How to Choose: Curtains vs. Shades

Curtains versus shades handle natural light from a window in two different ways. And the right pick between the two treatments depends on the room, its light, and how you live in the space.

Homeowners across the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area ask our Read Design Window Fashion’s team this question all the time, and the honest answer is that each one has its place.

Our guide walks through what makes each option work so you can decide how to dress your windows with confidence.

What Are the Differences Between Curtains vs. Shades?

Curtains are fabric panels that hang and frame a window. They can pull wide to let daylight flood a room or draw closed for privacy and warmth. Fabric weight changes everything here, since sheer linen filters a delicate glow while a heavy lined panel blocks light and quiets a room.

Alternatively, window shades sit closer to the window glass and give you clean, close control over how much light comes in.

Cellular shades, for example, trap air inside their honeycomb-like cells to hold indoor temperatures steady through hot Texas afternoons and cool winter mornings. Roller and Roman shade styles, on the other hand, bring a tidy, streamlined look that suits kitchens, offices, and living rooms.

How To Choose the Right Window Shades by Room

The room’s function should drive your choice in window shades.

Here are some examples:

• Living Rooms: Alta Roller Shades or Hunter Douglas Vignette® Roman Shades provide daytime light control, which you can layer with drapery panels for evening warmth.
• Bedrooms and Nurseries: Hunter Douglas Duette® Cellular Shades with the LightLock® blackout system insulate the space from heat and block light for rest.
• Kitchens and Bathrooms: Hunter Douglas Alustra® Woven Textures® Roman Shades or Alta Banded Shades let you clean up quickly while looking great.
• Dining rooms: Hunter Douglas Provenance® Woven Wood Shades shine with floor-length drapery that adds color, texture, and a finished look.
• Home offices: Stay glare-free with light-filtering fabrics, such as Alta Roller Shades in a screen opacity or Hunter Douglas shades with the Top-Down/Bottom-Up feature, that soften screen reflection.

How To Select Custom Drapes and Finishing Touches

Fabric window coverings feel most at home when they fill the opening exactly, which is why our Read Design Window Fashion’s team measures and builds each order to your window.

Our collection of custom drapes hangs straight, pools the way you want at the floor, and matches the palette you already love in the room.

Additionally, custom valances soften the top of a window and hide any unsightly hardware from window shades and curtains, while quality drapery rods and rings keep everything gliding smoothly for years.

Shop Window Shades and Drapes Near Southlake, TX

Window shades or curtains can transform the feel of your windows, room, and day, which makes selecting the right ones essential. At Read Design Window Fashions, our expert team has helped many DFW homeowners for over 25 years as a family-owned Hunter Douglas Gallery, with locations in Plano and Southlake, Texas.

Contact us online to schedule your window treatment consultation, and we’ll help you choose window shades or drapes that fit your rooms and style.

Read Design Window Fashions proudly serves the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area, including downtown North Dallas, Plano, Southlake, and Cedar Creek Lake, TX.