If having a private, low-lit room is important to you, then absolutely, they’re worth it! Room darkening shades do exactly what they say – they darken a room.
Because of their vinyl material, they block up to 95% of incoming light. This results in lower energy costs, increased privacy, and increased protection against UV rays.
Room darkening shades are the ideal option for rooms that needs less sunlight, such as theater rooms or nurseries. They also are great for people who want to improve their sleep cycle. Dark rooms have been shown to help people fall asleep faster and even improve their health!
Common Questions About Room Darkening Shades
What’s the difference between room darkening shades and blackout shades?
Room darkening blinds, or shades, block out up to 95 percent of incoming light. Blackout shades can block out up to 99 percent.
What if a shade I like isn’t technically “room darkening”?
Several window shades, like woven wood shades, have an option to upgrade to a room darkening or blackout liner. The liner restricts light from going through the shades’ fabric.
How can I block or limit light coming in from the sides?
Whether you have a room darkening shade or not, you can mount your window covering on the outside to prevent extra light from filtering in through the sides. Another way to accomplish a room darkening effect is to layer curtains over your window treatment.
The six extra weeks of winter are almost over, and we cannot wait for warmer weather. (That’s saying a lot given SelectBlinds is based in Arizona.) As you’re getting ready for more sun, consider incorporating solar shades into your home.
Solar shades operate like roller shades; however, the material is often less dense than rollers. This means solars can be fully lowered and still provide an outside view (more on that later). Other features include:
UV Protection: Solar shades reflect light and can block up to 95% of harmful UV rays. They keep furniture from being damaged while also reducing the glare on screens.
Energy Efficient: In the hot weather months, interior solar shades can reduce incoming heat by 30 to 70 percent, which will help decrease energy costs.
Kid Friendly: All our shades are available with a Cordless Lift, which is the safest style for homes with young children. Some solar shades have an option to upgrade to Motorization.
To match the right shade to your lifestyle, ask yourself the following questions:
1. Where is the placement of the shade?
Lifestyle Motorized Solar in Pearl 3%
A basic but important question. Are these shades going inside or outside? That will determine if you need interior or exterior solar shades.
Both are made of durable PVC materials, but exterior solar shades are generally constructed from weather-proof materials. Interior shades are moisture and mold-resistant, so they can be in rooms regardless of humidity.
2. What level of openness do you want?
Left: Classic Exterior Sheer Weave Solars in Black 3%; Right: Classic Exterior Sheer Weave Solars in Black 14%
Openness refers to the tightness of the fabric weave, which is an indication of the percentage of light that can penetrate through. Our blinds range from 1% to 14%.
A low number, or low openness percentage, means the fabric is tightly woven. The low percentages (i.e. 1-5%) block out more UV rays and offer more privacy. With a low openness, the outward visibility through the shade is limited.
A high openness percentage (i.e. 14%) has a looser fabric weave, which means there’s more visibility and still a decent glare reduction.
Tip: Lighter colors for interior or exterior solar shades can block more glare, and darker colors improve your visibility to the outside.
3. Should you add a layer?
Designer Series Fashion Solar Screen in Balboa 4%
Remember, solar shades reflect light. During the day, it blocks a view into your home from the outside while allowing you to see from the inside out.
The effect is reversed during the evening. The solar shades reflect the lights in your home, which blocks your outward view and allows visibility from outside the home.
So, should you add a layer for privacy? It’s really up to you!
If the solar shade faces your backyard, privacy may not be a big concern. If your solar shade faces a street and you want privacy, consider layering curtains so that you can close them at night and block visibility from the outside.
Now that you know the basics, get ready for the first day of spring and order free Solar Shade samples! Call or chat with one of our Design Consultants to learn which solar shade is best for your home. Call (888) 257-1840. They’re easy to talk to!
Architect Light Filtering Panel Track in Modern Gray
One reason people buy new window coverings is because they’re looking to increase their light control. After all, too much light can eventually fade your furniture or floors if there’s too much exposure to UV rays.
But don’t let that keep you from blocking away all light. Natural light does have its benefits like:
Boosting Vitamin D
Improving your sleep cycle
Producing serotonin and endorphins
Reducing stress and anxiety
Saving energy and money on electricity
Now that you know the benefits, you can decide exactly how much light you want in your home. Some products are better suited if you’d like more light versus if you want no light at all. We broke down our products into three broad categories based on how well they allow light in.
High Light Filtering
Designer Light Filtering Dual Shade in Coastal Cream
Light is softly diffused through the sheer fabric of these products.
Visit our website for an in-depth look at which shade is best suited for your light control needs, or call our Design Consultant Team at (888) 257-1840. They’re easy to talk to!
Love is in the air, and streaming services are promoting romantic comedies like grocery stores are pushing heart-shaped chocolates. We’re jumping on the bandwagon and choosing window coverings that remind us of popular rom-coms.
Palm Springs
Left: Hulu Credits; Right: Designer Reserve Roman Shades in Palma Sea
This movie is a West Coast take on the classic stuck-in-a-time-loop-until-we-learn-something storyline. Staying in theme, we picked Designer Reserve Roman Shades in Palma Sea with its sketch-like palm fronds.
Crazy Rich Asians
Left: Warner Bros Picture Credit; Right: Cozy Curtains in Green Matte Velour
This was a hard decision given the beautiful, bold color palette. However, we went with one of the most memorable scenes: Colin and Aramint’s wedding. We loved the green hues that surrounded Aramint as she gracefully walked on the water-filled aisle, starting with those light olive green curtains. Hence our Cozy Curtains in Green Matte Velour.
Just Friends
Left: New Line Cinema Credit; Right: Lifestyle Custom Drapes in Anthracite Chandelier over Lifestyle Light Filtering Roller in Ancient Ivory
If you experience secondhand embarrassment easily, then you remember this movie. We wanted to elevate the drab window coverings Chris had in his childhood room – he had a happy ending after all. Instead of aluminum blinds, we went with the Lifestyle Light Filtering Roller in Ancient Ivory layered under Lifestyle Custom Drapes in Anthracite Chandelier. He needed a brighter outlook anyways.
When Harry Met Sally
Left: Columbia Pictures Credit; Right: Premier Light Filtering Cellular Shades in Pumpkin Spice DC
We could feel the east coast crisp air watching Harry and Sally meet time and time again in New York City. They looked chilly as well with their jackets and sweaters. With that in mind, we went with the double cell Premier Light Filtering Cellulars in Pumpkin Spice. The burnt orange hue reminded us of the leaves changing in Central Park, and they’ll need the double cell construction for extra insulation against the cold.
The Notebook
Left: New Line Cinema Credit; Right: Sheer Curtains in Sheer Pure White Crepe
We know it’s not a comedy, but we had to add it to the list. Noah created Allie’s ideal mansion – blue shutters and all. We love his choice of flowing sheer drapes throughout the house that added to the romance. That’s why we picked our Sheer Curtains in Sheer Pure White Crepe.
*This blog is not endorsed or sponsored by any of the mentioned streaming services or shows.*
The emergence of pastels in interior design is here to stay. These muted, soft hues have been around for years, and they recently grew in popularity in 2020 when people were looking for a calming presence in their home. Fast forward to today and pastels continue to be the color of choice.
Pastels invoke comforting feelings and can make a room feel brighter. Incorporating these light hues is easy because they don’t compete with bold or deep existing colors in the home; instead, it compliments them.
Create a welcoming, warm atmosphere with our William Morris Collection, in collaboration with the Victoria and Albert Museum. The luxury collection features 28 pastel color combinations across six sophisticated designs in roller shades, drapery and roman shades.
Bring the natural world indoors with the V&A William Morris Collection, in collaboration with the Victoria and Albert Museum. This luxury collection features 28 color combinations across six sophisticated designs in roller shades, drapery and roman shades.
William Morris was a great champion of the Arts and Crafts Movement in the 19th century. Morris’ designs interweave flowers, trees, birds, animals and insects influenced by the greenery in his own garden and from walks along the riverbanks.
If you’re exhausted from your monotonous window coverings, it’s time to break away from bland and entertain one of these delightful, renowned patterns.
Marigold – 1875
Marigold Steel Blue
No one did more to turn the Victorian interior into a romantic garden quite like Morris. But Morris’ designs were always subtle, stylized evocations of natural forms rather than literal transcriptions. With a natural eye for pattern, Morris produced furnishing textiles and wallpapers that not only balanced figuration and order, but which were (unusually for the time) distinctive. One of Morris’ most enduring patterns, Marigold demonstrates exuberant scrolling foliage and a gentle color palette. Designed in 1875, Marigold became one of a handful of designs intended for both fabric and wallpaper because Morris thought textiles and wall coverings needed to have different types of patterns.
Honeysuckle and Tulip – 1876
Honeysuckle and Tulip Grey Blue
William Morris’ designs for fabrics, wallpaper and other decorative arts revolutionized Victorian taste and contributed to the revival of traditional textile arts, generating the Arts and Crafts Movement in Britain. Honeysuckle and Tulip, a design from 1876 and one of Morris’ personal favorites, was an experimental block-printed silk fabric produced in collaboration between Thomas Wardle (1831–1909) and Morris. Both men had ambitions to obtain the depth of color from natural, permanent dyes similar to those in Indian textiles.
Pimpernel – 1876
Pimpernel Sage
The pattern’s title refers to the small scarlet pimpernels dotted throughout the design rather than the large poppies entwined with scrolling willow leaves. Created in 1876 by William Morris, Pimpernel demonstrates how time and time again Morris conventionalized naturalistic elements in his patterns, training flowers and leaves into scrolling and curving shapes, embodying the reasons why Morris is the most celebrated 19th century designer with an enduring appeal today. The highly elaborate and symmetrical pattern was originally hung in the dining room of Morris’ own home, Kelmscott House in London.
Sunflower – 1879
Sunflower Honey
William Morris’ Sunflower pattern was first introduced in 1879 and was available in both regular distemper prints and the lacquered, embossed type used to imitate leather wall coverings. Sunflowers were a popular motif and symbol of the Aesthetic Movement and appeared in fashion, architecture and interior design. The concept of ‘art for art’s sake’, also known as the Cult of Beauty, permeated British culture during the latter part of the 19th century and was widely influential. The Movement originally started in the studios and houses of a radical group of artists and designers, including William Morris and Dante Gabriel Rossetti.
Strawberry Thief – 1883
Strawberry Thief Vintage Blush
One of Morris’ most famous and most popular designs, Strawberry Thief, was intended to be used for curtains or draped around walls (a form of interior decoration advocated by Morris), or for loose covers on furniture. He based the pattern and name on the thrushes which frequently stole the juicy strawberries from the kitchen garden of his countryside home, Kelmscott Manor, in Oxfordshire. Despite the fact that this design was one of the most expensive printed furnishings available from Morris & Co., it became a firm favorite with clients and hasn’t been out of print since 1883.
Willow Bough – 1887
Willow Bough Vine
Many of Morris’ wallpaper designs were based on the natural world which he studied at firsthand. His exuberant designs interweave plants drawn from his own gardens and the wildflowers and trees which he had seen on country walks. This intricate and naturalistic pattern inspired by graceful willow branches was designed by Morris in 1887. Morris also found ideas for his designs in the simple woodcut illustrations in 16th century herbals (books describing plants and their various uses in medicine and cookery). He owned several books of this kind, including a copy of Gerard’s Herball (published 1597) in which a willow branch is illustrated. The willow was one of Morris’ favorite motifs, and he used it in several of his designs for wallpaper and for textiles.
Call or chat with one of our Design Consultants to learn more about the VA William Morris Collection! Call (888) 257-1840. They’re easy to talk to!
With skylight blinds, you can control the amount of light in a stylish and functional way. It’s possible to create the perfect home environment with them. You can use skylight blinds to create an atmosphere that’s just right for any occasion and customize the lighting in a room.
Premier Light Filtering Skylights in Pale Winter SC
Why should you even cover your skylight window?
Skylight blinds can help you save money. The energy-efficient cellular construction insulates your home from the heat and cold. As a result, billing costs can be reduced throughout the year.
Skylight blinds can block harmful UV rays and direct UV glare. This is especially useful for rooms with TV or computer screens.
Skylight blinds keep the outside out. They help soften outdoor noise, as well as protect furniture, walls and floors from fading and discoloration.
Skylight blinds can improve aesthetics. No more distractions from outside when you’re hosting. Choose a color that matches your interior design.
Skylight blinds are easy to install and use. Skylight blinds are generally easy to install and can be customized to fit any size window. All of our Skylight Blinds come standard as a manual lift. You can also add a Telescopic Extension Pole to your cart. Check to see if motorization is available as an upgrade.
Premier Light Filtering Skylights in Barley SC
Check our Skylight Buying Guide for more information, or call or chat with one of our Design Consultants! Call (888) 257-1840. They’re easy to talk to!
Include your windows in spring cleaning this year, and we’re not talking about standard dusting. The first step of spring cleaning is to toss out what you don’t need, so let’s start there. Here are three signs you need to replace your window coverings.
1. You hate them.
Let’s not complicate it. You can’t stand the window blinds or shades you currently have. They were already there when you moved in. Decide what you want by browsing our site or chatting with our Design Consultants!
2. Your window coverings are worn out and worn down.
The wood blinds are warped, the dog chewed the cellular shades, or your drapery didn’t withstand your children’s permanent marker designs. Whatever it is, sadly, your window coverings are too far gone. It’s time to get something new.
3. You remodeled or got new furniture.
Perhaps the new decor is modern, and your blinds feel too traditional. We have styles that will work with aesthetics from boho to farmhouse to elegant. Commit to your preferred interior design style and get the window coverings that match.
Unique and sleek, this window treatment layers a light filtering fabric over a blackout fabric, both of which provide UV protection. Each panel can be moved individually from the other, either manually or on your remote or smartphone.
Enjoy light and privacy control with a traditional, high-end look with Classic Roman Shades. Choose between a standard pleated fold or upgrade to a soft fold.
Naturally filter light through the unique woven wood texture, crafted from bamboo, grasses and other organic fibers. These are a top choice among bloggers and DIY designers for their ability to blend in seamlessly with almost any décor.
It’s a win-win with this unique day and night solar shade. The frontmost solar shade protects your interior from the harsh daytime sunlight. Meanwhile, the rear blackout shade provides a better night’s sleep with its insulation and blackout capabilities.
Double Solar Roller Shades in Umber Brown / Dark Maitake
Impress with this visually tantalizing jewel-toned drapery. Make your interior feel rich and plush with our Velvet Collection, or smooth and light with our Satin Collection.
Create a monochromatic masterpiece with these shades. Using an innovative lamination technique, the top soft fabric layer is fused with a liner that makes them energy efficient but still allows the sun to make its way through in a gentle light-filtering effect. They’re also available as Black & White Room Darkening Roller Shades.
Black & White Light Filtering Roller Shades in White Frond
Have questions? Call or chat with one of our Design Consultants! Call (888) 257-1840. They’re easy to talk to!
It’s too chilly to leave sliding doors open, so take advantage and shop for sliding door blinds! Our sliding door blinds and panels provide you the following benefits:
1. They Support Your Unique Interior Design.
If you’re searching for a window covering that matches your interior style, we have vertical coverings from faux wood to fabric to cellulars.
For an elegant and durable look, faux wood is always a good choice. They imitate the wood-grain texture and look of real wood blinds in a variety of rich colors that work with any décor.
Fabric vertical blinds give windows a softer, more modern flow. For a high-end designer look, consider fabric panels for a streamlined look.
Left: 3/4″ Premier Light Filtering Vertical Cellulars in Night Blue SC; Right: Premier Light Filtering Cellular Shades in Night Blue SC
2. Sliding Door Blinds and Panels are Kid-Friendly.
All of our vertical sliding door blinds and panels come standard 100% cordless. A Cordless Lift is the safest choice for small children and even pets. On average, about nine children, age 5 and younger, die every year from strangulation in window coverings with cords, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
We offer three different draw types with our cordless vertical blinds. Order your verticals with the wand on the left or right in a one-way draw or split stack configuration. If this feature isn’t a top priority, you can upgrade to a Continuous Cordless Loop Lift.
Classic Smooth Vertical Blinds in Sandstone with a Wand
3. They Provide Ultimate Privacy.
Sliding doors are wide, so you need sliding door blinds that can handle the challenge. SelectBlinds vertical coverings come in standard sizes to extra wide widths up to 191”. Fabric panels especially increase privacy because their panels touch side-by-side when closed.
Modern Architect Panel Track in Terra
4. Sliding Door Blinds and Panels are Easy to Clean.
Dust is less likely to fall on your vertical blinds and panels – thank you gravity. Spot clean your verticals with a damp cloth and water or a very mild detergent. Visit our Cleaning Guide for detailed instructions.
For more info, check out our Verticals Buying Guide, or call/chat with one of our Design Consultants! Call (888) 257-1840. They’re easy to talk to!
During winter, you want to keep everything in your home as warm and cozy as possible. Wooden blinds are your go-to friend with slats that insulate your home against the chilling wind. Friends don’t let friends get cold after all.
Not only are wooden blinds affordable and easy to install, they also bring the essence of the outdoors inside with their natural, furniture-quality hardwood. At SelectBlinds, we only sell wooden blinds that have been sustainably harvested. Each blind is custom-crafted to your measurements and color choice to warm your home.
Plus, wooden blinds have your back with their tight-closing slats, like the 1 3/8″ Architect Wood Blinds, to give you the privacy you need. Cloth tapes are available as an upgrade for certain wooden blinds; the tape hides exposed cords and keeps out more light.
1 3/8″ Architect Wood Blinds in Stripped Jacobean2″ Select Basswood Wood Blinds in Linden Wood with Dijon Cloth Tape
The only time wooden blinds will let you down is if you install them in bathrooms, kitchens, or other rooms with high humidity and moisture. The slats will warp. However, faux wood blinds’ vinyl slats can be in rooms with different temperatures without warping, fading, or cracking.
Additional Wooden Blinds Benefits:
They can be economical – Wooden blinds are relatively low-cost compared to other types of window coverings. They are also eco-friendly.
Wooden blinds can add personality – Basswood blinds add texture and depth to your rooms. They can be layered with drapes to add another dimension.
They’re easy to clean – A feather duster or dust cloth is all you need to keep them looking nice.
Wooden blinds can help reduce outside noise – Wooden blinds can help reduce outside noise from coming in.
Want to talk more about wooden blinds? Call or chat with one of our Design Consultants for more info! Call (888) 257-1840. They’re easy to talk to!
