Roller shades
One fabric panel on a tube — the simplest window covering there is, and the one where the fabric does all the work. Openness, colour and hardware decide whether a roller shade disappears into the wall or becomes the feature of the room.
What a roller shade is
A flat panel of fabric wound onto a tube at the head of the window. Nothing tilts, nothing stacks in folds; the shade is either down, part-way down, or rolled out of sight. That simplicity makes rollers the easiest type to motorise and the easiest to fit into shallow or awkward window recesses.
Choosing the fabric
- Sheer / solar screen — cuts glare and UV while keeping the view. Best on west-facing rooms and home offices with screens.
- Light filtering — soft daytime glow with daytime privacy, no view out.
- Room darkening — heavy weave that leaves only a thin halo at the edges.
- Blackout — opaque fabric; pair with side channels or a generous outside mount for a true dark room.
Hardware that changes the look
A bare roll shows the tube and fabric edge. A fascia adds a flat front panel; a cassette encloses the roll completely and accepts side and sill channels. Reverse roll pushes the fabric away from the glass — necessary when handles or a deep sill get in the way. Dual or day/night rollers put a sheer and a blackout fabric on one bracket.
What to compare in the photos
- How much light escapes at the sides on inside-mounted shades.
- Whether the roll is standard or reverse, and how it sits against the glass.
- Cassette, fascia or open roll at the header.
- Fabric openness against the direction the window faces.
- Bottom bar style — sewn-in, exposed aluminium, or covered to match.
Frequently asked questions
- What does openness factor mean on a roller shade?
- It is the percentage of open weave in the fabric. A 1% or 3% solar screen cuts glare and heat while keeping a sharp outward view; 5% and 10% are brighter with less privacy. A 0% fabric is opaque.
- Can you see through roller shades at night?
- Yes. Any open-weave or light-filtering fabric reverses at night — with interior lights on, people outside see in. Choose blackout fabric or layer drapery where night privacy matters.
- What is the difference between a cassette and a fascia?
- Both hide the roll. A cassette wraps the tube on all sides and can take side channels for near-total light blocking; a fascia is a flat front cover only. Photos show the difference clearly at the top of the window.
- Are roller shades the cheapest window covering?
- In basic light-filtering fabric they are usually the lowest cost per window of any custom treatment, which is why they are common in rentals, offices and whole-home fit-outs.