View Full Version : Country Curtains going out of business after 60 years
catherine
10-5-17, 10:17am
I'm a bit embarrassed to post grief over a store closing, especially on a simple living forum, but I just got a "Going Out of Business" email--everything is on sale. The second-generation owner posted a letter expressing heartbreak that they have been unable to remain sustainable financially, and after 60 years they are liquidating the business. They said it's current market forces, and I also suspect that "country curtains" are not appealing to younger homeowners.
But I have bought curtains from them since I had my first home in 1977. I would drool over their catalogues, and my spending was only kept at bay because I ran out of windows to dress with their products. I have always been in sync with their style, and their quality is unmatched.
As recently as July I bought beautiful panels with cut-outs in the shapes of birds and dragonflies for my bedroom windows, which I had just freshly painted.
If any of you are Country Curtain fans, this is a good time to shop.
I'm a bit embarrassed to post grief over a store closing, especially on a simple living forum, but I just got a "Going Out of Business" email--everything is on sale. The second-generation owner posted a letter expressing heartbreak that they have been unable to remain sustainable financially, and after 60 years they are liquidating the business. They said it's current market forces, and I also suspect that "country curtains" are not appealing to younger homeowners.
But I have bought curtains from them since I had my first home in 1977. I would drool over their catalogues, and my spending was only kept at bay because I ran out of windows to dress with their products. I have always been in sync with their style, and their quality is unmatched.
As recently as July I bought beautiful panels with cut-outs in the shapes of birds and dragonflies for my bedroom windows, which I had just freshly painted.
If any of you are Country Curtain fans, this is a good time to shop.
Oh this is such sad news! I remember poring over those catalogues for my first house in 1982. I remember lusting after the thermal curtains!
Its been interesting to me how many businesses have gone out of business the last few months...long standing ones too! Sorry to see it go, though I never bought anything from them since I've always made my own drapes, curtains, pillows. Even looking over their sales prices it's still out of my frugal budget.
Its been interesting to me how many businesses have gone out of business the last few months...long standing ones too! Sorry to see it go, though I never bought anything from them since I've always made my own drapes, curtains, pillows. Even looking over their sales prices it's still out of my frugal budget.
I am sorry to see them go, though I never bought from them, I remember poring over their catalogs. They were too far out of my price range though I was tempted to purchase from them at times. At those moments, frugality and the fact I would make my own usually steered me away.
Still a shame and I agree it's been weird to see many longstanding businesses go, including some local ones here. One of my favorite restaurants, which had been around for some 50 years, just closed. Owner wanted to retire, kids didn't want to take it on, he couldn't sell the business either as a business or the property, so he and his wife just closed up shop, much to the sorrow of a solid and faithful customer base.
BikingLady
10-5-17, 2:08pm
I bought one set in..let me think..1997. A very cute pink and white check kitchen window set. I received catalogs for years maybe last one was last year. I would comment they lost any money they ever made on the one set they sold me sending catalogs all these years.
ApatheticNoMore
10-5-17, 4:13pm
Pity, cute and much of it made in the U.S.A. as well. Never heard of them until now though (maybe that is why they are going out of business, noone has heard of them), and can't say I'm in desperate need of curtains today. As for home decorating following styles as if it was clothing, I find that beyond ridiculous.
I bought a set of white seersucker curtains for the kitchen and used them until they started shredding- over 10 years I'm sure. I made the replacement pair ( I HATE making curtains) as the fabric swatches Country Curtains sent were too flimsy for what I wanted. I also had some white living room curtains and bought fabric, too to make the curtain for the door. They also lasted a LONG time.
amazon strikes again?? Lots o cheap Chinese curtains.
rosarugosa
10-5-17, 8:37pm
Oh no, Catherine I am equally sad. Most of my curtain purchases over the years have been from them.
iris lilies
10-5-17, 9:37pm
You people are fancy. My window treatments are blinds and a few fabric toppers, toppers made by me. A couple of years ago I added vintage saris to our 3 living room windows, about $50 total.
rosarugosa
10-5-17, 10:04pm
ANM: I suspect they are better know in the Northeast. I've actually even been in a couple of their brick and mortar stores. The same family owns the Red Lion Inn in Stockbridge, MA.
My latest catalog has several dog-eared pages. I'll have to take a really close look; I guess it's now or never.
To Biking Lady's point, I think they overspent on direct mail. I've probably received 2 catalogs a month for at least 20 years, and I never bought enough curtains to justify that, does anyone?
I had been eyeballing their wares for our house here but mostly out of my price range. Instead, I went to Goodwill and found some brand new muslin curtain panels and refashioned them for the intended window.
early morning
10-5-17, 11:17pm
Oh, I'm sad. when DH and I bought our first house we splurged on curtains from them. I had them for ages - 10 years at least- natural colored muslin with natural colored fringe. I wove ribbon or bias tape through the tops of the fringe and changed the color of it from time to time, which, along with a new throw rug (which I wove from rags and scraps) and a new sheet tucked around our second-hand sofa as a slipcover, constituted "redecorating" our living room for many years.
ToomuchStuff
10-6-17, 1:46am
amazon strikes again?? Lots o cheap Chinese curtains.
I am thinking more like the big radio advertisers (blinds dot xxx, etc). I never even heard of this company. I got rid of the drapes that were in some of the house after I bought it (harvest gold, and not quite avocado green), and couldn't really find inexpensive ones (limited budget when bought my house). I have been thinking of getting some again, for both the light/darkness factor, and more importantly, the insulating factor with the windows. (always seemed warmer with them)
Yes, for those of you who said they are beyond the frugal budget, I would agree, but those curtains amortized out over the decades I've used them would be pretty cheap overall... Plus, over the years I have also made my own curtains or inherited curtains from my MIL, and I never spend more than a few bucks for the hardware (the rods can cost more than the curtains!).
There are some things of high quality that just make me smile, and my curtains from this store were one of those things. Was happy to splurge a little of my life energy on them.
iris lilies
10-6-17, 10:27am
Yes, for those of you who said they are beyond the frugal budget, I would agree, but those curtains amortized out over the decades I've used them would be pretty cheap overall... Plus, over the years I have also made my own curtains or inherited curtains from my MIL, and I never spend more than a few bucks for the hardware (the rods can cost more than the curtains!).
There are some things of high quality that just make me smile, and my curtains from this store were one of those things. Was happy to splurge a little of my life energy on them.
A mai reason I dont spend money on curtains is that we have so many animals here, the hair would cling to fabirc. After a few years it would be coated in hair.
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