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Blackout Shades

Sleep through streetlights and the 5 a.m. sunrise. Blackout shades custom-fit to your windows to keep the light out.

Measured and mounted to keep light gaps to a minimum
Roller, cellular and Roman shades, or blackout drapes
Cordless or motorized

Book a free estimate Call (212) 540-5369

Dark bedroom with a blackout shade fully lowered

Why New Yorkers choose blackout

Better sleep

Block streetlights, neon signs and early sunrise, so your bedroom stays dark when you need it.

Cooler summers

Blocking direct sun keeps hot rooms cooler. Blackout cellular shades also help insulate drafty windows in winter.

Total privacy

Nobody sees in, day or night, even with your lights on. Ideal for street-facing and ground-floor apartments.

Your blackout options

We bring blackout samples in every style to your free estimate, so you can test them on your own windows.

1. Pick your style

2. How it’s mounted matters

Inside mount

The shade sits inside the window frame. It looks neat and built-in, but a thin line of light shows at the sides.

Outside mount

The shade is mounted above the frame and is wider than the window, overlapping it to block light at the edges. The darker choice.

Tip

Want it pitch black? Combine an outside-mounted blackout shade with blackout drapes. It’s how hotel rooms do it, and it works in a Manhattan bedroom too.

3. How do you want to operate it?

CordlessPush up, pull down. Clean and safe for kids’ rooms.

ChainA continuous loop. Easy for large or heavy shades.

MotorizedOpen them on a schedule and wake up to daylight.

Are blackout shades right for you?

An honest guide. If blackout isn’t the best fit, we’ll tell you at your estimate.

Great for

Bedrooms facing the street or a lit-up building across the way.
Nurseries and kids’ rooms for naps and early bedtimes.
Night-shift workers who sleep during the day.
TV rooms and home theaters with no screen glare.
Hot, sunny rooms facing south or west.

Think twice if

You want daylight with the shade down. Light filtering or zebra shades suit living spaces better.
You expect total darkness from one inside-mounted shade. Expect thin edge gaps; outside mounting or layering with drapes fixes that.
It’s your only shade in a living room. You may want a second, lighter shade for daytime.

Blackout shade questions

Will blackout shades make my room completely dark?

The blackout fabric itself blocks light. Any light that gets in comes around the edges. An outside mount reduces those gaps a lot, and adding blackout drapes over the shade makes a room as dark as it gets.

What’s the difference between blackout and room darkening?

Room darkening fabric dims a room a lot but lets a little light glow through. Blackout fabric blocks the light completely. For bedrooms, blackout is usually the better choice.

Do blackout shades help with heat and cold?

Yes. Blocking direct sun keeps rooms cooler in summer. For winter drafts, blackout cellular shades are the best choice, because their honeycomb cells trap air and add insulation.

Are blackout shades safe for a nursery?

Choose cordless or motorized. Neither has dangling cords, which makes them the safest options for children’s rooms.

Test blackout samples on your own windows.

Book a free estimate