Custom Blackout Shades

Blackout shades are often used in bedrooms and media rooms where you want to eliminate any light from entering through the windows.

Product Overview

Custom Blackout Shades in San Diego, Orange County, Sacramento, Fresno

Shades are window covering products often referred to as “soft” window treatments as they are made from a roll of fabric instead of slats or vanes. Window shades bring a soft, sleek, and warm design to your windows that are mounted either inside or outside the window outline and are available in many material options and color combinations. Customized options are also available to suit your personal design needs. Blackout window shades take it one step further by providing a barrier for maximum light blockage. These shades are the optimal treatment for bedrooms, nurseries, and media rooms where you need the most control of light and privacy for uninterrupted, restful sleep free from light seeping in or a dark room for movie viewing.

Energy Efficient

Blocks Light

Alexa Compatible

Horizontal

Orientations



12″ – 240″



12″ – 360″

Sizes

Moderate

Cost

Why Blackout and Room Darkening Treatments?

Ideal solution to achieve absolute darkness
Eliminates 99% of light entering your room
The best approach for home theaters, bedrooms, and spaces that require complete privacy
Multiple options and styles available for effective room darkening

blackout roller shades with side and sill channels

Room Darkening versus Blackout Shades
What are the differences?

Room darkening shades are designed to reduce the amount of light entering a room. These shades are not designed for complete darkness, but they will eliminate almost all light. In contrast, blackout shades create complete darkness by minimizing gaps that create the ‘halo effect’ of light coming through your windows. This is achieved by combining treatments creating a layered effect that include blackout curtains with blinds, roller shades, or cellular shades.

Both room darkening and blackout shades can keep your home cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter, making them effective at reducing energy costs. Room darkening shades often consist of thick, opaque fabrics, whereas blackout shades typically include an additional liner for absolute light-blocking capabilities.

What are the benefits of blackout window shades?

Window treatments and coverings offer various levels of light control and privacy. Blackout treatments are designed to block all light from entering a room by using tight-fitting mounts that block the most light. Blackout window treatments are associated with a good night's sleep, as multiple studies have shown that exposure to light while sleeping obstructs the quality of one's sleep.

Room-darkening solutions are a game changer for people who work the night shift as their quality of sleep is improved by creating the ambiance of the night by eliminating exposure to natural daytime sunlight. If you want to keep your energy use bills in check, blackout treatments will keep your house cool by keeping the heat out during the summer and reducing heat loss in the winter. Your home's energy consumption can be reduced by as much as 25%. Another added value of blackout treatments is ensuring your peace of mind with added security for your home. We offer solutions to increase the privacy of your home by ensuring that no one can see inside, especially at night.

Blackout window shades completely darken your space, giving you maximum light control and privacy while enhancing your room's décor and ambiance. Blackout shades are a multi-functional treatment that blocks light and noise and helps reduce energy costs. With this being said, they are incredibly beneficial for anyone needing to sleep during the daytime by creating nighttime ambiance while blocking out at least 40% of noise. Go from midday to midnight to ensure you get the maximum hours of rest by improving the quality of your sleep. During the cold winter months, they prevent heat loss through windows, and during the hot summer months, they block light and solar heat, helping you reduce your energy bills. Shades should be installed outside the window casing for the most effective blackout effect. This will eliminate any light seeping through.

What are the best products for Blackout and Room Darkening Solutions?

Personal taste and functionality will play a large part in selecting the best treatments for your room. Our preference for maximum light blocking is for multi-layer treatments combining blackout curtains or roller shades with a top treatment that will eliminate the ‘halo effect.’

CELLULAR SHADES

Cellular shades, commonly known as honeycomb shades, are window coverings designed to filter or block light depending on the fabric. Cellular shade fabrics create a barrier to help keep undesired light from entering a room, whether sunlight or street lights. On the other hand, room-darkening cellular shades, while very effective at blocking light, are not completely opaque, meaning that some light will still be able to pass through the fabric.

Besides having blackout fabric options, cellular shades are one of the most energy-efficient treatments for your windows and doors. The honeycomb construction of the shade creates pockets of air within the shades. These air pockets add extra insulation for your windows, keeping the sun out in the summer and warm air inside your home in the winter. Many brands even come with the option of adding extra cells for better temperature control. There are cordless options available, as well as top-down and bottom-up designs available.

For ultimate functionality and versatility, consider a two-fabric combination, selecting a semi-sheer or full sheer honeycomb fabric on top with a blackout shade on the bottom, giving you flexibility with style.

ROLLER SHADES

Roller shades come in a wide range of colors, styles, and fabrics, from sheer to solar screen fabrics and room-darkening fabrics, making them a popular choice for residential and commercial settings. When closed or nearly closed, roller shades effectively block light.

Our blackout roller shades add a stylish face to total light blockage and privacy. We offer a wide assortment of on-trend materials and patterns, from solids, tweeds, fresh stripes, and bold patterns. Blackout shades are ideal for bedrooms and media rooms, as the treatment eliminates almost all sunlight from entering your environment while having a sleek custom look. Keep your room dark for better sleep!

ROMAN SHADES

Roman shades are available in various fabrics, colors, and patterns, are effective at light control, and have room-darkening qualities. Roman shades can be lined with room-darkening fabrics to limit or control light. While closed, they reduce glare and provide privacy; while open, they allow natural light to enter the room. This makes them an ideal choice for bedrooms and media rooms.

WOVEN WOOD SHADES

Woven wood shades provide light control and privacy. Woven wood shades perfectly combine traditional, casual styling and natural materials with an organic feel. You also can open knits or tight privacy weaves for spaces in which controlling privacy is optimal, like a bedroom or bathroom.

Due to the natural material used in constructing woven wood shades, they intrinsically let in light even when drawn. Therefore, it may be best to add a privacy blackout liner to evenly disperse the light filtering through, which is especially helpful with streetside windows. Blackout liners are a great option if you want to block out most of the incoming light. They are particularly useful for reducing device glare caused from the outside.

Consider upgrading your woven wood shades with blackout liners for added light control and privacy. Liners can be fixed or movable. A fixed lining is attached to the back of the shade and moves seamlessly with the raising and lowering of the shade, whereas moveable liners move independently, allowing for on-demand light and privacy control. While unlined shades can offer the ultimate natural light and add texture to your space, they do not provide the same level of privacy as lined blackout shades.

Blackout Cellular Shades

Blackout cellular fabric blocks 99% of all incoming light.
Excellent choice for bedrooms and media rooms.
Cellular shades raise into a thin stack for a clear, unobstructed view.
Lift options include child-safe cordless options and motorized options.
Fabric is soft to the touch and durable.
Cellular shades have little pockets of air resembling a beehive that traps hot and cold air for maximum energy efficiency.
They are available in almost every color and pattern, adding to their functionality and versatility.

Blackout Roller
Shades

Blackout roller shades block 99% of all incoming light and give complete privacy.
Their simple, elegant design gives them a clean, modern, and minimalist look.
Roller shades are affordable and available in various colors to match your décor.
Simple to roll up and down.
The material facing the street is white for a neutral appearance from the outside.

Blackout Roman Shades

Blackout Roman shades block out 99% of incoming light and provide absolute privacy to your room.
They are available in textured and solid colors that match any home decor style.
Roman shades have a modern look with fabric that creates horizontal folds making them a stylish addition to your windows.
Both functional and stylish, they stack neatly when retracted at the top of the window.
Best solution for media rooms, bedrooms, or nurseries.

Lined Woven Wood Shades

Choose from light filtering or a blackout liner to reach your exact level of desired privacy.
Option of open knits or tight privacy weave for rooms in which controlling privacy is optimal.
Clean and textured look with artisan quality for unparalleled uniqueness
Made from renewable and sustainable materials.
Great option for layering with other treatments, like panels, curtains, or drapes.
Lift options include child-safe cordless options and motorized options.

Blackout Window Treatments for Bedrooms

Privacy, light control, child-proof, convenience, and functionality.

Getting enough deep REM sleep is vital to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Our bedrooms are exposed to light and noise pollution, which can interfere with our sleep quality. Blackout treatments offer the perfect solution to ensure that your bedroom is an optimal dark and quiet space that is beneficial to getting the sleep required.

Blackout Window Treatments for Media Rooms

Blackout shades block all natural light for complete privacy—an ideal choice to install in media room windows.

The essential elements needed to create a successful media room include selecting the right television or projector, comfortable seating, an effective sound system, and window treatments. Treatments are often overlooked when designing a media room but are crucial to blocking out external sounds and light for optimal viewing pleasure. Installing darkening/blackout window treatments will remove all light from casting a glare on the screen and add that decorative touch creating a movie theater feel in your own home. Shades work best in media rooms, providing a solid covering with no gaps, thereby eliminating any light from seeping in.

Motorized Blackout Shades

Window blackout shades can be drawn up or down manually, or a motorized version of shades is available for those taller hard-to-reach windows. Once drawn up, they form a thin stack for a clear, unobstructed view, making them a very versatile window treatment giving you control over how much light you want to let in. Window blackout shades are available in cordless and motorized options, making them childproof, and providing you with a safe choice for any children and pets in your home.

Covering Light Gaps

Blackout curtains and blackout shades are often used in bedrooms and media rooms where you want to eliminate any light from entering the windows. However, most window covering products are room-darkening rather than blackout, so they do not completely block unwanted light from entering your space because the edge of the window covering creates a “halo effect” of light.

Depending on the shade, the light gap with vary. Cellular shades have the smallest light gap, about a quarter of an inch, whereas roller shades have the largest light gap, up to a half inch on each side. There are, however, ways to minimize those light gaps.

If you want to prevent any light from entering to achieve a true blackout effect, you have some options for covering the "halo effect" light gaps. The first is to layer with curtains or draperies, which come in blackout and room-darkening fabric options. Layering your treatments allows you to combine the functionality of two room darkening/blackout window coverings to create a more robust light-blocking solution. Blackout draperies are the most effective, with the added benefit of adding a stylish, layered look.

Another option is to add vinyl light gap blockers, strips with a sticky backing that easily adhere to your windows to block the gaps and prevent light. Additionally, you can choose an outside window frame mount install option for your blackout shades. Outside-mounted window treatments are installed over the window opening rather than the traditionally preferred inside mount placed inside the window frame. You can reduce unwanted "halo effect" light by mounting your shades outside the window frame opening. Just be aware that some blackout blinds or shades may not hang tight to the window and, therefore, could glow with light from the outside. Cellular shades will fit tightly to the window to give you good coverage if your room does not require complete darkness but you are still looking to reduce light gaps.

Need more help with custom shades dealing with light gaps? Call today to learn more information at 800-828-2003 and set up your free in-home consultation with a 3 Blind Mice Window Coverings designer.

Review

The blinds are easy to pull down and relatively easy to pull up. I like the look and blackout function.

- Heidi L.

FAQS

How do you block light that comes in from around the edges of the shades?

To effectively block light that comes in from around the edges of blackout shades, it is important to choose a properly fitted shade. Measuring the window opening and ordering a shade slightly larger than the window is recommended. This will allow the shade to cover the window opening and minimize any light gaps fully. Additionally, some blackout shades come with additional features, such as side channels or tracks, that can further block any light from entering the room. Another option is adding blackout drapes or curtains on top of the shades to block any light from entering the room.

Are blackout shades energy-efficient?

Yes, blackout shades are energy-efficient. They can help keep your home cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter, effectively reducing energy costs.

What are the benefits of blackout shades?

Blackout shades offer a number of benefits for homeowners, including improved sleep quality, reduced energy costs, increased privacy, and protection of furniture and other household items from fading due to exposure to sunlight. They also provide a stylish and versatile window treatment option that can complement a range of home decor styles.

Will blackout shades completely block out all light?

While blackout shades are designed to block out most light, some light may still be able to penetrate around the edges of the shade or through any gaps between the shade and the window frame. Additionally, some shades may not be completely opaque and may allow some light to filter through the fabric.

What are blackout shades?

Blackout shades are window treatments that are designed to block out most of the light from entering a room. They are made from opaque materials that prevent light from passing through the fabric, and they are often used in bedrooms, nurseries, and media rooms to create a dark and comfortable environment.

How do I clean my blackout shades?

Cleaning instructions for blackout shades may vary depending on the specific material and design of the shade. In general, most shades can be cleaned using a vacuum brush attachment or using a soft cloth or sponge and mild soap and water. Some shades may also be suitable for spot-cleaning with a mild detergent or fabric cleaner.