Form And Function Meet In Roller Shades

In the late nineteenth century paper roller shades could be ordered from Sears Roebuck & Company or the Montgomery Ward catalogs

. They were built on a spring loaded roller that allowed the user to adjust the shade at any level over the window, allowing as much or little light in as was desired.

By preventing direct sunlight from coming in through the window, the room was darkened and would not become so hot. As technology expanded, they were no longer paper. By the mid twentieth century most were vinyl. But they remained a plain, undecorated white designed simply to cover windows, keeping out light and heat and preventing anyone from seeing inside the home.

Today, they are used to add the final touch to a decorated room, protect against the damage of the sun to floor and furniture covering and make rooms darker when mood or lighting needs to be adjusted to create the right look or feel. They come in wide varieties with many textures and colors available. They are both functional and beautiful.

Roller shades are still used to darken rooms. This prevents early morning exposure to bedrooms and or too much light when night shift workers need to rest during the day. Rooms that may get too hot in the afternoon glare will be better protected and more efficient to cool. If traditional shades do not darken the room enough, they can be mounted to the outside of the window frame, darkening the room even more by preventing light from coming in around the edges.

Improvements are not limited to functionality, however. Options for color, texture and style abound. Paper shades are available for a delicate touch. Shades may be purchased with patterns, prints, designs, even pictures. Shades may be purchased in a variety of colors to match the floor, walls or furniture. Different textures are available. Bamboo or woven designs can provide a raw feel while lace may create a gentler look. An assortment of patterns can be found to match borders or themes: sea shells in a bathroom or bears in a nursery.

No longer limited to the window shades that roll around a top bar, flat window shades fold into graceful pleats when raised. Environmentally friendly shades are completely recyclable, containing no PVC commonly used in other types. Metal mesh fabrics add a clean, high-tech edge to a room. Solar protection shades are designed to block potentially dangerous UV rays, while still allowing for a view to the outside.

The traditional tug on the window shades is not the only means for adjusting their height. Using a remote control, the need for manual adjustments disappears. With the push of a button, shades can be raised or lowered to as often as desired. Even skylights can be covered. New innovations allow for roller shades to be installed to follow a cathedral ceiling slope, covering skylights at will.

If, with all the options available, one still cannot find the ideal shade, kits are available at many local hobby and fabric stores. These kits allow the decorator to make their own roller shades. Depending on the kit, the shade may be included or may need to be purchased separately. The kits indicate what is included in each. For those who enjoy the pleasures of individualizing their lives through personal crafting, easy instructions are readily available for decorating roller shades using acrylic paints, stencils and stamps thus allowing the craft maker to mix colors and designs for a perfect finishing touch in any room of the house.

by: Jesita Jerik

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