The 70s
The first blinds manufactured by Tony Hillary in 1971 were simple and practical. Venetian blinds were the starting point for Hillarys, quickly followed by Verticals. Roller blinds were introduced just a few years later in 1974. To mark the launch of this new range, Tony Hillary designed a fabric called Meadoway. It was inspired by the must-have M&S Harvest tableware range, which was so popular in homes up and down the country.
Very much of its time, Meadoway surprised everyone and remained one of our best-selling Roller blind fabrics until it was finally discontinued in 2010.
The 80s
While the 70s were all about simple, functional blinds, the 80s focused on more extravagant touches that brought a touch of Dynasty glamour to the windows of the UK. Just as shoulder pads and hair were getting bigger, so were the blinds in our homes! Fancy Festoon and Austrian blinds were all the rage, while a blind wasn’t a blind unless it had a top-style to finish it off.
Thankfully for those of us who had to keep these flamboyant touches dust-free this trend wasn’t permanent and they were discontinued just a decade later!
The 90s
Our love affair with home improvement programmes (remember Changing Rooms) began and interior designers such as Lawrence Llewelyn Bowen and Linda Barker become household names. The amount we were spending on our homes dramatically increased and we tried our hands at all kinds of new and creative stuff.
Roman blinds, with their soft fabrics and lining, were launched as well as Wood Venetian blinds bringing a touch of sophistication to the Hillarys range.
During this time conservatories became affordable and something many of us not only aspired to but also had built. To mark this trend we launched Pleated blinds, as seen in all the best-dressed conservatories.
The 00s
With most of the population now more than willing to try their hand at interior design it was time to really expand our range with products that reflected current trends. During the noughties we launched eco-friendly Woodweave blinds and Panel blinds that were perfect for apartment living.
Shutters became the must-have product for windows. The introduction of this super-stylish (and importantly not a blind) product to our range marked the end of an era. No longer were shutters a high-end luxury item that was out-of-reach of the general public but something that with just a little saving most of us could afford. And they’re a big hit, quickly becoming our fastest ever growing product with more than 30,000 expected to be fitted this year.
The 10s and beyond
Interiors and fashion now go together hand-in-hand. No longer do we expect our interior décor to last 10 or more years. Instead we’re changing our rooms every couple of years. And we’re becoming more clever too – picking out key accessories including blinds that we can change for a completely new look without too much work. As a result our ranges are being updated more often to reflect current trends.
And we expect things to continue to change just as rapidly in the future. As technology develops we expect this to become an important aspect of our products. For example solar operated blinds for your conservatory and blinds that offer complete control over the heat in a room as well as the light.
Our changing image
The original Hillarys logo has a touch of flower power, influenced by the iconic Mary Quant.
Introduced in the 90s, we used British Racing Green, which was well-know and fashionable at the time, to convey quality and our British heritage. The window icon was designed to show the extent of our range.
Updated for the new millennium our current logo is simple and uncluttered with a contemporary feel