The range
Each of these is better at something the others are not. Below is what each one is genuinely for — including where it is the wrong choice.
The clean one
A single panel of fabric on a smooth-running roller. Sits almost flush to the glass, disappears when it is up, and comes in everything from sheer linen to full blackout.
Best for: Bedrooms, playrooms, anywhere you want the window to be the feature
Keep the view
Woven mesh that cuts glare and heat while you can still see straight through it. Openness runs from 1% to 14% — the tighter the weave, the more privacy and the less view.
Best for: Living rooms with a view, home offices, west-facing glass
The soft one
Fabric that folds into neat horizontal pleats as it lifts. All the warmth of a curtain in the space of a shade, with a flat, relaxed or hobbled fold depending on how formal you want it.
Best for: Dining rooms, formal living rooms, kitchens with a bit of character
The warm one
Honeycomb cells trap a layer of air against the glass, which is why these are the ones to put on a drafty window. Single or double cell, and they stack down to almost nothing at the top.
Best for: Older windows, north-facing rooms, anywhere with a draft
The natural one
Bamboo, jute, reed and grasses woven into a shade with real texture. Every one is a little different, which is the point. Add a liner if you need privacy or blackout behind it.
Best for: Sunrooms, dens, rooms that need something other than flat color
The classic one
Horizontal slats you can tilt to aim the light where you want it. Real basswood where it stays dry, faux wood where it does not — a bathroom or a kitchen window will warp the real thing.
Best for: Studies, bathrooms, kitchens, anywhere you want to steer the light
The finishing one
Full-length panels, made to your measurements and hung to break just right at the floor. On their own, or layered over a shade so you get the softness and the blackout both.
Best for: Primary bedrooms, living rooms, tall windows and sliders
The permanent one
Hinged panels of louvred wood or composite, fitted into the window frame itself. The most expensive thing here and the only one that reads as part of the house rather than something hung in front of it.
Best for: Front rooms, bay windows, anywhere you want it to look built-in
That is normal, and it is the easiest part to solve. Stephen Pollack brings samples of everything, holds them up in the actual room, and you decide there.
