Blinds in Constantia

Total Blind Design has been measuring and fitting blinds, shutters and curtains in Constantia since 2001. Our showroom and workroom are in Maitland, about 25 minutes away on the M3, and our own installers do the fitting. Book a free in-home measure and we bring the samples to you.

Constantia windows: what we see on every measure

Constantia is the greenest valley in Cape Town, and the wettest. Old oaks and the back of Table Mountain throw long afternoon shade, the winter north-wester brings more rain here than almost anywhere else in the city, and damp lingers in older rooms into spring. The houses range from Cape Dutch homesteads and 1930s family homes with sash windows and French doors to new glass-walled homes in Constantia Upper and Silverhurst with double-volume living rooms facing the valley. The valley also faces north, so the living side of most homes gets the full winter sun, which is lovely, and the full summer sun, which is not.

So a Constantia specification usually does three things: softens north-facing glare without losing the view of the vineyards, holds warmth through a cold wet winter, and suits a house with some history.

What we specify in Constantia

• Shutters. On a homestead, a Bishopscourt-style family home or a bay window, painted window shutters look as if they were always there. The louvres tilt the sun off the room, the panels close for privacy, and they insulate. Urban and Taylor shutters carry a 10-year warranty. Our shutters buyer’s guide explains the styles.
• Screen and light-filter roller blinds on the north-facing glass: glare and UV cut, view kept, daytime privacy. We measure and fit roller blinds across the valley, or you can design one online from R989.
• Cellular blinds and lined curtains for the winter. A honeycomb cellular blind traps a layer of still air against a single-glazed window; a wave curtain with blockout lining, made in our own workroom, does the same for a bedroom and softens the room.
• Wood venetians in living rooms and studies, where timber slats suit the oaks outside. From R1,350 in the wood venetian designer.
• Somfy motorised blinds on the tall glass of the newer homes and on any window you cannot reach. As an authorised Somfy Expert we fit battery, solar and mains motors with a 5-year warranty. See motorised blinds in Cape Town.
• Outdoor blinds for the stoep. Constantia is sheltered from the worst of the south-easter, but the Nek funnels it on a bad day, so an exposed patio gets a Zip X blind with the fabric locked in side tracks; a sheltered veranda does well with a free-hang blind.

For bathrooms and kitchens in older homes, where damp is a fact of life, we specify 35mm aluminium venetians or the moisture-friendly shutter option rather than timber.

Areas we cover from Maitland

Constantia Upper and Constantia Hills, Bel Ombre, Silverhurst, Belvedere, Nova Constantia, Kreupelbosch, Sweet Valley, Alphen and the estates off Constantia Main Road, plus Bishopscourt, Tokai, Bergvliet, Meadowridge, Kirstenhof and Plumstead next door. The drive from our workshop is about 25 minutes outside peak traffic, so a measure or a fitting slots into a morning or an afternoon.

How a measure works in Constantia

1. Book a free measure. Online, on 021 447 9062 or on WhatsApp. Tell us roughly how many windows and what you have in mind.
2. We come to you with samples. Fabrics, shutter finishes and louvre sizes, seen against your own walls and in your own light. We measure every window and talk through what suits each one.
3. You get a written quote. Per window, including VAT, with fitting and the lead time. No obligation.
4. Made to order, fitted by our team. Our own installers hang and adjust every blind, and the warranty runs from that day: 2 years on blinds, 10 years on Urban and Taylor shutters and on Mode screen fabrics, 5 years on motorisation.

What it costs

Made to measure and including VAT, our online from-prices are R710 for a 35mm aluminium venetian, R989 for a roller blind, R1,133 for a retro venetian, R1,165 for wave curtains, R1,350 for a wood venetian, R1,671 for a cellular blind and R7,110 for an outdoor free-hang blind. Fitting by our team is R200 per blind plus a once-off R850 call-out per visit. Shutters, Zip X and Somfy motorisation are quoted per window at the measure. The blinds price guide explains what moves the price.

Also see: Blinds in the Southern Suburbs · The best blinds for Cape Town’s climate · Design your blinds online