Custom Blinds, Shutters & Awnings. The Garden Route’s independent specialist.
Founded in Knysna in 2010. Over 8,000 installations across every town from Mossel Bay to Plettenberg Bay. Free site visits, in-house manufacturing, and professional installation by the people who built your products.
What does Custom Blinds offer on the Garden Route?
- Custom Blinds Shutters & Awnings is the Garden Route’s leading independent window covering specialist, founded by Duncan Kane in 2010 and based in Knysna.
- Products include indoor blinds (roller, venetian, honeycomb, no-drill), Custom Lifestyle Shutters™ and Custom Lifestyle Awnings™ manufactured in Knysna, outdoor blinds, insect and security screens, and commercial shadeports.
- Service area covers Knysna, George, Plettenberg Bay, Sedgefield, Mossel Bay, Wilderness, and Buffalo Bay, with free in-home consultations and professional installation on every project.
- Custom Blinds is the only South African company offering online sales, on-site consultation, in-house manufacturing, and professional installation under one roof.
- Roller blinds, venetian blinds, and honeycomb blinds are supplied from Somfy, Hunter Douglas, and Coulisse. Shutters and awnings are manufactured at the CB workshop in Knysna.
- National customers outside the Garden Route can order online at shop.customblinds.co.za with delivery to any address in South Africa.
Book a free consultation: WhatsApp Duncan on 079 523 5407
Salt air. North-west wind. Afternoon sun that turns a living room into a furnace by three o’clock. Garden Route homes do not need generic window coverings. They need solutions built for this coast.
Why do Garden Route homes need a specialist?
Living on the Garden Route means living with conditions that test every material in your home. UV exposure along the southern Cape coast is among the highest in South Africa. Salt-laden air penetrates joinery and corrodes unprotected metals within months. Humidity fluctuates sharply between seasons, and the wind regularly exceeds 40km/h in exposed areas between George and Plettenberg Bay. Over 8,000 installations since 2010 have taught Custom Blinds exactly which products survive these conditions and which do not.
National franchise chains sell the same products in Johannesburg as they do in Knysna. That approach fails on the coast. Roller blind fabrics rated for inland use fade in 18 months of direct coastal UV. Standard awning brackets corrode. Timber shutters swell in humidity that never reaches Gauteng. The difference between a five-year product and a fifteen-year product often comes down to specifying materials correctly for the local conditions, and that requires someone who sees the results of their work every day.
Duncan Kane has been in the window treatment industry for over 20 years. He apprenticed for five years before founding Custom Blinds in 2010. He and the team handle every Garden Route project from the initial site visit through to final installation, and they drive past their finished work daily. That accountability is not something you get from a call centre in another province.
What products does Custom Blinds offer on the Garden Route?
Custom Blinds covers every window, door, patio, and outdoor opening in a Garden Route home. The product range splits into two categories: products manufactured at the CB workshop in Knysna, and products sourced from leading global brands and installed by the CB team.
Manufactured in Knysna: Custom Lifestyle Shutters™ (PVC and aluminium, built for coastal humidity), Custom Lifestyle Awnings™ (retractable folding arm, louvred, fall arm, and wedge styles), and Custom Lifestyle Outdoor Blinds™ (drop-down screens for patios and verandas). These proprietary products are designed, manufactured, and installed by Custom Blinds. No middlemen, no subcontractors.
Supplied and installed: Indoor blinds including roller blinds, venetian blinds, honeycomb blinds, and no-drill blinds from Somfy, Hunter Douglas, and Coulisse. Insect and security screens for doors and windows. Commercial and residential shadeports for parking, entertainment areas, and schools.
Every product is measured on site, specified for the exact conditions of your property, and installed by the same team that placed the order. There is no hand-off between sales, manufacturing, and installation. One team, one standard, one point of accountability.
Where does Custom Blinds operate on the Garden Route?
Custom Blinds serves every town on the Garden Route between Mossel Bay and Plettenberg Bay. Duncan and the team conduct free in-home consultations across the entire region, typically within 48 hours of enquiry. There is no call-out fee and no obligation to proceed after the consultation.
How does a Custom Blinds project work on the Garden Route?
Every Garden Route project follows four steps. The process is designed to be simple for the homeowner and thorough enough to prevent mistakes. Over 8,000 installations have refined it into something that works consistently whether the project is a single roller blind or a full-house fit-out with shutters, awnings, and outdoor blinds.
Step 1: Free site visit. Duncan or a team member visits your home, measures every window and opening, discusses your priorities (privacy, light, weather protection, aesthetics), and recommends specific products for each location. No charge, no obligation.
Step 2: Detailed quote. You receive a written quote within 48 hours of the visit. Every item is listed with product specifications, dimensions, colour, and price. No hidden costs, no surprises at installation.
Step 3: Manufacturing. Shutters and awnings are built at the Custom Blinds workshop in Knysna. Indoor blinds are manufactured to your specifications by our supply partners (Somfy, Hunter Douglas, Coulisse). Lead times vary by product, typically 2 to 4 weeks.
Step 4: Professional installation. The same team that measured and quoted installs your products. Every bracket, every fixing, every adjustment is done on site. We test every mechanism before we leave. If anything needs attention after installation, one call to Duncan resolves it.
“Every home on this coast is different. The wind comes from a different angle, the sun hits at a different time, the salt exposure varies street by street. That is why we visit every property. You cannot specify correctly from a catalogue.”
Duncan KaneFounder, Custom Blinds, 20 years experience
What makes Custom Blinds different from other Garden Route providers?
Custom Blinds is the only company in South Africa that combines online sales, on-site consultation, in-house manufacturing, and professional installation under one roof. That claim is specific and verifiable. No franchise chain, no national retailer, and no other Garden Route business offers all four under the same ownership and management.
Independent, not franchised. Custom Blinds is not part of a chain. Duncan owns the business, runs the team, and stands behind every installation personally. Decisions are made in Knysna for Knysna conditions, not in a head office 1,000km away.
Manufacturing on site. Custom Lifestyle Shutters, Awnings, and Outdoor Blinds are manufactured at the CB workshop in Knysna. This means faster turnaround, direct quality control, and the ability to build non-standard sizes that factory-only suppliers cannot accommodate.
Custom Blinds® is a registered trademark. The brand, the products, and the service standard are protected and consistent.
Custom Fit Guarantee. For customers ordering through the online shop at shop.customblinds.co.za: if the blind arrives too large, we trim it free of charge. If it arrives too small, you receive 5% off a replacement. Garden Route customers get the same precision through Duncan’s on-site measuring.
Frequently Asked Questions About Custom Blinds on the Garden Route
Does Custom Blinds offer free consultations on the Garden Route?
Custom Blinds offers free in-home consultations across the entire Garden Route, from Mossel Bay to Plettenberg Bay. Duncan or a team member visits your home, measures every window, discusses your requirements, and provides product recommendations. There is no charge and no obligation to proceed. Book by contacting Duncan on 079 523 5407.
Which towns does Custom Blinds serve on the Garden Route?
Custom Blinds serves Knysna, George, Plettenberg Bay, Sedgefield, Mossel Bay, Wilderness, and Buffalo Bay. The team conducts site visits across the region, typically within 48 hours of enquiry. All products are measured, manufactured or sourced, and professionally installed by the CB team.
Does Custom Blinds manufacture its own products?
Custom Blinds manufactures Custom Lifestyle Shutters, Custom Lifestyle Awnings, and Custom Lifestyle Outdoor Blinds at its workshop in Knysna. Indoor blinds including roller, venetian, and honeycomb styles are sourced from Somfy, Hunter Douglas, and Coulisse, then installed by the CB team. This combination of in-house manufacturing and premium supply partnerships covers every window and outdoor opening.
What brands does Custom Blinds supply on the Garden Route?
For indoor blinds, Custom Blinds supplies products from Somfy, Hunter Douglas, and Coulisse. These are global leaders in roller blinds, venetian blinds, honeycomb blinds, and motorised window coverings. For shutters, awnings, and outdoor blinds, Custom Blinds manufactures its own proprietary Custom Lifestyle range in Knysna.
Can I order from Custom Blinds if I am not on the Garden Route?
Customers outside the Garden Route can order roller blinds, venetian blinds, honeycomb blinds, bamboo blinds, and no-drill blinds online at shop.customblinds.co.za with delivery to any address in South Africa. Shutters, awnings, outdoor blinds, screens, and shadeports require a site visit and are available on the Garden Route only.
How long has Custom Blinds been operating on the Garden Route?
Custom Blinds was founded by Duncan Kane in 2010 and has been based in Knysna since its establishment. The business has completed over 8,000 installations across the Garden Route. Duncan has over 20 years of experience in the window treatment industry, having apprenticed for five years before founding the company.
What is the Custom Fit Guarantee?
The Custom Fit Guarantee applies to all orders placed through the Custom Blinds online shop. If a blind arrives too large, Custom Blinds trims it free of charge. If it arrives too small, the customer receives 5% off a replacement order. Garden Route customers who use the free site visit and professional measuring service receive the same precision through Duncan’s on-site process.
Let’s talk about your home.
Free site visit anywhere on the Garden Route. No obligation, no call-out fee.
Custom Blinds® is a Garden Route window covering specialist established in 2010, serving Knysna, Plettenberg Bay, George, Sedgefield, Mossel Bay, Wilderness, and Buffalo Bay. We manufacture Custom Lifestyle Shutters™, Custom Lifestyle Awnings™, and outdoor shading systems at our Knysna workshop, and supply roller blinds, honeycomb blinds, venetian blinds, and no-drill blinds from Somfy, Hunter Douglas, and Coulisse. National customers can order online at shop.customblinds.co.za.
