Opinion- Are roller shades lame?

9 years ago

I was thinking Roman shades but the price to do our whole home was just very expensive. But then I saw roller shades at JCP and I really liked them! They match the clean and simple look we're going for. But no one I know has them, so I've never seen them in person. Are roller shades super lame or something? Is that why no one seems to have them as window treatments in their home?

Featured Answer

jhmarie

9 years ago

I have to add that from what I see around my city, only Houzz thinks valances are not "in".

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Comments (16)

everdebz
9 years ago
Long long ago, seems they'd buckle and become hard to operate - a bit like seat belts can be....
everdebz
9 years ago
Coming back to add that truthfully I've wondered that too.
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50s_ranch Andres
9 years ago
I put one up in my kitchen, which faces the street, for privacy at night. I have lots of flowers and birds in my front yard, so like that it rolls up and out of the way during the day. Any window treatment that goes up and down has the potential to break or wear out.
jhmarie
9 years ago
I made fabric shades which I really like. All of my bedrooms have roller shades because they work best with my double hung widows.

The difficulty with shades is hiding them when they are up in an attractive manner, if they are not super pretty, because valances are not "in" right now. You can do a faux roman shade or a tie-up curtain (which you never untie) and that can function as a valance.
Rina
9 years ago
Definitely not lame, in my opinion, and they work with almost any style.

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Tems
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Like with most things in interior design, they can work or they can be lame. Depends on the application. I might say roller shades may have a greater tendency to be lame than some other window treatments.
Najeebah
9 years ago
I've seen it around houses increasingly
so recently; it does depend on their use, combined with the rest of your space, but there's nothing inherently dislikeable in them
SilkyPants Malik
Original Author
9 years ago
Haha y'all are awesome and I appreciate the very helpful comments. :) Thank you! I'm definitely going with the roller shades. The JCP lady said I can do reversing ones so that I don't need a valence and that looked pretty cool to me. Thank you again!
qam999
9 years ago
The biggest problems with roller shades are that so many of them are:

1) Ugly and cheap looking (yellowing, plasticky, falling apart)

2) Dysfunctional

But since when you find shades that don't have these problems, as you have....to me, it's one of the better window treatments around.
carrolltf
9 years ago
I like your idea SilkyPants. For years I fooled around w valence, swags, fancy rods, etc. A lot of $$ and effort spent on dust collectors! Some windows are bare where privacy is not a concern. Bedrooms have levelor pleated shades, south facing rooms have Hunter Silouette shades. I like the simplicity. Good luck...show some pics when you're finished.
erinsean
9 years ago
I have roller shades in every room of my house. They are behind my sheer curtains and I can lower or raise them whenever I want to darken the room. Some I have had for 20 years and still look good. I have had Venetian blinds and found them a pain to keep clean
PRO
Fenstermann LLC
9 years ago
Hey There: Roller Shades are not lame at all - they are a great way to cover windows and doors and with a fresh look fabric, it will suit any home. Please visit us at www.PleatedBlindsStore.com for ideas and finished projects. With over 700 fabrics to choose from roller shades are always fun.

Double Roller Shades · More Info

Roller Shades Made in Germany · More Info
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Finishing Touches
9 years ago
Blinds, Shades , and Shutters · More Info

I am involved with window covering solutions for windows every day and roller shades are not lame! They are "hot" right now!

Roller shades are not what they use to be. The lift mechanisms are much better and smoother. Like any product, there are many manufacturers who use different parts to build their shades. The quality and price are reflected in those parts they use. Above is a screen shade in a reverse roll.
smileythecat
9 years ago
As a former installer, roller shades are not lame. I installed a lot of them in the pnw, love their simplicity and practicality.
Anne Cho
9 years ago

I have roller shades for my balcony / roman shades