Levels of Transparency

Fabric window treatments come in a variety of transparencies, from sheer to opaque. At Altra Home Décor serving the greater Phoenix area, many of our customers ask us the differences among the fabrics and which would be the best for their needs. Of course, it varies from customer to customer, which is why we put together some info below. Read on to learn more, or speak with one of our consultants today.

Hunter Douglas Rating Scale

To help people quickly understand what level of transparency a fabric offers, Hunter Douglas developed a rating scale (1 to 4) for how each fabric controls privacy and light.

Sheer. The material allows light into the room and provides a view of the outside while reducing the glare. However, there is little or no privacy. These fabrics won’t be great for a bedroom, but they’re perfect for a living or dining room. Our most popular sheer window treatments include Hunter Douglas Silhouette® Window Shadings and Hunter Douglas Luminette® Privacy Sheers.
Semi-Sheer. The material offers a soft screened view that diffuses light, and it gives you moderate privacy. This material is ideal for a kitchen or family room. Our most popular semi-sheer window treatments include Hunter Douglas Designer Roman and Roller Shades.
Semi-Opaque. The material filters more light, but blocks the view. You’ll get more privacy from these fabrics; however, from the outside at night, people can still see shadows in a room. These fabrics are great for bathrooms and bedrooms. Our most popular semi-opaque window treatments include Hunter Douglas Duette® Honeycomb Shades and Pirouette® Window Shadings.
Opaque/Room-Darkening. These materials block nearly all light and provide a greater degree of light control and privacy. They are ideal for bedrooms and children’s areas. Our most popular room-darkening treatments include Hunter Douglas Pirouette® Window Shadings.

Blocking Light

Hunter Douglas recognizes that many people want to block as much light as possible in some rooms, such as bedrooms and media rooms. That’s why they offer blackout shades, which block 99% of all light. Our most popular blackout window treatments include Duette® Honeycomb Shades and Provenance® Woven Woods Shades with a liner. If you’re going for total darkness with no light gaps at all, you should either mount your window treatment on the outside of the window or add drapery panels.

Sheer to Opaque Treatments in the Phoenix and Peoria, Arizona Area

Altra Home Décor is your source for window treatments, custom drapery, flooring, and more! We serve the greater Phoenix area, including Peoria, Sun City West, Anthem, Buckeye, Glendale, and Scottsdale, with a showroom in Surprise. Stop by our locally owned store to view our full-size window treatment displays and sample books.