Artistic Blinds

Artistic Blinds was founded in 1979 as a father and son partnership, between John and Chris Reason. John came from a shopfitting background initially, and started work for Deans Blinds of Putney in London in 1954 as a sales representative. After progressing to Sales Director of Deans (Putney), he moved to Managing Director of Deans (Wessex) of Wellington in 1967, followed by Deans (Greens) of Bristol in 1975 and then Deans (W. Wales) of Swansea in 1977. After leaving school in Wellington Somerset, Chris having grown up with the blinds and awnings industry, started an apprenticeship with Deans Blinds of Putney in 1976 and then worked as an installer for all of the Deans offices, based mainly in Wellington but covering most of the south of England including Wales, London and the Channel Islands. During 1979, therefore, John was based in Swansea and Chris was based in Wellington, and they decided to amalgamate their skills and form a new company central to both, and hence Bristol was chosen, and with the help of a Business Development Loan from the bank, the lease was purchased on a shop in Fishponds. Sales, manufacturing and installations of awnings and shutters progressed extremely well with the winning of significant national contracts and the growth of the new company's reputation, and in 1982, The Artistic Blind Company expanded into the manufacture of Roller Blinds and Vertical Blinds for the contract interiors and domestic markets. High profile marketing made this so successful that the increase in staff, stock, machinery and turnover meant the company had outgrown the shop in Fishponds, and in 1988 they secured additional factory premises in Kingswood, Bristol. The shop in Fishponds was retained as a showroom, whilst additional factory space in Kingswood allowed a further expansion and the company purchased more machinery and moved into the production of Venetian Blinds, specialising in nationwide installations for office interiors and double-glazed partitioning companies, and then Pleated Blinds, specialising in the installation of conservatory blinds to all market sectors. There was also a sufficient capacity at that time for the manufacture of other related products such as insect screens, softshades and curtains.