Custom blackout shades in Chicago & the North and Northwest suburbs
Dark rooms. Real sleep.
Custom blackout roller shades for bedrooms, nurseries and media rooms. Made to your exact windows and mounted to keep the light out. Manual or motorized.
- Free in-home consultation
- We measure every window
- Installed by our own team
- Free in-home design consultation
- We measure every window
- Made to your exact window size
- Real fabric samples in your own light
- Bedrooms, nurseries, media rooms
- Manual or motorized
- A written price, no pressure
- Installed by our own team
- 5.0 stars on Google
- Mówimy po polsku
What are blackout shades?
A blackout shade is a roller shade made with a solid fabric that light can't pass through. Pull it down and the sun, streetlights and headlights stay outside.
The fabric does most of the work. How the shade is mounted decides the rest, because light can still sneak around the edges. Try the demo to see the difference.
- FabricSolid, blocks the light
- Best forBedrooms, nurseries
- PrivacyFull, day and night
- WorksManual or motorized
Light-filtering: the room stays bright. Good for living rooms, not for sleep.
How blackout shades work, in plain English.
Light gets into a room two ways: through the fabric, and around it. A good blackout shade handles both.
Light can't get through
Blackout fabric is solid all the way through. Hold it up to the sun and you won't see light coming through the cloth.
Light can get around
A shade can't touch the window frame and still roll smoothly, so a thin line of light can show at the sides.
The mount decides the gap
Inside the frame looks clean. Outside the frame, overlapping the wall, covers the gaps and makes the room darker.
Made to your exact window
A shade built to the size of your window keeps the gaps as small as possible. A cut-down store size leaves big ones.
The choice that matters most for a dark room.
Both use the same blackout fabric. The difference is where the shade sits. We measure and recommend the right one for each room.
Clean and built in
The shade sits inside the window frame. It looks neat and shows off your trim, with a thin line of light at the edges.
- Cleanest look
- Trim stays visible
- Best when "dim" is dark enough
Darkest room
The shade sits on the wall above the window and is wider than the frame, so it overlaps the edges where light sneaks in.
- Covers the side gaps
- Darkest result
- Best for light sleepers, nurseries, night-shift workers
Not sure which one your windows need? We look at your frames and trim at the consultation and tell you straight.
Dark at bedtime, light in the morning.
Blackout shades come manual or motorized. Motorized ones can open and close on their own.
Simple and reliable
Pull it down at night, roll it up in the morning. The lower-cost way to darken every bedroom.
- Lower cost
- Nothing to charge
- Best for windows you can easily reach
Shades in a nursery or kids' room? Ask about cord-free options at the consultation.
On a schedule
Shades close at bedtime and open when you want to wake up, without anyone touching them. No cords in the room at all.
- No cords, great for nurseries
- Open at the same time every morning
- Rechargeable, no new wiring
What changes when the room gets dark.
Blackout shades are about more than sleep. Here is what people notice first.
Sleep past sunrise
In June the sun comes up in Chicago around 5:15 a.m. Blackout fabric keeps the room dark until you're ready.
Naps that actually happen
Dark nurseries and kids' rooms at 1 p.m., not just at night.
Movie night at noon
No glare on the TV in the media room or basement, any time of day.
Full privacy
With the shade down, nobody sees in, whether it's noon or the lights are on at night.
Streetlights stay outside
A streetlight or a neighbor's porch light won't light up your bedroom all night.
Still a clean look
Rolled up, a blackout shade tucks into a slim roll. No heavy drapes needed.
A dark bedroom and nurseryWhere blackout shades work best.
- 01BedroomsSleep through early sunrises and streetlights.
- 02Nurseries and kids' roomsDark naps at midday and an easier bedtime in summer.
- 03Media rooms and basementsNo glare on the screen, any time of day.
- 04Night-shift sleepersA dark room in the middle of the day.
- 05Guest roomsGuests sleep in, and nobody sees in from the street.
- 06Rooms that face a streetlightKeep outside light outside all night.
In a living room or kitchen, a blackout shade makes the room dark whenever it's down, so most people end up leaving it up. There, light-filtering or zebra shades work better.
Blackout vs light-filtering vs zebra shades.
All three are roller shades we make. The difference is how dark the room gets.
| Blackout | Light-filtering | Zebra | |
|---|---|---|---|
| How dark the room gets | Dark | Bright, soft glow | Dim when closed |
| Light through the fabric | Blocked | Lets light through | Through the see-through stripes |
| Privacy at night | Full | Soft shapes may show | Good when closed |
| Can you see out? | No, when down | No | Yes, stripes open |
| Best rooms | Bedrooms, nurseries, media rooms | Living rooms, kitchens | Living rooms, offices |
5 mistakes people make with blackout shades.
Most "my blackout shades don't work" stories come down to one of these.
Buying a standard size
A store-bought shade cut down to fit leaves wide gaps on the sides. Light pours right around the fabric.
Do this instead: get shades made to the exact size of each window.
Inside mount for a light sleeper
Inside the frame looks clean, but it leaves a thin line of light at the edges. Some sleepers notice it.
Do this instead: if you want it as dark as possible, ask about outside mount.
Blackout in every room
In a living room, a blackout shade makes the room dark whenever it's down, so it stays up all day.
Do this instead: blackout where you sleep, light-filtering where you live.
Picking fabric on a screen
The room-side color sets the mood of the room, and it looks different in your light than in a photo.
Do this instead: hold real samples up to your own windows before you choose.
Cords in the nursery
Nurseries are where blackout shades go most, and where a hanging cord or chain is the biggest risk.
Do this instead: go cord-free or motorized in kids' rooms. Ask us at the consultation.
A local team that measures, makes and installs every shade.
You deal with the same people from the first visit to the last shade on the wall. No call center, no hand-offs.
Mówimy po polsku · We speak PolishWe come to you
The design consultation is free and happens in your home. We bring real fabric samples so you see them in your own light, not on a screen.
We measure, so the fit is on us
We measure every window ourselves. If a shade we measured doesn't fit your window, we remake it at no cost.
We make our own shades
Every shade is built to the exact size of your window. Not a standard size cut down to look custom.
A written price, no pressure
You get a written price at the consultation and take as long as you want to decide. You never have to buy anything that day.
Installed by our own team
The people who measured your windows come back to install your shades and set everything up before they leave.
We come back
If something ever goes wrong, you call the same local team. One customer put it this way:Radek came, no questions asked... he replaced the motor at no charge.
From first visit to a dark, quiet room.
Book your free visit
Fill out the short form or call (847) 305-3115. We call or text you back to pick a time that works.
Design consultation at your home
We bring real blackout samples, look at your frames and trim, measure every window, and give you a written price room by room.
Made to your exact windows
Every shade is built to the size of your window, so the gaps stay as small as possible.
Installed by our own team
We install every shade, check that each one rolls smoothly and sits right, and show you how it all works before we leave.
What our customers say.
Real Google reviews from real customers. 5.0 stars so far.
“The entire process was smooth- from the detail consultation to the professional blinds installation.”Daryl J. · Google review
“Measurement and fabric selection for the estimate took 30 minutes, and the install took 45 minutes the next week.”Graboys Home · Google review
“The shades they've installed have completely elevated the look of our windows! I would happily recommend this company!”Atara S. · Google review
Blackout shades across Chicago and the North and Northwest suburbs.
Don't see your town? Call or text (847) 305-3115 and ask.
- Chicago
- Arlington Heights
- Mount Prospect
- Prospect Heights
- Skokie
- Northbrook
- Wilmette
- Glenview
- Deerfield
- Park Ridge
- Des Plaines
- Niles
- Morton Grove
- Palatine
- Buffalo Grove
- Schaumburg
- Hoffman Estates
- Evanston
- Winnetka
- Highland Park
Do blackout shades make a room completely dark?
The fabric blocks the light, but a thin line of light can still show around the edges, depending on how the shade is mounted. An outside mount that overlaps the window frame gets the room darkest. Tell us how dark you want each room and we will plan the mount around it.
What is the difference between inside and outside mount?
An inside mount sits inside the window frame. It looks clean and shows off your trim, but leaves a thin gap at the edges. An outside mount sits on the wall above the window and is wider than the frame, so it covers those gaps and makes the room darker.
What is the difference between blackout and room-darkening?
Room-darkening fabric blocks most of the light, so the room gets dim. Blackout fabric is made to block the light coming through the fabric itself. For bedrooms and nurseries, most people choose blackout.
Are blackout shades good for a nursery?
Yes. They keep the room dark for naps and early summer mornings. In a nursery, go cord-free or motorized so nothing hangs down. Ask us about cord-free options at the consultation.
Can blackout shades be motorized?
Yes. A small rechargeable motor hides inside the tube, so the shades can close at bedtime and open in the morning on a schedule, with no cords at all.
Can I use blackout shades in a living room?
You can, but the room gets dark whenever the shade is down, so most people end up leaving it up. Light-filtering or zebra shades usually work better where you spend the day.
How much do custom blackout shades cost?
Your exact price depends on how many windows you have, how big they are, the fabric, and whether you choose manual or motorized, and you get it in writing at the consultation. Most projects start around $2,000 to $3,000 and go up with more windows or more motorized shades.
How long does it take from consultation to install?
It depends on how many shades you order, and you get a timeline with your written price. One customer put it this way: measurement and fabric selection took 30 minutes, and the install took 45 minutes the next week.
Do I have to buy anything at the consultation?
No. You get a written price and take as long as you want to decide. The consultation is free and there is no obligation.
Looking for something else?
See blackout shades on your own windows.
Price my blackout shadesor call (847) 305-3115