Shade fabrics come varying levels of opacity from the sheerest of the sheer all the way up to room darkening shades that block almost all incoming light. In between these two extremes, you’ll find semi-sheer, semi-opaque, and opaque room-darkening shades that run the spectrum and provide differing levels of view-though and coverage to let you customize the amount of light control and privacy you require in a space.

Sheer, room darkening, and blackout shades offer numerous advantages. While opaque and blackout shades similarly both offer a significant reduction in the amount of light entering the room, there are substantial differences between the two types of shade: for example, the amount of light they block, their purpose, and their materials differ significantly.

Determining which is better comes down to personal needs and preferences, and there's always the option of having the best of both worlds! At Georgia Blinds & Interiors, our team can help you explore room darkening vs blackout shade solutions in more detail so that you can better decide which is the right option for you:

Choosing A Room Darkening Or Blackout Shade

The most defining difference between these two types of shades is their light-blocking ability.

Blackout shades eliminate almost all light with using layered fabrics or thick backing. Blackout window treatments can be installed with minimal gaps around the edges for a completely dark environment. Blackout shades are great for shift workers since they typically sleep during the day and will want to create a dark and comfortable environment so that daylight does not disrupt their ability to fall asleep and stay asleep.

We also recommend blackout shades for home theaters for the best viewing experience, as ambient light can wash out the picture on the big screen. Plus, the density of some blackout shades reduces sound from the outside so that you and your family can better focus on the entertainment.

Room-darkening shades may be a better fit for living rooms and bedrooms where homeowners want to enjoy variable light control instead of the full brightness of the day. We recommend room darkening shades rather than blackout solutions for home offices, as they significantly reduce glare on the computer screen but allow some natural light to filter into the room.

Transforming Light Filtering Shades into Blackout Shades

If you’re looking for a blackout solution, opt for an opaque fabric on Hunter Douglas Duette® Cellular Shades with LightLock™ technology. LightLock™ uses U-shaped side channels that fit around the window treatment to block all incoming light, and you can switch between light filtering and blackout by adjusting the position of the shades. When the shades are fully lowered and positioned within the side channels, they provide blackout light control. To allow light to filter through, raise the shades slightly out of the side channels or stop them at a level where some light can enter.

Turn Several Hunter Douglas Shades into A Room Darkening Shade

If you'd like to have the best of both worlds, consider the Duolite® system, a feature we offer by Hunter Douglas. Duolite® works by combining two fabrics into a single window treatment, with one fabric for light filtering and another for blackout. You can easily switch between the two by a simple shade adjustment.

The Duolite® system is available on:

• Designer Roller Shades
• Alustra® Woven Textures® Roller Shades
• Vignette® Roller Shades
• Duette® Cellular Shades
• Silhouette® Sheer Shades

Find Your Room Darkening & Blackout Shades Here

Whether you're looking for a complete blackout or room-darkening window treatment, we have plenty of options for you to choose from. Our team looks forward to helping you pick the perfect shades for every room in your home contact us today, and let's get started!

Our service area spans the greater Atlanta metro area, as well as Fulton, Dekalb, and Cobb counties, including Buckhead, Sandy Springs, Brookhaven, Mid Town, Dunwoody, Marietta, and Decatur, Georgia.