Blackout vs Light Filtering Roller Shades: Which to Choose
Roller shades · Choosing opacity
Same fabrics, same colors, two jobs. Light filtering softens a room; blackout darkens it. Most homes need both, in different rooms. We help you place them.
Roller shades
The short answer
Bedrooms, nurseries and media rooms: blackout. Living, kitchen, bath and office: light filtering. Big glass with a view you want to keep: a dual shade, blackout behind solar.
Light filtering
Diffuses daylight, cuts glare, gives daytime privacy. You see the room glow, not the street.
Blackout
Blocks light fully. For sleep, screens and afternoon sun on a west wall.
Dual (blackout + solar)
Two shades in one headrail: a see-through solar by day, blackout at night.
In the home
Both, in real rooms
Choose
Three opacities
How it works
From first call to installed, without the showroom markup
Free consult
At your home or our Austin showroom. We bring the samples, look at the light, and quote on the spot.
We measure
Every window, inside or outside mount, by the person who will install it. No measuring guides to get wrong.
Made to size
Cut to your measurements. Typical lead time is 3 to 10 days.
Installed
Hung, leveled and tested by our team. You get a finished window, not a box on the porch.
Questions
Good to know
Does blackout mean zero light?
The fabric blocks light completely. A small amount can leak at the edges with an inside mount; an outside mount fixes that for a nursery.
Can I get the same color in both?
Yes. Balmoral, Sanctuary, Tusk, Jersey and Mesa each come in light filtering and blackout in the same colorways, so a house can match room to room.
Cordless or motorized?
Both. Motorization adds a quiet rechargeable motor with remote or app control.
Inside or outside mount?
Both. Inside mount keeps the look clean; outside mount gives better light blocking. We advise at the consult.
How is the price so much lower than a showroom?
We sell direct. No franchise fee, no retail lease, no middle layer. The same made-to-measure product, priced online for anyone to see.
Austin, Texas
Not sure? That is what the consult is for
A designer walks the house with you, room by room, and quotes on the spot. Free in the Austin area.
Sunlight, Solved.