Window Shades: 6 Solutions to Maximize Natural Lighting

Having plenty of natural light in your living space is not only healthy, but it’s also very beneficial for your overall well-being. What’s more, having adequate daylight streaming into your living space will reduce the need for artificial lighting—thus saving you money on energy costs in the long run.

However, while natural daylighting is always welcome, you should select a window treatment solution that will enable you to block it whenever necessary. This treatment should blend seamlessly into your room design, and can even serve as a décor statement on its own. Either way, you should pay attention when choosing window coverings to ensure the products are both functional and stylish.

Here are 6 window treatment solutions you should keep in mind.

Roman Shades

Roman shades, which are made from folds of soft fabric, have always been a very practical and functional window treatment solution. But the fact of the matter is that they were not always the most stylish choice. That being said, it’s important to recognize that Roman shades have experienced a significant uplift in the style department. So, nowadays there are so many different patterns and styles you can choose from that you are sure to find solutions to fit right into your room’s design.

Venetian Blinds

This style of blinds, with their classic horizontal louver design, have always been very practical and versatile. They can be fully raised up to the top of the window to maximize the amount of natural light, but they can also be lowered to completely block it.

Additionally, by twisting the wand on a Venetian blind, you can adjust the tilt of the louvers to further modulate the light or prevent by-passers from seeing inside your home. So, these blinds are an excellent choice if you want both natural light control and privacy.

Roller Shades

Roller shades are another style of blinds you should consider if you’re looking to change your current window treatments. The new generation of roller shades are either operated by a spring, controlled by a chain, or even completely motorized and automated.

Above all, roller shades are available in many different colours and sizes to fit virtually any window or door—so you should have no problem finding the perfect fit for your personal needs. They can also be completely rolled up to maximize the amount of natural light entering the room and offer complete privacy from prying eyes when rolled down.

Cellular Shades

Cellular or honeycomb shades can be a beautiful, effective, and energy-efficient solution for controlling the amount of light entering your windows and doors. Typically made from two or more layers of fabric, these shades are comprised of a series of horizontal cells with honeycomb-shaped cross sections that trap air at the window for maximum blocking of heat or cold.

Cellular shades can be raised or lowered in much the same way as roller shades to manage the amount of light coming in, though in this case the shade is effectively stacked upon itself and not rolled up.

Sheer Shades

While sheer shades can look simply amazing in any room, the fact of the matter is that many variations don’t really offer either complete privacy or complete sun blocking. However, since they are made of lightweight sheer or semi-sheer fabrics, such as organza or even silk, they will allow a certain amount of light into the room without making it too overwhelming.

Because the nature of the materials used, sheer blinds have the power to make the room feel light and bright, especially when you opt to implement the pale-coloured ones. And if you you want to install sheer shades but are concerned about having total privacy, careful shopping will reveal multiple options that will deliver on that important aspect for you.

Vertical Blinds

Finally, another style you can consider is vertical blinds. As their name suggests, these blinds are similar to Venetian blinds in style, but instead have their louvers positioned vertically. These blinds offer you the same level of control over lighting and privacy as Venetian blinds. As such, you can completely expose the window or door by stacking them back to the left or right, or you can change the angle of the vertical louvres to further limit the amount of light penetrating your room.

Vertical blinds are also very versatile regarding available sizes, lengths and colours, so you should have no problem finding the right fit. For a cleaner and more modern look, choose the blinds in lighter shades.

Lighting Control Your Way

As you can see, blinds and shades make for an excellent window treatment solution, since they are very versatile in size, colour, and style and offer the ability to control the amount of light and level of privacy desired. Furthermore, when selected carefully, they can work as a very stylish and modern addition to your space.