Sleep. You can’t really function well in life without it. This time of year can be tricky, as the longer days offer the illusion that it’s your normal timeframe, even though your body is convinced it’s wind-down time. And sleeping in on the weekends is a distant memory as the sun’s rays are shining minutes earlier each day. Does the increase in daylight hours have you searching for room darkening window coverings? While there are a lot of options, the biggest question you might be asking yourself is: Blackout Drapes or Blackout Shades, which is better for me? Much of it will depend on the ‘look’ you want to achieve in the particular room you are darkening. The soft flow of fabrics might entice you, bringing patterns and prints you love into the space. With blackout shades, the designer look is easily attained in textures and colors that will complement your decor. The fabrics and materials are available in a range of soft, flowing layers, to sleek low-profile design. The best way to know which window treatments are right for you? Talk to one of our design consultants for advice, inspiration and our incredible selection of possibilities!
Blackout Drapes
Many of our clients ask for the custom drapery look and feel that they’ve experienced when staying in their favorite hotels. They want the soft look of custom drapes that add beauty and style to their bedroom as well as the superior blackout qualities that have allowed them to get a relaxing night’s sleep. Blackout drapes are constructed not only with your beautiful fabric selection, they have an additional blackout liner to keep as much light out as possible. However, not all blackout liners are created equal. When you’re considering blackout curtains for your home, you need a trusted source. Plenty of our clients have come to us with one story or another of blackout drapes that didn’t do their job. And what about energy efficiency? You want to keep your bedroom at a comfortable room temperature–and with summer coming, the thermal insulation on your blackout curtains will be important. You need a good night of sleep–in other words, a bedroom that is dark and comfortable.
Blackout Shades.
The beauty of window shades offers you a vast range of decor and style possibilities for your home. And depending on your home’s unique characteristics, you’ll be able to outfit your bedrooms with blackout shades that offer every convenience and comfort of modern innovations. Blackout shades–like blackout drapes–are not all created equal. Quality matters. Energy efficiency matters. Light gaps–or the lack of them–matter. Blackout shades are often chosen because the fit of custom shades is made for your windows–and they should be. Reducing the light gaps to the smallest increments, as well as choosing the best blackout fabrics, is what you deserve. And there’s a shade for every style. Choose from the sleek, low-profile design of blackout roller shades, the waterfalling layers of roman shades, the organized efficiency of honeycomb shades–even blackout options for sheer shadings. We’ve got the solutions you need for a good night’s sleep.
It’s All About Layers
Do you love the look of layers at the window? We do, too! Not only for decor, but layers offer a range of light control options for your family. Love the look of draperies, but don’t need blackout curtains? Drapery side panels can help keep the smallest amount of light blocked along the edge of the window. Top treatments added to blackout shades can bring in your favorite fabric prints and patterns. How about blackout shades with sheer window treatments? Doesn’t that sound like a dream come true? One of the latest innovations adds a second shade–a blackout shade–that operates in place behind your sheer window treatments. This gives you layers for levels of light control, privacy and energy efficiency–meant to fit your lifestyle.
Blackout Drapes or Blackout Shades: Which One Do You Love?
We know you need a good night’s sleep. When you’re trying to decide whether you want blackout drapes or blackout shades, we can help. The design consultants at Metropolitan Window Fashions will listen to you, helping you create the atmosphere that will fit your family and your lifestyle so everyone is getting a better night of sleep. Contact us to visit you for a free, in-home consultation.
One thing is for sure. Autumn is a brisk reminder that winter is on its way. There’s a chill in the air, and it’s bound to get colder. Nip those temperature changes in the bud with energy efficiency! We have window solutions that will help you maintain the comfort of your home, no matter what’s taking place outside. Do you know you could be facing up to 50% energy loss out your windows? It’s time to say, “Enough is enough.” The best part? Our energy saving window solutions work year round. Next summer, when it’s hot outside, you’ll still be reaping the benefits of a comfortable home.
This time of year, natural light is welcomed…right? That depends. Like any time of year, light is convenient when we need it, but when we don’t? It can be the biggest frustration. With the impending time change, it may feel like your evenings are limited on light, but the mornings? You’re going to want to embrace that extra hour and try to sleep in–especially on the weekend. And if you have children? Let’s just say that blackout window solutions are going to be your only hope of sleeping past 5am. 
Who doesn’t? Fall is probably one of the busiest times of year. You need window solutions that will give you the convenience of one less thing to worry about. Or five less. Motorized window solutions let you…
Sometimes, you want it all. And, you should have it. Energy savings? Sleep solutions? Convenience? Yes, all of it and even more. You want to feel comfortable in your own private space, but you can’t live with the world blocked out. You need to enjoy natural light coming into your home–but not too much. Top down bottom up is one of our favorite features because it gives you everything you want! Let in light across the ceiling, adjusting the top down just enough for your liking. You can harness that gorgeous autumn light that we like to call 
We’re all searching for balance. When you achieve it in home design, like in other areas of your life, things just go better, don’t they? With Dual Function Shades, you can create the perfect balance in your home. Duolite is a unique features that pairs two shades, seamlessly connected, for a range of function. The top shade offers levels of light filtering to meet the personal preferences of your home. The bottom shade of this dual system can feature room darkening, allowing you to adjust your window shades all the way up, or all the way down–and anywhere in between. You decide the ideal room settings for your home, based on the way you use the space.
In rooms within your home where you spend a majority of your time, you’re going to want to change the atmosphere throughout the day. Most of the time, sheer fabrics that offer light filtering and a dynamic view-through may be your preferred setting. But when you really need it, room darkening is priceless. Pirouette window shades offer this extreme range of function, from the soft sheers that bring light filtering qualities, to the closed fabric vanes for room darkening. Simply stunning in design, these shades will take your breath away in the value they add to your lifestyle, as well.
If you love the room darkening of Designer roller shades, but also wish you had options for filtering direct sunlight and harsh glare, A Deux is here. This two-in-one shade system gives you both. Two shades provide the entire range of window treatment needs from light filtering to room darkening. The soft, filtered light of Silhouette shades and Nantuckets offer glowing light and maximum view throughout the day. As soon as you want to block out the outside world? The secondary blackout shade rolls into place. These shades operate independently of each other, which means you have complete control at your fingertips.
Outfitting the windows with Pirouette shadings made all the difference in this living room. They transformed it from a space you’d do anything to avoid to one that’s comfortable and inviting. The harsh glare and direct rays that used to wreak havoc in here have been replaced by a soft, ambient glow, and you can actually enjoy the view. That’s thanks to a sheer backing that filters and diffuses natural light for exceptionally beautiful daylighting while still providing a view-through. It also filters out UV rays–which means that all of the interiors are protected. Everything will look fresh and new for years to come. Then, there’s the temperature; it’s now cool and comfortable. The beauty and benefits of Pirouettes in this space don’t just stop there, though. In terms of style, you can’t deny that they’re positively gorgeous. Soft vanes appear to float on a sheer backing, and the color coordinates perfectly with the decor. This before and after transformation is truly dramatic, and there’s more.
