You can manually raise and lower roller shades in a variety of ways, including using a cord loop, retractable cord, motorized wand, or by simply pushing up and pulling down on the shade’s bottom bar.

You’ll also find automated (sometimes called “motorized”) roller shades, for convenient control with an app, remote, automatic schedules, or with your voice (when integrated with another compatible smart home system).

You can mount roller shades either inside or outside of the window frame. Mounting your shades inside the frame lets you showcase the window’s trim—just keep in mind that you will have a small light gap on each side of the shade (so that the fabric moves smoothly). Mounting your shades on the outside of the frame helps eliminate that light gap when you lower them.

Roller shades are available with a variety of enhancements, from customized top and bottom treatments and fabrics that roll off the front rather than the back (in order to clear hardware), to dual-roller systems that combine two fabrics of different opacities on a single headrail.

Two styles of roller shades are particularly energy efficient: cellular rollers and solar rollers. Cellular roller shades combine the insulating construction of a cellular shade with the clean lines and simplicity of a roller shade. Solar roller shades are designed to help reduce glare and heat gain in a room, while maintaining your view to the outside.

You can achieve just the right level of light in a room with roller shades, depending on the type of fabric you choose. The more sheer the fabric, the more light it lets in from the outside—although keep in mind that sheer fabrics don’t offer a lot of privacy. On the other hand, blackout roller shades block out nearly all the light and provide the most privacy.

Your cost for custom roller shades depends on the size of your window, the type of fabric and control option you choose, as well as any enhancements you select. For a cost estimate, please consult your local Hunter Douglas window treatment specialist.

The Whole House Solution™ coordinates many of our horizontal window coverings with complementary vertical blinds or shades, as well as coordinates our shutters, wood blinds and drapes, for a cohesive look throughout a room—or your entire house. 

Before measuring for your roller shades, consider whether you want an inside or outside mounted window treatment. If inside, you’ll need to make sure your window is square by measuring horizontally at the top, center and bottom, vertically along both sides and center, and diagonally. Also measure the frame depth and take into account any window hardware that might obstruct the roller shades.