Window shades can bring about an amazing transformation in your home. Whether used as a standalone window treatment or in combination with other window coverings, shades have several advantageous features. However, you need to choose your window shades wisely to achieve the desired makeover for your home. Here’s a quick guide to help you make the right choice.
Consider Your Needs and Budget
When choosing a shade for your room, consider your light and privacy needs. Shades are available in a wide variety of fabrics that each comes with their own benefits. If you’re looking to block light and better privacy, then heavier fabrics are a better choice. Opt for sheer fabrics if you want to allow light in and keep your room bright. Also, keep in mind the location and direction of your windows, as these will determine the amount of light you’ll receive throughout the day. Your buying decision should depend on all these factors.
Check out the Different Types of Shades to Suit Your Needs
Once you determine what you need, narrowing your focus becomes easy. There are different types of shades available in varied colours, fabrics, textures, patterns, and mechanisms. They offer versatility and tremendous style. But your purchasing decision should depend on the mood and look you want to create for your space.
- Roller Shades: They’re ideal for creating a clean and streamlined appearance, especially for narrow windows. You can choose from spring roller and motorized options. Available in vinyl and fabric, you can also team them up with curtains or draperies to create a layered style for your windows. For an added charm, buy shades that are 1 or 2 inches smaller than the width of the window frame and mount them inside.Roller shades are an inexpensive window treatment option. Available in various opacities, designs and border styles, select one to make a decorative statement for your interiors.
- Roman Shades: They’re mainly made of fabrics like polyester, polycotton, silk, etc. and natural materials like jute, bamboo and grasses. Roman shades work well with all kinds of windows. The panels create gentle folds or pleats when opened, providing your space a tailored look. There are different types of roman shades according to the type of folds they create such as pleated romans, relaxed romans, cascade romans, hobbled romans, romans with dowels, balloon shades and romans with tails.Lowering and raising each of these roman shades is easy, so that you don’t have to struggle with the folds.
- Cellular Shades: Also known as honeycomb shades, these shades are also available in a myriad variety of colours and fabrics. The functionality options of cellular shades are, however, greater than the other kinds of shades. With various opacities, these shades also offer special applications and shapes like top-down, bottom-up, angle-top, skylight shades, arch shades, day shades and nigh shades.The construction of these shades provides insulation and save energy. There are two layers in this shade; out of which the one in between that helps you control light, heat, cold and privacy. They’re ideal to deal with Canadian winters.
- Other Types of Shades: There are more varieties of shades available apart from these options. Horizontal sheers are designed to provide you some privacy while letting in diffuse light that adds a soft glow to your indoors. Other types are wood venetians or the wood horizontals, faux wood horizontals (for moisture prone areas), and pirouettes.
Consider the Ease of Maintenance
Shades will accumulate dust and grime over time. Therefore, you must also consider how easy it’ll be for you to clean and maintain them when you go to purchase window shades. Each type has its own methods of cleaning. Consider how much time and effort you can devote to dusting, vacuuming, spot cleaning and washing your shades.
If you’re looking to buy shades in Toronto, visit our Nicole Draperies showroom. We have a wide selection of window shades and other window treatments for all budgets and needs. Call us today at 905-475-1564 to book an appointment.
905-475-1564