonne Keal looking at Hillarys fabrics

Inspiration from around the world

Once all of your decisions are made, it’s off to the factory in Nottingham.

Here I met with Product Design Manager, Yvonne Keal who told me all about what her team do.

‘We’re responsible for the product collections at Hillarys,’ says Yvonne. ‘We get inspiration from trends around the world.’

"Fabric is picked and cut to size, then made to measure to the customer’s exact requirements, including their choice of lining and heading"
YVONNE KEAL, PRODUCT DESIGN MANAGER

George Clarke in one of the Hillarys factory seeing someone make a curtain

Committed to quality

‘All the finished curtains get quality checked before they leave the factory floor, to make sure the curtain is absolutely perfect before it goes to the customer,’ explains Yvonne.

It’s nice that a lot of this is done by eye, which I love.

I notice how the finished curtain is completed with a Hillarys bow tied around it – such a beautiful touch.

Yellow curtains fitted to a series of short rectangular windows in a bedroom decorated in yellow and neutral colours

The best results, every time

Back at the customer’s home, I have to say, the curtains are stunning.

‘We steam the curtains to make sure the pleats hang perfectly for you.’ Kevin Andrews, Local Hillarys Advisor

So there you have it. Hillarys take care of absolutely everything. From measuring, manufacturing through to fitting, ensuring the best results and the greatest fit, every time.

Advisor fitting blinds over large windows

How our service works

Book an appointment with your local advisor. It’s really quick and easy to do, plus it won’t cost a penny and there’s never any pressure to buy.
Appointment day. We’ll visit you at home to show you our range and help you decide what’s right for your window, measure up and give you a quote.
We’ll take care of the fitting. Once your curtains are made we’ll be back to hang and steam them. And if you order a pole or track we’ll fit this too.

REQUEST AN APPOINTMENT

Take a look at our range

Be inspired by our made-to-measure styles

Blinds
Combining contemporary designs with great practical benefits, our huge range of blinds offers style solutions for every budget.
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Curtains
Our beautiful curtains range features quality fabrics and fashion-forward designs at a great price.
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Shutters
Our collection of stunning shutters offers surprisingly affordable ranges to add style to any home.
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