Types of Window Treatments:
Fabric, Wood, Faux Wood, Vinyl Blinds & Shades
Shutters: Indoor shutters are not quite the same as the boxy, immobile units you might see bordering a window outside of a house. Indoor shutters are generally a framed set of slats with a tilt rod or wand that allow you to control the privacy and light of a room right on the shutter. Some are hinged and can swing entirely open. Common types include plantation shutters, cafe-style shutters, and more.
Blinds: Indoor blinds are similar to shutters, but they lack the frame that allows shutters to swing entirely open. These kinds of slatted blinds used to be synonymous with the cheap aluminum mini-blinds of the 1960s and '70s. Luckily, materials have improved, allowing for different kinds of slat blinds that are better looking, better ways to insulate your home, and better at controlling light, including electric blinds, vinyl blinds, pull down blinds, and many more.
Shades: Shades are made of one piece of fabric or flexible material (or multiple layers of that material, but attached to make one unit) and are controlled by a variety of methods like cords or even remote controlled motors. Styles can include sheer shades, solar shades, bamboo shades, and more.
Cellular Shades: A specific type of shade that has gained a lot of popularity over the years due to its ability to be easily color-coordinated with a room, coming in both blackout and translucent opaqueness, is the unique cellular shade (honeycomb shade), which is also nicely insulating.
Blackout Shades: Blackout shades are exactly what they say they are. They are made of opaque material so that a room can be completely or nearly blocked of light. They come in a few varieties and are great for nurseries and childrens' rooms, or for those who work non-traditional schedules and need to sleep when it's light out.
Roller Shades: Rollers are another window treatment that essentially do exactly what the name says. They are controlled by a roller mechanism instead of cords or rods. These can be handy for windows where you often want the window covering almost invisible when not in use. Rollers retract compactly at the top of the window. Child-safe roller blinds are also available.
