Remodeling Tip: Why We Love Custom Roller Shades

Of all the design decisions homeowners make when remodeling a home — paint color, furniture, fabrics, rugs, lighting, accessories — window treatments often get overlooked or receive inadequate attention. So, in the spirit of helping you get started, this week we are going to shine some light on one of our favorite window treatments – Custom Roller Shades.

What Are Roller Shades?

A roller shade is a rectangular swath of material attached to a metal tube, and mounted between two brackets. A chain pulley system or a spring mechanism rolls the fabric up and down. Despite their higher cost, motorized blinds and shades are a sound investment for any home. They provide the utmost convenience, especially if you have hard-to-reach windows or if persons in your home have mobility issues. Motorized products are also safer for kids and pets since they don’t have potentially dangerous cords.

What Types of Spaces Work Best for Custom Roller Shades?

In their simplicity, roller shades have a neutral appearance and go with all styles of decor, from transitional to modern. They can be mounted a number of ways: Inside the window frame (FYI: some light may leak in from the sides), and outside the window frame. Deciding which mount option really depends on your window conditions. 2 things to consider:

• Inside mounted roller shades will give you the cleanest look. That's because they fit inside the window frame, and can be mounted as deep or as shallow as you prefer.
• Outside mounted roller shades give the flexibility of choosing almost any window covering for any situation. This is also generally used to mask the window frame from view.

Fashionable, Yet Affordable. Really?

When it comes to window treatments, there are two things on everyone’s mind: aesthetics and, of course, price. Roller shades check off both boxes.

Available in a variety of colors, textures, and patterns to suit every deco, Alva’s custom roller shades are a great decorating solution for any room. And with different color options, from light filtering to solar and room darkening shades, you are sure to find a roller shade to match your specific design needs.

Compared to a set of linen roman shades or custom drapes, modern roller shades are a great value—a few hundred bucks versus a few thousand, easily—and they beat out slatted blinds for looks by a mile.

What’s the Deal with Solar Shades?

Don’t think Roller Shades force you to choose between light or darkness — in fact there are many shades in between to allow you control just how much light you require. Solar roller shades help to absorb heat and reduce glare from sunlight, while maintaining a view of the outdoors.

The key takeaway is the fabric opacity! These window treatments are available in various degrees of “open-ness”, generally expressed in 1%, 3%, 5%, & 10%. Just think: the lower the percentage (most private) or the highest (most unobstructed view). For living room or kitchen windows facing East or West, it’s generally recommended to go with 1% or 3% to cut down on the glare streaming through. For window receiving in-direct sunlight you should really consider your privacy needs and take it from their.

Are Roller Shades Easy to Maintain?

Cleaning roller shades is a relatively simple process: Remove them from their brackets, roll them out on the floor, & use a well-wrung cloth or sponge dipped in a solution of mild dishwashing detergent and lukewarm water, and wipe the shade in sections. Start at the bottom, and continue working (washing and rinsing) upward until the entire shade is clean. Leave the shade fully extended to dry.

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Alva is a brand of window treatments that celebrates fewer, better options. We don’t carry 1000’s of colors, hundreds of materials, or have armies of salespeople pushing you into overly priced options. We focus on the essentials, the interesting, and most functional. Every fabric or material in our collection has been thoughtfully made through heritage techniques of its country of origin.

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