thanks deegw ;) Surprised to find this kind of nonsense on here - facebook, I expect it. Glad it's rare and everyone else is such a help!

What do you expect them to do, when they are closed? This is an extended Sunday for a lot of companies. No one expects a business response on a Sunday. You said yourself that you wouldn’t allow them into your home, even if they were operating! Your post is not clear whether you’re looking to steam the blinds and patch the drywall, or looking to sue them for shutting down as the title would imply.

prosource - sue?

Thanks everyone for your help - I will post later about how to fix/sew the roman myself and just likely eat the loss. For those that feel this is due to the pandemic, all of this was installed before it even started and they were being cagey about it even then. Lesson learned, not all professionals are professional!

No one is defending the work that you received. That should be corrected. It just is not possible right now. And may not be possible for quite some time. You know that. So, what are you looking for here?

Prosource - quite the assumption to make. Have you read all of the comments or are you just making a knee-jerk response? We've been left with damage (which I paid to repair), a terrible drywall and paint job they tried to fix and made worse and these blinds. I was seeking help in how best to approach the firm to have a conversation. I openly admitted the entire process was a bit of a mess and there is no recourse for that (they tried to fix it by firing the first designer - only found out when she called me and tried to poach us to her new firm). Most design firms up here are still completely open and advertising as such, so I was trying to find a correct way to approach them while still being sensitive to the current environment. To imply I was being insensitive or unaware is completely presumptuous and frankly, ignorant. Honestly, if you have some helpful advice, I would love some help - if not, please don't bother with unhelpful commentary.

As for the romans in the bay, is that all one piece? If so, then that's, at least, part of the problem. Faux or working, it would be best if it were three separate romans, butted next to each other on mitered boards.

Are you able to lower them any or are the folds permanently fixed? If you can lower them all the way, pull up each fold, one at a time, and go along smoothing and creasing one end to the other. Do that for each fold till you're done.

Might help a little until someone can get there to dress them correctly, which the installer should have done. Surprised they left them like that.

shadylady2u - they are all one piece and are stitched partially that way (this is actually after I fixed them....) I wonder if a good seamstress can use the material and fix them? The material is great as is the quality of the sewing.

They could be remade, but the cost of redoing something generally will cost more than starting from scratch. It's a lot of work taking things apart.

It can probably be fixed with some effort, but I would keep after whoever had them made, to correct them as soon as someone is able to get there.

shadylady2u - thank you! I'll get one of my more nimble kids to hop up there and try to straighten them out a bit more. We had lovely off-white shades there beforehand that I loved but went with the designer's advice to put these up instead.... I may just ultimately put back our old shades and put this behind us vs investing any more energy in it. I sensed some significant issues going on with this firm starting in February which is why I'm concerned (vs any other projects we had going on and that we've just put on hold indefinitely knowing they will be picked up again)

I have to say that that one large roman shade on a bay window is all wrong anyway.

So to recap - things started going off the rails well BEFORE the pandemic and they have all their money so no real incentive to correct the problem. The project started last fall, then the firm fired the original designer because of all the mistakes and it was only a short time before the replacement designer allowed everything to crash again "misinformation, delays due to their errors and sketchy cover-ups vs just being honest. Left with areas where drywall not patched correctly resulting in paint looking terrible in those areas and Roman blinds we paid for them to install not correct, wrinkled and not installed correctly." They were responsible for the entire scope of the project except the fireplace.

After the pandemic hit, they were given documentation about the shades with the offer to correct once things returned to normal and they refused. You emailed them again and they refused to discuss the situation.

I think you're right to trust your judgement that their extremely poor performance for the last six months combined with a devastating economic hit and unwillingness to show any concern doesn't bode well for the future. You asked for a "sensitive" way to try and salvage it (never mentioning a lawsuit for crying out loud) and asked for advice on how to correct the shades on your own. I'm sorry you're going through this.

Unless you really just want to walk away from it all, it wouldn't hurt to document everything and you may even want to try and get repair estimates via FaceTime or email. When you see those costs, it may be incentive for you to pursue with the design firm. Also, I think respectful persistence is key - some people/firms know they can make problems go away just by wearing people down and getting them to give up.

Like I said the first red flagwas when they wanted all the money up front .In my experience no reputable firm asks for all money up front unless they had an issue witht the same client once before. All the emails in the world are not going to get answers right now. As a designer I sure would not be into fixing an other designers mistakes without a lot more info. BTW the only firms doing anything are companies where things like plumbing , heating and electrical had to be done , not fixing blinds since that is really not an essential service at this time. As for the blinds save the faric and have them made to fit the individual windows when every one is back to work . If you signed off on the choice for the blinds you really are not going to get much help from the design firm . I guess the designer should have mentioned that this would not be a good idea but we are only getting one side of the story

Thanks, JT, for your clarifying post. This is exactly what I understood the OP was trying to convey.

Some "hot-under-the-collar" posters notwithstanding, the problems had history long before the COVID thing, and the problems had already been articulated to the relevant vendors.

Onwards!

C bridge....I'm not sure I would do anything to the beige shades until you have some kind of resolution. Otherwise, the problem becomes yours and not the designer's. If you've already made adjustments, I'm thinking you own the problem.

IMO those shades detract from the pretty moldings and look too heavy for the light and airiness of that architecture. That's a beautiful window, by the way.

I wouldn't re-purpose the fabric or make new shades out of it. It's not right for the room.

Were there other issues we can help with? With the COVID thing, now is a great time to play around with dream spaces. So much leisure for imagining and getting input!

“I have to say that that one large roman shade on a bay window is all wrong anyway.”

No, it’s not; it’s a bit trickier to execute but it’s certainly not “all wrong.”

“As for the blinds save the faric [sic] and have them made to fit the individual windows when every one [sic] is back to work .”

There’s not enough fabric to do that...unless the seamstress left an unusually large amount of fabric on the sides in anticipation of such a re-work.

“If you signed off on the choice for the blinds you really are not going to get much help from the design firm .”

So because she approved the design she waived her right to receive good workmanship?

“I guess the designer should have mentioned that this would not be a good idea but we are only getting one side of the story”

The designer’s the one who ordered it!

I agree that the blinds appear very heavy for the space - we had shades the same colour as the trim there before that gave some visual finish to the window but did not obscure the view. I was talked into these to better tie in the family room just off the kitchen. My husband, who never says anything about design, immediately said "i hate them" when he came home (unprompted, shockingly). I think I will leave things for now, trust that the designer will reach out when (if....) they are back to work and hopefully they will make things right. I really feel the brown shades are just too much but will leave it alone for now. (there is a lot of fabric here - they were supposed to be just a faux topper (?) but have so much material and so many folds that I sense if I untacked them, they would be full length (telling me I paid for too much fabric....) I have learned that sometimes it's best to just cut your losses and walk away before the stress eats you alive.... especially when there are far more things to stress about right now.

Aside from the fit, I actually think they work pretty well! If you can show how they’re mounted we can probably get this figured out. ;)

Btw, was the designer and/or the seamstress on site for the installation or was it just the installer?

They are velcro-ed onto a small board - can't get a pic right now - will send a kid up there later to try :)

I think I'm seeing 3 or 4 folds? That's correct for faux. Anything less would be too skimpy looking. How it's mounted to the board, really doesn't make much difference. Three should have been made instead of one and was probably hard to dress because of that. However, the installer shouldn't have just left it messy like that.

c bridge, you notified them of your grievance; they were given the chance to respond, but refused to discuss the issue with you. The virus isn’t stopping anyone from communicating by email. So, no excuses there.

You gave them a chance. Now the ball is in your court…no pun intended. Go onto their District Court’s website and file a claim. USPS is still delivering mail for the courts and while the firm won’t discuss the issue with you, it can’t ignore a summons. The courts will reopen to the public and your day will come. It is your right. That’s why there is a small claim court.

Judy - not where I want to go, especially at this time. Thank you though - you are completely correct.

Small Claims Court is a simple, inexpensive way for disputes to be solved. Your situation clearly falls within the boundaries. “Failure to meet the terms of a service contract” is your issue. You don’t need a lawyer and your only expense is paying to file.

This horrible virus and the firm’s unprofessional way of dealing with a client (who has paid her bill) have nothing to do with each other.

Good luck, c, and forge ahead.

honestly? don't cut into or modify them in any way. just smooth them out or take them down so hopefully you can get your money back. once the work restrictions are lifted in your state, reach out and be persistent!

sorry about the rude comments here. it's an issue on houzz and like Jinx said, unfortunately happens all the time.

And thus the reason so many of us would never hire a "pro".

There are bad apples in every profession. Here in CA, designers are not allowed to sub-contract building trades unless they also happen to have a general contractors' license. Get your documentation together about what was--and was not--part of the job scope and deliverables. Also, check the original contract you signed with this firm. Usually, there is some sort of mediation clause in the contract to resolve disputes equitably.

The lockdown is a complicating factor, and as others have said, there is little chance you will resolve this until the owner of the firm is able to see what happened on the job site.

I've sewed Roman blinds and have never seen anything like this. So odd that the bottom part of the blind seems OK but the top part seems too wide for the window. I can't imagine how that would happen because they should have started off with a square piece of fabric. What does the right side look like?

I recently removed similar blinds from my kitchen bay window and I love how much lighter the room is, surprisingly to me since they don't really cover that much of the glass. Your window is so lovely that IMO it would look better without any window dressing.

You have my sympathy. I had a disappointing experience with a custom-made sofa and pillows ordered through my decorator. It was a lesson learned for me.

I agree! that window is so pretty, it doesn't need any treatment at all. even if the nearby windows had roman blinds, I think leaving this bay window bare next to them would look fine. it might help if we could see a zoomed out photo of that area.

c bridge: what about the other windows in that room-- do they need window coverings at all or was that just a decor element suggested by the designer? what if you took them all down?

I'll grab a pic in a few minutes after three boys finish eating (amazing how much room teens/grown men take in a small space lol). We need a window treatment on the window at the kitchen desk which is to the left of the bay window (very sunny and often need to close) but we never close the bay window ones (I can't reach them, even if I wanted to). To the left of the desk window is a patio door with plain white linen drapes. To the left of that is our family room with this same, new roman blind - I think the designer wanted to tie them all in together?

Partim - thank you - I love the support. There is a funny little side finish piece (pic to follow) that seems out of place. They are poorly made for this space (well sewn, so I sense it was a breakdown between the designer and the seamstress).

did the best I could ....

Very odd looking. At first I thought the Roman shades were properly sewn but wrongly hung, but not sure any more. IMO the small kitchen window is the only one that looks right. I think the hooks on the other drapes are misplaced. LOL if you don't get satisfaction, I can come up and look at them when social distancing ends. I live in Don Mills.

The hooks on the drapes are my fault - I rely on tall people to hang them and tall people in this house wouldn't know a drapery hook from an elephant lol. I'll get a ladder and fix now... sometimes we don't see what's right in front of us (especially now living 100% within these walls). I really appreciate your help - I will absolutely reach out. I am hopeful as it's a fairly small town where I am and this is a local firm, that they will step up and do the right thing. Lesson learned.... do things myself and only hire out to people that I already know and trust. That has worked out for 7 other major renovations that we have done plus significant jobs outside - when I rely on my husband and I to figure it out, with support from forums such as this, we have made very few mistakes (and some mistakes became great things.... some, become a laugh every time we see them such as the pot light butted right up against the front of our fridge.....!)

:)

looking at your kitchen in general, I honestly think it would look fine to just leave the bay window bare. easiest possible solution! but when social distancing is over, be sure to get your money back for at least that one roman blind. they're not cheap!

How does it work with a custom item? To me it is very clear it is not right, but I wonder about how to pursue the request?

Well you can't return custom just because you just don't like them or the color, etc., but if there's obviously something wrong with the workmanship or the installation, then it needs to be fixed or even remade. It's obvious to me (and I used to make them professionally), that something is wrong. I would take pics and send them showing how messy they look. They shouldn't look like that, especially since you had an installer come out.

The smaller ones look somewhat okay except for the folds. Either they need to be let down a little so the folds are even or pulled up more so the folds are even. That third fold is off on all the shades.

You have been given sound advice on receiving compensation and resolution as to your plight with this firm so I need not address that other than to say coulda woulda shoulda......and this goes with anything service and items received. If the furniture piece isnt right don't let them leave it in your home, if the drywall job isnt correct don't pay them the balance until its to your satisfaction and if the window treatments aren't correct then have them take them down immediately and don't keep them in your home. Anytime anyone keeps something its is essentially their agreement that the item or service is acceptable to them.

As far as the window treatments....this is what is evident to my eye.

When making a roman style shade whether operational or not to get the crisp folds you must have a wood or plastic strip in the bottom of them and they must be lined with a stiff interfacing. When you have a running length that needs to bend like on a bay window this isnt possible. I believe what they attempted to deliver here is what is known as a relaxed roman . Here is what a relaxed shade looks like

and this one is done properly with three different shades mounted and the relaxed edges evident. Here are some more examples This one doesn't have a strip at the folds so you can see the fabric "relaxes"

These are standard shades. They are structured.

This last one is what is called a hobbled shade. It has more of a billowy large rounded fold.

Notice what all of these examples have? A three piece system that dresses each window in the bay separately.

You "may" be able to salvage your existing window treatment by sending it to a professional seamstress who works in windows. However I doubt you can because you likely don't have enough fabric there to make the proper return on the ends needed to separate the panel into 3 .

On to the drapery panels.....my first confusion is why they are not in anyway related fabric wise to the shades in the room? Second they are not sewn correctly for an operable panel due to the size of the pleat. If these are something you will be operating a flat or knife edge pleat should have been recommended. They aren't going to lie correctly as is. The same fabric across that back wall should have been used.

Your dog is beautiful!

I feel your pain , maybe you can go direct and contact the company that made the blind , they might work with you . I’m also north of the GTA and I know there are a few local seamstress‘S that take work in.

Design Interior South - the white drapes are ones I did years ago - $10 linen panels from Ikea I put up myself. I had similar honeycomb shades in the kitchen on the bay and the desk window and quite liked the simplicity of it. These new romans were ones the designer "insisted" I should put in to tie in the family room. This is seeming like a huge mistake, both on her part and mine .... I was paying for advice vs doing it myself as I've always done in the past.

Thank you re: the dogs - they are very happy right now with everyone home 24/7 :)

Poorgirl - unfortunately this firm will not release that information to their customers - it's actually quite funny.... when I was considering having them reface our fireplace, they would bring me samples but flat out refused to tell me where they got their samples so I could see more - it was their "secret sauce" LOL - a simple google search of the company name on the sample gave me the local retailer..... thank heavens they were such a nightmare to work with on the fireplace that I hired my own mason and sourced my own stone and the job is fabulous..... should have learned my lesson from that one..... I'm seeing a trend here - when I do it myself..........

Looking at the pictures I posted (funny how you can be more objective with a picture...) and the white drapes look like crap..... maybe that's a place to start......

You have a lovely space. I hope you find some happy medium. I think they'd all look nice without any treatment. Or may a light diffuser type shade or bamboo blinds that almost disappear when up

Oops my mistake. I thought the white panels were also delivered to you. I am somewhat relieved they weren't! My girl is happy we are home too! Although she has taken to hiding behind the draperies "hiding' because she is being walked several times a day LOL!

Awww she's adorable...... funny, thought my two were the only dogs that hid behind curtains lol!

Mine likes her privacy LOL! Crazy Irish dog!

C bridge , yes we have ripped an entire house apart and have been putting it back together again on weekends . We also have had to bite the money bullet due to substandard work, but we only hired out because we didn’t have time ourselves, in the end we have paid in full and redid it.
Good luck and if I can help you out in anything please let me know . Other then the fence sub trade we used we have excellent local sub trade, most of them live 10 minutes away from us. Good to keep them close!.
God luck, take them down, have a glass of wine and enjoy the sun that the drape wont be hiding!
Your room looks beautiful.

c bridge : when trying to return the custom shade to the seller -- simply point out that it was not designed correctly for a bay window. you simply can't get a single roman shade to bend into the bay. as others pointed out, it should be three separate shades. any decent designer should have known that and they shouldn't have put that on the customer to know better.

best of luck! hopefully they will be reasonable. but if they're not, remember that you have google and yelp reviews to your advantage.

poorgirl - thank you - I really appreciate it :) Yes, we need to put things into perspective - I'm going to tear the bay window blind down because it just irks me whenever i look at it. Wine chilling as we speak. THank you :)

Do you have a written agreement with them, and if so, what are the provisions for quality, mediation, etc.?

It sounds like you'd prefer to abandon the shade instead of correcting it? I may be in the minority here, but I think it would look nice if done properly.

Generally speaking, the firm needs to be given the chance to make things right. If they fix the shade but you don't want anything in the window after all, you still own it and have to pay for it.

However, if the firm will have to incur costs to replace or repair it, there may be room for negotiation. That's a good reason to get your own understanding of cost estimates and what it will take to fix it beforehand. If they can save money by abandoning it, they may give you a refund (doubtful though) or trade for something else, like the window treatment you want by the desk to block out the sun. Know what you want to get everything resolved and what is fair for both sides.

It's possible the reason they refused to discuss a remedy is because they simply don't know whether they'll survive after this lockdown. You lose nothing by emailing/phoning them regularly, wishing them well in this difficult time and expressing your hope and confidence that they will stand by their work, then asking if they will give you an idea of when that will be. Don't be passive though, mention that it's been difficult for you and your family and that you're eager to finish it up. Since you and your husband collaborate so well on projects, get his input on the strategy and language.

I understand your desire to avoid legal routes but it's possible to pursue amicable resolution while creating an optional case for remedy if they turn out to be unscrupulous. Emails, texts, photos and timelines and knowing your rights create the case you can keep in your back pocket.

Just knowing you have an option that you're willing to use will give you confidence without ever having to threaten.