Room Darkening Shades

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Country Girl

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Do you use room darkening shades in your B&B bedrooms? Currently we have Battenberg lace roll-up shades but they are starting to show a little wear. I love the way they look but they don't block the light coming into the rooms at all.
 
NO but I have been really looking into this for the last few weeks. My delima is that I want both... light filtering AND darkening
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All of our guest rooms have almost floor to ceiling sized double windows so in order to provide a little more privacy during the day, the light filtering shades are needed but some of these really get blasted with morning sun and I do not care for heavy drapes...
Open for suggestions....
 
this stuff is an absolute BEAR to install, even with two helpers ... but i bought room darkening film. cuts down on the bad rays getting in and fading your furniture and curtains, etc. ... and kept the rooms that were south facing much cooler. it's pretty expensive window film. not so hard to install on the bedroom standard size windows, but on big old 'picture windows' it took three lengths of the film side by side ... and if you didn't get it perfect, you'd end up with wrinkles or creases.
the sun exposure in that room is so incredibly strong that it blisters and peels the old layer upon layer of varnish on the oldfashioned window sill!
it's made by gila (they have a website) and cpfilms (also have a website) and there are different strengths of the film. like i said, really hard to hang on big windows, but it was very helpful. especially the rooms that face across to the harbor .. lovely but there are security lights along the docks that would shine right in the windows. you can still see out, but it's not a glare.
 
I had those room darkening blinds when I had a house, and I did like them. Mine were pleated shades and no more difficult to install than any other shade or blinds. The downside is that I wanted to sleep all day. No matter how direct the sunshine was, the room stayed dark. I called them "the cave effect" blinds. :)
Seashanty, your varnish shouldn't do that. When you get around to fixing that, try using a marine quality varnish such as Epiphanes. The marine stuff, while it does cost a little more than the stuff found at the hardware store, has a lot of UV inhibitors in it because, as you can imagine, it's designed to take the beating of the sun on a daily basis in a harsh, salty environment.
 
thank you ... i'll stow that advice for another day and another place.
i'm not at the place any more so the new 'management team' will have to decide what to do. no it shouldn't do that. and the windows shouldn't leak and the screens shouldn't blow out of the windows .... old old place needing lots of work!
 
We have Roman shades that were handmade and in the house when we bought it. They have a white canvas lining and a space blanket sandwiched between batting covered with lace. They are attractive, block the light, and are very good at retaining the heat in the room in winter. You might contact a local drapery maker and see if they have anything similar.
 
We have Roman shades that were handmade and in the house when we bought it. They have a white canvas lining and a space blanket sandwiched between batting covered with lace. They are attractive, block the light, and are very good at retaining the heat in the room in winter. You might contact a local drapery maker and see if they have anything similar..
I'm getting Roman shades for one room. Right now that room has those hollow cell shades but they don't block enough light for me. The windows are deep set in that room so I think the shades would look good.
 
I have wood blinds. I've stayed in places where they have roll-up room darkening shades that are not visible unless the guest pulls them down. They don't detract from lace curtains, etc. I think room darkening shades are a must! I have a sister that can't sleep if there's any light coming into her room. I've been struck with a headache and just wanted to lay down in the dark and I was in a room with a skylight and the sun was beating onto the bed. We must think of the guest when designing rooms, decor, etc.
 
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