Solar Shades

The installation of our window shades is one of those projects we finished a few months ago, but had failed to blog about...until now.

Much like everything else, we considered a lot of different options and materials for our window shades. In the end, we decided we liked the look, function and benefits of solar shades. We ordered color samples from a number of online stores, finally deciding on roller shades from The Shade Store. The two main reasons that pushed us to buy from The Shade Store were the fact that their shades were available in different densities (which allow for more or less light to enter through the shade), and because all of their shades come with a silver metal ball-chain pull (as opposed to the plastic ball-chain pulls that are more widely available).


We decided on the 5% fabric for the front windows, due to privacy (those windows face the street) and the fact that they get the afternoon sun. For the dining room windows we chose the 10% fabric, as there are less privacy concerns (windows face the backyard) and they get the less-intense, morning sun. Additionally, both maintain our view of the outside when closed. The Shade Store has a neat feature on their website that shows the difference between all of the fabric densities, but here, for instance, is the view out our front windows:

Are you thinking about solar shades and have questions?
Drop us a comment.