Matching Types of Window Shades to Your Room Design

Picking a fabric shade comes down to two questions: how much light do you want in the room, and what should the fabric look like when the shade is down.

Morgan White, our Founder and Lead Designer brings her background in interior design to help inform your decisions about the different types of shades. Read on to learn some of our best suggestions to select shades that suit the style of different spaces in your home.

The Main Types of Window Shades, Side by Side

Fabric shade are all about light control and style.

When it comes to selecting the perfect shading solution for one room or your entire home, different styles handle light differently, and the fabric you choose also affects your space. Here is a short comparison to start from:

• Roller shades consist of a single flat panel of fabric with a clean edge, and the fabric can range from sheer to blackout. Solar/screen shades are a type of roller shades with an open mesh weave that screens UV and protects from damage and heat gain while you maintain your view outside. Additional liners allow for multiple functions on one roller.
• Cellular shades have a hidden layer of honeycomb cells or pockets that trap air, and they come in single-, double-, and triple-cell versions. Cellular shades also come in roller shade styles and vertical orientations.
• Roman shades stack in soft fabric folds and carry a decorator look, with an optional liner behind the face fabric.
• Woven shades use woods, bamboo, reed, and grasses, so color and texture shift across the material. These can come in different operating styles—incuding vertical panels.

Any of these can be motorized with a rechargeable, plug-in, or hardwired system.

Kinds of Window Shades for Bright, Sun-Facing Rooms

Living rooms and home offices take the brunt of use during the day—which means glare from the sun. Solar shades address issues of too much light well, since the weave’s openness allows you to see through the shade while keeping the heat outside.

A fabric with a tighter weave buys you privacy and gives up some of the view. Roller shades come in semi-sheer to room-darkening fabrics that work when you want the glare gone altogether.

Mount roller-style shades inside the frame of your window to show off the trimwork and casing, or mount them to cover on the wall above the window.

Detailed Window Shades for Entertaining Spaces

People are entertaining guests For spaces where an elevated stylish design is a must, we recommend the fabric folds of Roman shades. Made of fabric that folds or drapes when you raise them, Roman shades pair well with drapery and top treatments like cornices or valances.

Some decorating styles are a perfect fit for Roman shades—from traditional living rooms, kitchens, and dining rooms to contemporary great rooms and multipurpose spaces. They add an elevated fabric element with hundreds of textural and color options to spaces throughout the home.

Window Shades for Bedrooms and Media Rooms

Cellular shades are an excellent pick for anywhere—especially a bedroom. The honeycomb pockets hold air against the glass, which keeps drafts out and prevents you from heating or cooling the outdoors. Blackout options darken a space for sleep and muffle noise egress for a restful night.

Double- and triple-cell versions add layers where a window faces the street or bright morning sun.

For a media room, pair a blackout shade with automated motorization so every window closes at the press of a button before a movie starts. Cordless motorized lifts also remove the risk of hanging cords out of the room, which matters in a nursery or a child’s bedroom.

Window Shades That Bring Texture into a Room

Woven shades bring natural material to the window—pattern and color varies naturally across the weave, so the shade looks crafted by hand—because they are—rather than printed. An open weave lets daylight through and makes engaging patterns across the floor, while a tight weave is opaquer. A liner behind the shade adds privacy. Woven Roman shades balance softness from the folding or stacking material panel with the variation and texture you seek.

How We Match Shades to Your Rooms

Sometimes, photos aren’t enough. That is why we consult with our clients in their homes. A fabric that looks one way online can look different in your room’s light, so we bring the samples to your house, hold the finalists up to the window, and leave the strongest options with you.

From there, you get an itemized quote covering each window, a second visit to finalize fabrics and take measurements, and a single point of contact for ordering and installation. Our own trusted and experienced installers come back to complete the installation—and we stand by our work on top of manufacturer warrantees.

Book a Window Shade Consultation in California

Morgan White Window Coverings meets with clients in their space by appointment from our central location near Saratoga. We serve communities including San Jose, Los Gatos, Campbell, Cupertino, Los Altos, Santa Clara, Mountain View, Sunnyvale, Palo Alto, Fremont, and the surrounding cities.

Call (408) 621-9122 or book a consultation online, and we will bring the samples, measure your windows, and walk you through which shades suit the light in each room.