Custom Roller Shades

Start with the fabric: how much light do you want?

Opacity is the most important choice, so decide it room by room. Our roller fabrics come in five groups, from most see-through to least.

Transparent fabrics keep a clear view out and soften the light, a tidier alternative to sheer curtains. Sunscreen fabrics, also called solar screen, are woven with a stated openness of 1% to 10%: they cut glare and UV while you still see outside. Translucent fabrics glow with soft, even daylight but cannot be seen through. Privacy fabrics take a real bite out of the sun and screen you from the street, without making the room dark. Blackout fabrics are opaque, built from multiple layers that stop light passing through and also help insulate the window.

One thing catches people out: transparent and sunscreen fabrics give no privacy at night with the lights on. If a room faces the street and you use it in the evening, choose privacy or blackout, or look at a zebra shade instead.

Blackout roller shades for bedrooms

Blackout fabric stops light passing through it, not around it. For the darkest bedroom, pair blackout fabric with a cassette over the roll and mount the shade outside the window frame so it overlaps the edges. That combination is the darkest shade we make, and the one we suggest for day sleepers, nurseries and home theatres. Compare every option on our blackout blinds page.

Solar shades for glare and UV

For a home office, a sunroom or a west-facing living room, a sunscreen roller is the usual answer. A 3% openness is a strong all-rounder, 1% suits harsh afternoon sun and 5% keeps more of the view. Darker colours give a clearer view out. See our solar roller shades page for the full range.

Open roll or cassette

An open roll leaves the tube visible, costs nothing extra and is the only option that offers a reverse roll, which keeps the fabric clear of window cranks. A cassette is an aluminum box that encloses the roll, in a curved or square profile, compact or full size, with a metal finish or wrapped in the shade's own fabric. It gives a finished look and closes the light gap at the top, which matters most in a bedroom.

Chain, Glide Bar or motorized

Chain control is the budget choice, and every chain-operated roller shade we make includes a child safety device. Glide Bar removes the chain altogether: you lift or lower the shade at the bottom bar and a spring holds it where you leave it. Motorized shades run on a rechargeable motor from a remote, an app or your smart home. Where young children or pets share the room, we suggest cordless or motorized. More on motorized shades.

Measuring and ordering from anywhere in Canada

Measure the width and height of your window and decide on an inside or outside mount; our measuring guide walks through it in a few minutes. Not sure about a fabric? Order up to 5 free samples, or visit our Toronto showroom. Every shade is cut to your measurements in our Toronto facility within 2 business days, ships free anywhere in Canada and is covered by a 5-year warranty. For a deeper read, see our roller shades buying guide.