Window blinds
Every kind of window blind, what it is actually good at, and a library of real installations behind each one. Start with the type that fits your window, not the one in the showroom.
Blinds, shades or shutters?
Strictly, blinds tilt and shades do not: horizontals, verticals and shutters have slats or vanes you can angle, while rollers, Romans and cellulars are a continuous panel that only goes up and down. That distinction matters when a client wants light without losing the view — only a tilting product gives you both.
Every type, in one place
Roller shades
One fabric panel on a tube. Cheapest, simplest, easiest to motorize.
Roman shades
Fabric that folds into pleats. Drapery softness with a blind's footprint.
Cellular shades
Honeycomb cells that trap air. The strongest insulator.
Faux wood blinds
Tilting slats that survive humidity. The classic look.
Vertical blinds
Vanes on a track. The patio door workhorse.
Panel track blinds
Sliding flat panels for walls of glass and room dividers.
Shutters
Hinged louvered panels fitted to the frame. Permanent and premium.
Blackout shades
Getting a genuinely dark bedroom or nursery.
Motorized shades
Battery, plug-in and hardwired motors, remote and app control.
Picking by the problem, not the product
Glare on a screen points to a solar-screen roller. A cold bedroom points to a double cell cellular. A humid bathroom points to faux wood or vinyl shutters. A patio door points to verticals or panel tracks. Resale appeal points to shutters. Working backwards from the problem is faster than browsing fabric books.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the difference between blinds and shades?
- Blinds have slats or vanes that tilt — horizontals, verticals, shutters. Shades are a continuous piece of fabric that raises and lowers — rollers, Romans, cellulars. In everyday use people say 'blinds' for both.
- Which window blinds are cheapest?
- Roller shades in a basic light-filtering fabric and faux wood horizontals are normally the lowest cost per window among custom treatments. Shutters are the most expensive.
- What blinds are best for large windows and patio doors?
- Vertical blinds and panel track blinds, because both carry the weight on a track rather than a single tube and stack clear of the opening.
- How do I see what blinds look like before buying?
- ShadeVault Pro is a free library of real installations uploaded by installers, decorators and retailers, tagged by type, application and room so you can find a window like yours.