Control Sun and Glare Without Giving Up the View
Screen shades—also commonly called solar shades—are designed for windows where sunlight, glare and UV exposure are a concern, but completely covering the view is not the answer.
Specially woven screen fabrics filter incoming sunlight while still allowing you to see outdoors. Different fabric openness levels let you choose how much light to block and how much of the view to preserve.
At Keck Furniture, we offer custom screen shades from Hunter Douglas and Alta Window Fashions in a wide selection of colors, textures, openness levels and operating systems.
Reduce Glare and Harsh Sunlight
Large windows can bring beautiful natural light into a room, but they can also create glare on televisions and computer screens, increase solar heat and expose furnishings to damaging UV rays.
Screen shades help manage that sunlight without making the room feel completely closed off.
They are an especially practical option for living rooms, home offices, sunrooms, dining areas and rooms with large windows where you still want to enjoy the view outside.
Choose the Right Openness Level
One of the most important decisions when selecting a screen shade is the openness of the fabric.
Openness describes how tightly the material is woven. A more open fabric provides a clearer view outdoors and allows more daylight through. A tighter weave provides greater sun protection, glare reduction and daytime privacy but reduces the clarity of the view.
There is no single openness level that is right for every window. The direction the window faces, amount of direct sunlight, desired privacy and importance of the outdoor view all affect which fabric makes the most sense.
Our window treatment specialists can help you compare screen fabrics in person and find the right balance for your room.
Preserve the View
One of the biggest advantages of screen shades is their ability to manage sunlight while maintaining a connection to the outdoors.
Instead of covering a large window with an opaque fabric, a screen shade can reduce the intensity of incoming sunlight while allowing the landscape beyond the window to remain visible.
Darker screen fabrics generally provide stronger view-through and glare control, while lighter fabrics can reflect more solar heat and create a brighter appearance inside the room.
The right choice depends on both the design of the room and what you want the shade to accomplish.
Help Protect Furniture and Flooring
Direct sunlight and UV exposure can contribute to fading and discoloration over time.
Screen shades are specifically designed to filter UV rays before they reach the interior of your home, helping reduce exposure for hardwood floors, rugs, upholstery, artwork and other furnishings.
For rooms with valuable furnishings or windows that receive prolonged direct sunlight, this added protection can be an important part of choosing a window treatment.
Hunter Douglas Designer Solar Shades
Hunter Douglas Designer Solar Shades, traditionally known as Designer Screen Shades, are designed to reduce glare and UV exposure while preserving outward views.
Choose from multiple opacity levels and a broad collection of colors, textures and screen fabrics. Select materials are also available through environmentally focused fabric collections made using recycled materials.
For rooms where screen fabric alone does not provide enough nighttime privacy or room darkening, compatible dual-shade configurations can combine a solar shade with an additional privacy or room-darkening shade.
Alta Screen Shade Fabrics
Alta offers an extensive selection of screen fabrics within its custom Roller Shade collection.
Available screen materials provide different levels of view-through, glare reduction and solar control, along with a variety of colors and textures.
Select Alta SheerWeave® screen fabrics are also available with Microban® antimicrobial product protection built into the material.
Alta screen shades can be paired with a variety of decorative cassettes, fascia options and automated operating systems for a more finished and convenient installation.
Motorized Screen Shades
Screen shades are particularly well suited for motorization.
Windows that receive strong sun often need to be adjusted at predictable times throughout the day. Automated shades can be scheduled to lower when direct sunlight reaches the room and raise again later when the sun has moved.
Hunter Douglas offers compatible screen shades with PowerView® Automation, while Alta offers motorized Roller and Screen Shade configurations through BLISS® Automation and Somfy® systems.
Motorization is especially useful for tall windows, hard-to-reach windows and rooms with several shades that need to operate together.
Made for Your Windows
Every screen shade is custom made for the individual window.
At Keck Furniture, our window treatment specialists can help you compare screen fabrics, determine the appropriate openness level, coordinate colors with your interior, select the right operating system and professionally measure your windows.
Visit our showroom in Watertown, Wisconsin, or contact us to schedule a window treatment consultation and explore custom screen shades for your home.
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