A quick guide to find the best Florida shades for your home.

Wittingly named the “Sunshine State,” Florida is well-known for being a sunny state with its humid subtropical climate. If you live in Florida, you know that the sun can be a bit much to deal with when you want to relax at home. Luckily, you can find the right kind of Florida shades to help you beat the heat in your home. Here is a quick guide to help you out!

What Do You Prefer: Privacy or Light?

When deciding on shades, the first thing you have to decide is whether you want to prioritize light or privacy. This decision will greatly impact how the rooms look and feel once you install your shades. For instance, if you want more light, then you can opt for sheerer, lighter-colored shades. These will allow Florida’s natural sunshine to softly enter your home to make your home appear airy and cozy. On the other hand, choosing privacy means you will go for thicker, darker-colored shades. These types of shades will effectively keep light out of your home, but they may feel a bit claustrophobic and moody.

Do You Want Insulation?

Shades are not only meant to keep out the light from the sun—they can help insulate your home as well! When your windows are properly covered with the right insulating materials, they can effectively keep your house cool during the hot Florida summer months. With this in mind, let’s move on to materials.

Decide on the Type of Shades and Materials

Not all shades are made the same, so selecting the right materials is crucial. Once you have decided on the light, privacy, and insulation, you can choose what materials you want. For those who want privacy and insulation, Roman shades are a good option. Roman shades are normally made from thicker fabrics to block the view, heat, and light from the inside of your home. Some fabrics that are often used include cotton, linen, silk, and polyester.

Of course, shades made for privacy and insulation may contain a mixture and multiple layers of fabrics, such as a cotton-linen blend, to provide further insulation and dimming properties. This is because fabrics like cotton and polyester alone will still let 30-40% of visible light pass through. Blinds like bamboo blinds can be great if you want both light and privacy. You can turn the shutters to let light in or out of your home as you please.

Some bamboo shades may be treated as well to help them insulate homes, but you may need to customize your blinds to achieve this. If you do not want to pick between any of the choices, solar shades would be your best bet for Florida shades. Solar shades are made from a tightly woven fabric that will not completely obstruct your view and allows some light to enter. These shades are also treated to absorb light and heat from the sun to make them energy-efficient to insulate your home.

Choices: Custom or Store-Bought

Finally, the last decision to make is choosing between store-bought or custom shades. While you can find shades in most home department stores, that doesn’t mean you will find the ones you need. You will likely run into basic shades with standard measurements that may not be effective at keeping your home insulated or private. If you’re struggling to find Florida shades that you want that also fit your home, you can opt for customized window shades.

That way, you will not have to worry about finding the window shades you need. For instance, blinds made from bamboo are eco-friendly and easy-to-maintain that work well with most interior design themes. However, most stores will only carry standard sizes or general styles. You can have bamboo blinds specially customized to fit your exact style and measurement requirements.

Let your personal needs help you

If you would like a hand deciding, that is what the consultation is for. A designer comes out, looks at the actual room, and brings the fabrics that suit it. Book a free in-home consultation, or see the gallery.