Bali Blinds & Shades – The Real Story Behind Blinds – Part 1

So here we are, talking about blinds.  If you would have asked a couple of months ago what I thought about blinds, I would have given you one of two answers.  I would have either said, “I don’t think about them and I don’t care about them” or I would have said, “Who cares, a blind is a blind.”   So why am I now talking about blinds?  I guess you could say I was blind to this whole industry, okay that was a very bad play on words but it was true for me.

A while back I started remodeling my house.  I gutted everything down to the studs. I moved walls, doorways, and more.  When I was done hanging the last piece of WindsorOne trim, I thought I was done.  However, my wife corrected me and said we now have to buy blinds for the windows.  Me, being me, I really didn’t think much of it.  I wanted to sit back and enjoy what I had accomplished. I loved looking at the Greek Trim and everything else I was able to accomplish.

Long story short, my wife asked me to get blinds with her.  I wasn’t interested.  I made her a deal.  I would take all the measurements if she would go to The Home Depot and pick them up.  I told her just grab whatever is on sale and looks good as I wasn’t a sucker and didn’t want to pay a lot.  Because after all, I just thought a blind was a blind.

What amazes me the most is that I spent all this time and dedication to remodeling the house, that I really didn’t even care if we would have hung up garbage bags on the windows, which looking back is pretty amazing.  But that is where I was coming from.  I wasn’t about blinds or fashion.  Yes, why most of you think that is crazy, it just wasn’t my thing.

Well, she came back and ended up dragging me to The Home Depot for blinds.  After I was done kicking and screaming, it dawned on me, a blind is not a blind.  So I had to put everything on hold so I could do some research because I didn’t want to make the wrong choice, I wanted the best bang for the buck.  So I went back home, hung my garbage bags on the windows, listened to my wife tell me to take them down and started doing my research, which brings me to Bali.

After doing my research, my whole opinion changed on blinds/shades and the manufacturers behind the product.  It amazes me how I went from something that I had no interest, to being someone who is passionate about blinds/shades.  I guess it has to do with me being so close-minded and thinking there wasn’t much of a difference to realizing there is so much to these companies and now I want everyone to know what I know.

So I am going to break this up into a four-part series.

• Bali Blinds & Shades – The Real Story Behind Blinds – This Story
• Bali Blinds – An In-depth Look at Blinds & Shades
• Bali Blinds – Installing Shades & Blinds
• Bali Shades Review

I am not going into why I didn’t go with some of the other manufacturers in the market place, instead, I want to talk about why I went with Bali.

To sum it up, I went with Bali because of their history, their experience, their manufacturing, their quality, and their reputation. While there is a lot to each of these categories, I am just going to focus on what stood out for me.  You can check out their website for more in-depth looks and the company behind the blinds and shades.

Bali Experience

Speaking of experience, this is another reason I went with Bali.  Bali has a long history and has been around for over 50 years.  As you would assume, 50 years is a ton of experience for a company.  This means they have the knowledge of making the best product.  Since they have been around, they also have the technology and manufacturing to keep their cost lower which means I get a better product but I am not paying an arm and a leg.

When I am buying a product that will be used every day, I know that means it has the potential to have a ton of wear and tear over the years.  So for me, I want a company that has seen various problems and found ways to solve these problems so my blinds will last for years to come.

Bali Manufacturing

This has always been an issue for me.  I love supporting this great nation and supporting our workforce.  If I have the chance to support this nation, I am all about that.  There are two parts to Bali, the timber and the manufacturing.

One huge plus of Bali is that it’s an American company located right in Middleton, Wisconsin.  Now I could stop there and I am sold because I love supporting American companies, but Bali does take it one step further.

In Grayling, Michigan there is a pretty special place.  Bali is the only plant in the United States that brings in North American lumber, does its own drying, and manufactures their products on site. Not too long ago, there were a lot more places like this but other manufacturers decided to move overseas and try to save a dollar.

Not only is Bali located in Middleton, Wi but there is also a production operation that supports even more American workers.

While there is a lot to love about Bali, I would have to say that the Wisconsin roots, Wisconsin manufacturing, and the Michigan plant are a huge plus for me and I know a lot of other people also.

Bali Quality

When a company offers a Limited Lifetime Warranty, you know they are building a quality product.  While that should be enough, let’s face it.  We work hard for our money so we all want the best bang for our buck.  We want something that will last, so quality is extremely important to me.

Here is where I am going off my own observations.  I know you can read reviews or the manufacturers fact sheets, but when I went to The Home Depot and saw first hand, well that is what sold me.

As I said before, I thought shades were just shades and they were all the same.  My first stop was going to the cheaper priced cellular shades and having them cut it down to size.  As I was looking them over while waiting for an associate, my wife started talking about how we had these cheap cellular shades before and one broke in a week and two others broke in the first few months.  So she said to me, let’s just take a look at some other brands that are displayed.

I looked around and played with some of them.  Then I went over to the Bali shades and was sold instantly.  I was looking at their Bottom Up/Top Down shades.  The first thing I noticed was how smooth the operation was.  Pulling the shades down or up, just had that feeling of quality.  They weren’t flimsy, they didn’t make a lot of noise and they were just smooth.

When I went back and compared them to the other blinds on the floor and even the cut to fit shades, there really wasn’t a comparison.  Now I can’t say for sure, but even the thickness of the shade, the material feels thicker.  Looking at the build quality, Bali was much nicer.

So this is what got me to go back home and start my research.  While I did research other companies because I now know a shade isn’t just a shade, all my research lead me back to Bali.

So when it comes to quality, Bali has it.

Bali Reputation

Reputation also says a lot about a company.  Not only looking online but I talked with other people and the sales associates at some of these big box stores.  I asked about the return rate and what others have been saying.  Again, time after time, Bali is what I heard most people talking about.  So yes, this says a lot about the reputation of a company.

Bali is sold in all the big box stores like The Home Depot, Lowe’s, Menards, Costco, and more. So right there even says a lot about companies wanting to carry their products.  If they received a ton of returns or unhappy customers, these big box stores wouldn’t want to deal with them and would just discontinue selling them at their stores.

What I learned

I never thought in a million years I would ever talk about blinds and shades.  This was a subject that didn’t interest me and just thought they were all the same, just a different marketing approach.

After researching blinds and shades, I can truly appreciate how one company can stand out above the rest in regards to history, production, quality, and reputation.

As you can see I have done a 180° turn from someone who didn’t care about blinds to someone who is a little to crazy about them now. For me, I am excited to find a company that makes a quality product, that is located and manufactured right here in the USA and understands the market.  So for me, the only choice is Bali.

If you are like me or how I used to think, trust me when I say do your research and look around.  I highly suggest starting with Bali because you will love what you see and you will save a ton of time. Great company, great story, and great products.