With a plethora of choices in the window treatments market, don’t forget to take a look at roller shades. They can let in the light or they can all but block it out and look good doing either.
I sympathize with today’s consumer in the market for window treatments and coverings. There are a bewildering number of choices, costs, materials and vendors. But, armed with a little information this is a good thing.
For many, it is hard to think outside of the normal choices when considering new blinds or shades. At least it was for me. I was in a situation where it was time to upgrade my apartment with some new window treatments. When I accessed my memory for what to buy, I was thinking of the boring old default choices: mini blinds and vertical blinds. You may be saying to yourself, “been there, done that.” Well, so was I.
That isn’t to say that roller shades are some brand-spanking new product. The old vinyl roller shades have been around a long time and, frankly, are not very decorative – functional yes, attractive, no. Times have changed and roller shades have come a long way to include new materials, colors and opacity. In my opinion they now offer a look that is contemporary and clean and you can outfit your rooms according to function, i.e. you can get roller shades that are nearly see-through (light filtering) all the way to blackout shades for your bedroom. If you are a light sleeper like me, this is a must.
I like the simple clean look, as I mentioned, but I also really appreciate the easy functionality. They have a cool chain driven clutch system that is easy to use and keeps the shade right at the level you set it. You can even purchase a motorized lift with remote control. This was something I considered but chose not to purchase. My apartment is small and it seemed a little silly. The one option I did go for though was a small cassette system. Allow me to explain. The cassette system is essentially a fabric-wrapped cover to the roll at the top of the shade that conceals the roll. This offers a cleaner, more decorative look.
In the end I chose the Hunter Douglas, semi-opaque roller shades, in a nice, light camel color which was a nice compliment to my walls. For my bedroom, I chose some blackout roller shades, also from Hunter Douglas in a nice, slate grey. The blackout shades work beautifully to darken my bedroom. They have a nice tight fit and the cassette system actually helps to block out light.
Lastly, I would definitely recommend mounting your roller shades to the inside of the window casing. I think the look is cleaner with a snug fit. Just make sure you get your measurements right. One website I visited had a how to measure video that was quite helpful. One of the take-aways I can share with you is to measure the length and width of the window casing in three spots instead of just one. Most window casings will have a slightly different length and width from one end to the other. So, what you do is measure in three places: the top, middle and bottom. Then take the longest of the measurements for your order.
We have a large window in our living room that has a spectacular view of the bay. Unfortunately because the window faces west the room can get hot in the late afternoon through the evening. Not wanting to loose the view we invested in a solar screen to try to block out some of the heat. The solar screen blocks a lot of the heat and we still can see out. The draw back is that it does not provide privacy. We mounted the shade as an inside mount and paired it with room darkening drapery. The combination gives us so much flexibility with privacy and light control. We can have a full view, partial view, and full block out.
The added bonus that I did not even think about when we bought them is the savings on my electric bill. Since my A/C is not longer cranked to the max these shades will probably pay for themselves over the long haul. AWESOME!!!