Finishing touch

The list of interior design components you have to consider when you’re building can seem insurmountable and it can be tempting to put off a lot of them until the last minute. However, when it comes to choosing the right interior and exterior shading solutions, sooner is better than later.

Exactly which interior option you choose—curtains, blinds or shutters—will depend greatly on the architectural style of your home, as well as your personal preference but even within these options the choices are myriad. The same is true of your exterior options—awnings, blinds or shutters, which is why it’s a good idea to talk to an expert.

“With 40 years of experience in the luxury flooring and interior finishes market, Artisan has the best people to help you make the right decision on product choice, materials and colour. Our design consultants will listen carefully to your design brief and source the very best product fit for purpose and within budget,” says Mike Fenn, Artisan’s business manager—blinds and shades.

“Many of our clients, especially if they haven’t carried out a major renovation or built a new home within the last 10–20 years are astounded by the range of shading solutions available in the market. Yes, the choices remain the same in that you will choose curtains, blinds or shutters, or even a combination of two or more but other factors have come to the fore, such as sustainability and home automation compatibility.

“I came to Artisan five years ago, charged with ‘beefing up’ the company’s offering of shading products. Since then, we have compiled a number of international brands exclusive to Artisan and selected to complement the existing local offering.”

“Names synonymous with quality and innovation, such as Blinds by Peter Meyer out of Australia, or Weinor from Germany and Guthrie Douglas from the UK, as well as Swiss giant, Silent Gliss have joined the Artisan lineup and dovetail nicely with the other interior products on offer.

“Blinds and shades have become a growing division within Artisan and coupled with the new curtain offerings has established Artisan as a true one-stop-shop for quality interior products, backed by a high level of service and installation.”

Starting from the outside, Artisan’s range of solutions covers all styles from contemporary through to traditional. German awnings manufacturer, Weinor manufactures high-quality shading solutions, partnering with an Italian fabrics manufacturer to produce fabrics of good colour fastness and high UV resistance and with more than 140 patterns to choose from.

UK manufacturer Guthrie Douglas offers a range of shading solutions for skylights, conservatories and windows, using advanced materials designed to provide high levels of heat protection, light and glare control, privacy, insulation and aesthetic finish.

For inside the home, customers can expect the right solution for their needs incorporating everything from manual, motorised or recessed curtain tracks manufactured by Silent Gliss, home automation integration thanks to Somfy, sustainable blind and shutter options—including compressed polystyrene options for wet areas—from Peter Meyer and Artisan’s own range and all in a variety of sustainable, block-out or stylish fabrics.

“Artisan works closely with a number of interior designers and architects and all of our account managers have a design focus and the technical expertise to specify the right products for all interior and exterior applications.

“We suggest designers engage our professionals as early as possible in the design phase, especially if they’re going to be incorporating recessed curtain rail systems or automation solutions into the design scheme, as these require a fair bit of coordination with the builder/contractor to ensure they are accommodated within the build.

Mike says early engagement also ensures minimal disruption to the supply chain.

“Whilst we import Silent Gliss and manufacture their curtain tracks here, other products in the line-up are manufactured in Europe. Weinor’s outdoor systems are manufactured in Europe and the high season for us is the off-season in Europe so turnaround time is very fast. With new build or renovation projects we can typically have the product landed in New Zealand before it’s needed.

“Artisan offers a fully coordinated service, with specialist team members measuring and installing everything we sell. Obviously, each installation is different and the time involved depends on the volume of work but generally, installation can be completed within a day on a standard home.”

Artisan is based in Mt Eden, in Auckland and has a showroom at Designmade in Christchurch.

Learn more about the whole range of interior and exterior shading solutions for your home.