Blackout Drapes (and Curtains)

Blackout drapes are an ideal addition to any room where the intention is to simply block block sunlight, but not the style and aesthetics of the room. Whether you select Duvetyne fabric or Commando cloth fabric, either will work exceptionally well to defend against the effects of harsh sunlight on your home furnishings that are prone to UV color- fading, and while creating a very nice and cool (yes, in both temperature and style) sanctuary! Not only do they significantly reduce the warm heat from the passing-thru sunlight, they also simultaneously accent the room style very well. Serving as window dressings, these blackout drapes are a nice addition to the interior decorating plans and home decor! Additionally, you are going to love the effects they have on reducing your Summertime A/C cooling bill!

Duvetyne blackout fabric

Why Utilize Blackout Drapes?

There really isn’t one single room in the whole house that would not benefit from the extraordinary light shielding ability of blackout drapes! Bedrooms are an obvious and ideal room, as we spend the majority of our time in there, and aside from the kitchen and living room! They will keep the bedroom cool in the warmer months, and provide the exact darkness you require to perhaps sleep in a bit longer on the weekends! We will address the privacy and noise-reducing properties of these blackout drapes here in this feature shortly.

Similarly, nurseries are another ideal location for these blackout drapes, and for the same reasons – to keep baby’s room cooler and not as brightly lit. Home theaters for movie watching and gaming are an obvious spot for these blackout drapes, to ensure the ideal setting to tune-in and enjoy the show (or game). By reducing sunlight glare, this duvetyne or commando fabric will ensure crisp pictures and screens! The entire viewing experience will be enhanced with the addition of these drapes!

Living rooms and common areas would certainly benefit from the light-blocking capabilities of blackout drapes as well. As functional window dressings, these blackout drapes will keep a room darkened to preference even throughout the heat of the day (12pm – 5pm) as this tightly woven black fabric prevents the sunlight from penetrating them while also absorbing the heat as well. One of the most understated but important additional benefits of utilizing blackout drapes is that they provide the ideal privacy for you and your family; their inherent soundproofing capabilities block out outside noise, such as barking dogs and noise from road traffic! So not only will they produce a nice quiet coziness to any room, in bedrooms they ensure those within a very peaceful night’s sleep!

Selecting the Appropriate Fabric Material for Blackout Drapes

Now that we have covered the many benefits and advantages of utilizing blackout drapes, and how they effectively decrease interior heat, help manage room temp, provide privacy and noise control, we must now focus our attention to the 3 primary variables to consider when selecting the appropriate material – color, fabric type and size. All 3 of these are critical in your phase of consideration! The size of the material that you are sourcing is obviously a pre-requisite, as you don’t want to purchase a fabric that is not wide enough to cover the windows, or that is too short to not fall to the floor from the drapery rods above the window unit. If the width and length requirements are not met and factored for, you may have gaps and openings that would allow the sunlight to permeate and filter through, and which would defeat the purpose and intention of having blackout drapes.

Suffice it to say, accurate measuring of your specific windows is of the utmost importance, so take care in measuring properly. Normally, drapes and drapery rods are installed approximately 4 inches above the window casing, so measure this distance and mark from there to the floor level. Consider a fabric with substantial width to ensure that the two panels (the two fabric pieces) cover the width of the window casing. You may want to consider buying 50% more for the width, so that there is enough fabric material to drape nicely; too little of the width and the fabric material would simply hang flat. Also, ensure that you have purchased enough blackout drape material to cover up to 3 inches on both sides of the window casing. Finally, measure each window separately of the others as some windows could be larger than others. Windows do not always have stock specs.

Blackout drapes can come in a fairly broad variety of fabrics. A high quality 10 ounce cotton duck canvas dyed Black makes for a great fabric option, and its tight weave ensures optimal effect! It also offers a nice casual look with a crisp “hand and feel.” When it comes to cotton duck canvas, the visual appeal of its subtle texture and the known durability of cotton duck is a certain “can’t miss.” For something with a little more of a lustrous flair, Duvetyne is a lightweight fabric material that has a sateen weave and velvet-like touch. Linen could also be considered, and this material will certainly add a greater formality and touch of luxury to the intended room space. Velour offers a higher weight and offers a rich and plush feel. And then there is Banjo cloth, which is a lightweight and sheer inherently fire retardant fabric material that is crafted from textured polyester. Commando cloth is the heavyweight of all blackout drape material, and is consistently used in theatrical settings for total black out needs.

Blackout curtains in a nursery

Blackout Drapes – Block Sun and Heat, and Enhance Room Aesthetics!

Blackout drapes can really be the perfect accent to the room’s existing aesthetics and visual appeal. They can appear as both formal and elegant to also being casual, depending on the already existing look and feel of the particular space. The fabric material also plays a role in the overall feel and aesthetics as well. As the function is to reduce heat and block sunlight, their form and presence will certainly enhance the atmosphere of any room!