Room Darkening Blinds, Shades, Draperies & more - Blackout Window Treatments

Custom Blackout Shades & Window Coverings to Block Light

room darkening shades Sometimes a big, beautiful window flooded with natural light can be a major selling point for a home. Other times, you may find yourself wishing that window was a wall instead. There’s no need to board up your window just yet! Room-darkening blinds and blackout shades can solve your problem by giving you control over the light that enters a room while adding style and privacy.

Our expert design consultants at Gotcha Covered can help you understand the difference between light filtering, room darkening, and blackout (there is one!) and guide you toward the options that will best meet your goals for your space.

Light Filtering vs. Blackout Window Treatments

Light Filtering Shades, Blinds and Draperies Explained

When it comes to light control in a room, light-filtering and blackout window treatments serve very different purposes. What’s the difference? Light-filtering blinds, shades, and draperies filter the light coming into a room, allowing a warm ambient glow without bright glare or direct beams of sunlight.

Blackout Window Shades and Blinds Explained

Blackout window coverings, on the other hand, are made from material that completely blocks light from passing through. Using blackout window shades will immerse a room in total darkness, eliminating the glow that light-filtering treatments allow—though gap blockers may need to be used around the edges to block any halo effect (light that sneaks in through the gaps at the top, bottom, and sides), depending on how the blackout shade is mounted.

Room Darkening Shades, Blinds and Draperies Explained

Room-darkening blinds, shades and draperies fall somewhere between light-filtering and blackout window treatments, though they are more commonly associated with blackout shades. Room-darkening shades block out most of the ambient light from outside—generally, 95% to 99%—to dramatically darken a room.

Room Darkening VS Blackout

Homeowners may opt for room-darkening treatments over blackout window shades for rooms that don’t receive direct sunlight or for rooms where darkness is desired but total blackness isn’t required. In truth, room-darkening shades and blackout treatments can be used almost interchangeably—it just depends on your preference.

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Blackout Shades for Your Bedroom & Entertainment Room Equals Perfection

Have you ever settled in to watch a movie in your TV room only to have to squint, adjust positions, or try some other method of blocking out glare from the sun? Or maybe you work an overnight shift and sleep during the day, but ambient sunlight keeps you from getting the best rest, even with the curtains drawn? Blackout shades are the perfect solution for bedrooms and entertainment rooms.

Even when the sun is shining directly at a window, the opaque lining or construction of blackout shades prevents light from filtering through. This means you can watch TV glare-free and sleep soundly no matter the hour. If you’re a deep sleeper or your window faces north and doesn’t receive bright, direct sunlight, room-darkening window treatments, rather than total blackout shades, will also do the trick.

Do Blackout Window Shades Block Out Heat?

Because they keep the sun’s rays from entering the room, blackout shades are also effective at blocking out some of the heat those rays create, too. In fact, a simple blackout shade may keep a room up to 25% cooler. This makes blackout shades an energy-efficient choice for window coverings. If added insulation and temperature control appeal to you, Gotcha Covered has several blackout options that offer thermal benefits beyond cooling. Some blackout shades can also help retain heat during cooler months, and many blackout curtains or drapes muffle noise, too.

As an added bonus, blackout shades block UV rays that can cause fading or damage to furniture, art, photographs, or other belongings—though room-darkening and light-filtering window treatments obstruct UV rays to varying degrees, as well.

Our Room Darkening & Blackout Products

At Gotcha Covered, our expert design consultants can help you select the perfect room-darkening or blackout option for your needs. Many homeowners have a preconceived notion that these functional window treatments always have to be boring. Not true! Room-darkening and blackout shades and draperies come in a wide variety of styles, colors, and textiles.

Our selection of room-darkening and blackout products includes:

Honeycomb shades – Also called cellular shades, this popular style involves pleated “cells” that create insulating pockets of air between your room and the window. They are energy-efficient, highly customizable, and come in a full range of opacities—including room-darkening and fully opaque blackout.
Roller shades – The roller shade is often considered utilitarian, but it is available in a number of colors and textiles, in addition to blackout, room-darkening, or light-filtering opacities. This style makes a perfect foundational window covering under draperies or a simple, streamlined aesthetic statement on its own.
Roman shades – Sometimes referred to as Roman blinds, Roman shades are a timeless, versatile style that walk the visual line between shades and draperies. Available in countless textiles and colors, this is an excellent option for those who want blackout shades without sacrificing an ounce of style or drama.
Draperies – Curtains and drapes offer light-filtering, room-darkening, and blackout options, and often provide exceptional thermal insulating properties as well. Our selection includes hundreds of colors, textures, and patterns, fully customizable to suit your space.

Many window treatment styles we offer can be lined with opaque material, such as PVC, vinyl, or polyester film, to create blackout coverings, so you’re sure to find something to match any design scheme. You may also be interested in motorization for your blackout shades or room-darkening window treatments for complete cordless control anywhere you go—even if it’s from the comfort of your bed.

1. Understand Your Needs

We'll show you which window treatments are best for light control, privacy, UV Protection, and more!
2. Determine Your Style

You get to make the stylistic choices based on your design preferences or design style of your home.
3. Our Expert Guidance

We'll help you bring all the pieces together and guide you through the process step by step.