6 Roller Shade StylesLevolor Peel To Width Roller Shade (H... Coolaroo Exterior Cordless Roller Sha... Lewis Hyman 0321246 1/4-Inch Long Ova... Rollease Clear Plastic Chain Connecto... Radiance 2310012 Exterior Solar Shade... D30 CORD LOOPS fits all brands..... Radiance 0360486 Peeled and Polished... Levolor Window Roller Shade Room Dark... Levolor HRSHWD3706601D Peel To Width... Radiance 3370728 Reed Woven Wood Bamb... Bali Blinds 8 Mil Blackout Roller Tea... Coolaroo Premiere External Cordless R... Levolor HRSHWD5506601D Peel To Width... Natural Bamboo Roll Up Window Blind S... Radiance 0108106 Laguna Bamboo Shade... Roman Shade Cord Lock Holds 3 Cords,... Bamboo Roll Up Window Blind Sun Shade... About Best Sellers in Roller Window ShadesHere you can discover the best Roller Window Shades in Amazon Best Sellers, and find the top 100 most popular Amazon Roller Window Shades.Whether you're looking for privacy, style, or both, it can be a daunting task to choose window treatments.

Should you head to a specialty blind store, your local home center, or shop online? Hot Tub In Deck AccessHow formal should you go, or how sheer? Job Lot Hardwood FlooringAnd how come your stylish neighbors always seem to get it right? Pacific Bay Patio Furniture WebsiteCarolyn Forté, Home Appliances & Textiles Director in the Good Housekeeping Research Institute, puts you on the right track."Windows are a great focal point in a room and blinds and shades should be both decorative and functional. Thankfully, we've come a long way from the days of hiding them behind basic mini blinds. Now you can dress up a room in hundreds of ways without making a major investment," says Forté.At Good Housekeeping, we saw a need for better, well-priced window treatments that are more safety-conscious — and then decided to roll them out in a wide swath of colors, fabrics, and styles.

We're proud to introduce our exclusive Good Housekeeping Custom Blinds and Shades Collection, available through top authorized online retailers.Here's what to consider before you buy to keep from getting blindsided.Blinds are best if you want tiltable slats that can be adjusted to let the sun shine in (or not). They offer a handsome, clean-looking custom fit and plenty of privacy. Prices for blinds generally climb in this order: vinyl, aluminum, faux wood (or textured vinyl) and wood. Here's what to know about some types.Wood blinds come in light and dark hues and polished or painted finishes — our GH line ranges from white Country Cottage to rich Peruvian Walnut — and they're perfect for offices and dens. They're not the best choice for kitchens or baths, where moisture could do damage (choose polymer or faux wood instead), or for bedrooms or living rooms where you want a softer, more romantic effect.Insulating blinds help conserve energy and filter or block light, so they work hard for your money.

Our GH branded selection of insulating blinds come in 15 colors, from Natural Linen to Sage.When choosing blinds, keep in mind:Upside: You don't have to put blinds at half-mast to let in light, as you do the with shades — the full length of the window pane can always be covered for a finished look, even when slats are open. Handy for bathrooms and bedrooms because you can leave blinds down for privacy but adjust as needed for light.Downside: Blinds generally require more of a commitment to keep clean, because the slats attract dust and grime.Shades are the answer if you're looking for tremendous versatility and style. They provide more ways to create different looks and moods using texture, pattern, and fabric weight. Our Good Housekeeping line includes everything from sheer horizontal to energy-saving cellular to blackout roller shades and more, in either traditional bottom up or with top down designs for more light-entering options. Some standouts:Upside: Shades are a versatile way to easily refresh any room and can lend a warmer, softer look than blinds.

Downside: To keep them fresh and clean, you'll need to hand-wash vinyl shades. Fabric shades (especially if they're a light color) should be vacuumed with a hand tool regularly and either spot-cleaned or sent out for professional cleaning."There's an important push to get manufacturers to make blinds and shades safer, since the cords are hazardous for small children," says Carolyn Forté of the Good Housekeeping Research Institute. First line of defense: Don't use corded window treatments or leave cords dangling within reach of curious little hands. Good Housekeeping's new branded line of blinds and shades was carefully designed with an eye on child safety. "We've included cordless options, and special safety mechanisms for continuous loop and traditional pull-cord styles," says Forté. "These products also carry our Good Housekeeping Seal." GH engineers and textiles experts reviewed the line, and if any style becomes defective within two years of purchase, the product will be repaired or replaced, or your purchase price will be refunded.

Knowing the sizes of the windows you want to cover will help you choose more wisely. "You should measure exactly where you want the blind or shade to be," says Forté. So if an inside-mount blind will stop at the frame, so should your measuring tape. For outside-mounted styles, include the window frame in your measurements. When ordering online, consider calling the site's customer service representative to confirm that you have measured correctly. I love roller blinds for their functionality (privacy and light blockage are there when you want it, gone when you don’t), but they’re not always the most exciting thing to look at. (Plain sheet of white vinyl? But here’s a simple way to snazz up the situation — sew your own, using a hacked purchased blind as a base. I think fabric blinds have a minimalism that’s really chic, and they allow you to use bold prints that could be too much in a full-on curtain. Best of all, you can start and finish this project in just a couple hours, so a window makeover is just an afternoon away.

CLICK HERE for the full roller blind how-to after the jump! heavy-duty roller blinds (including necessary hardware to hang them) medium-weight fabric (determine how much you’ll need in Step 2) all-purpose thread to match your fabric L-square or yard stick OR cutting mat, rotary cutter and straight edge Sturdy, medium-heavy fabrics (such as light canvas, cotton twill or decor-weight cottons) work best for this project. A somewhat stiff fabric is preferable over something softer, as the stiff fabric will roll up more successfully than flimsier choices. If you have your heart set on a lightweight fabric, I’d suggest lining it with fusible interfacing to give it more body and stiffness. Although I haven’t tried it, stiff sheer fabrics (like the sheer panels sold at Ikea) would probably work well here too. 2. Hack, Install, and Measure One important thing to note is that you should choose a heavy-weight roller blind (sometimes labeled “maximum light blocking,” or similar).

The spring mechanism in lighter blinds isn’t always strong enough to support the weight of a fabric shade, so I suggest playing it safe and going heavy-duty. Install the original (pre-hacked) blind in your window following the manufacturer’s instructions. Note the direction the blind rolls (ie, with the blind rolling from the back or the front of the roller), as well as which end of the roller goes to the left and right. You’ll need to plan your blind so that it rolls in exactly the same way. Remove the vinyl shade from the purchased roller blind and reserve it for another use. (I gave mine to a friend who is going to use it as a drop cloth when painting.) Also remove the dowel or plastic bar from the bottom of the blind, and set it aside (you’ll use it later). Measure the roller bar from end to end, just inside the caps on each end. Add 1″ to this length for measurement A. Also measure the distance from the roller bar to the spot where you would like the blind to fall, and add 9″ to this length for measurement B.

Cut a piece of fabric that’s as wide as A and long as B. It’s important to cut the fabric straight and even, so that the blind will hang straight. This is probably the trickiest part of this project, so take a little extra care to be sure you’ve got it really straight. To get a good, straight cut, use the selvedge edge of your fabric as a guide — you can count on the selvedge edge to be straight, so if you work from that line, you’ll be on the right track. If you have access to one, I highly recommend a rotary cutter, cutting mat, and straight edge for this job, as these tools make it really easy to cut perfectly straight lines and right angles. If you don’t have these, you can use an L-square or a yard stick to mark straight lines. Make the first cut along the selvedge edge, then measure from that line to make the remaining cuts, being careful to cut right angles so that all edges will be straight. Turn under the long side edges 1/2″ and press.

(Note: only turn the fabric under once, not twice as you would normally do. It’s best to avoid extra bulk in the seams so that the blind will roll up neatly, and a double-fold would case more bulk. This does mean that the raw edge of the fabric will be visible on the back side of the curtain, but what the heck, live dangerously!) Sew along the side seams, stitching close to the folded-under raw edge. Next, turn under the bottom edge 1/2″ and press, then turn it under another 1 1/2″ and press again. Stitch in place, sewing close to the interior fold. (Note: the sides of the hem will stay open, which creates a sleeve for inserting the dowel at the bottom of the blind.) To attach the fabric blind to the roller mechanism, place the fabric right-side up on a work surface. (The cutting mat works great here, as you can use the grid lines to be sure you’re aligning everything evenly.) It’s important to be sure the roller is aligned perfectly straight at the top edge of the fabric, so that the fabric will roll evenly.