Choose shade fabrics in your own light

Use samples where the shades will live

A screen or catalogue is a useful shortlist, but it cannot show exactly how a fabric will look beside your wall, floor and window. At an in-home consultation, compare physical samples at the actual openings before choosing a color.

Choose the job before the color

• For daytime softness, compare light-filtering fabrics at a sunlit window.
• For evening privacy, ask about the view from outside when lights are on inside. A sheer or open-weave fabric may not provide it.
• For sleep or a media room, compare blackout materials and discuss the gaps around the finished treatment.
• For glare, check the direction of sunlight and the screen or seat that needs protection.

Compare a small shortlist

Hold a few candidates beside each other. Look at the undertone, weave and transparency rather than trying to choose from every colour at once. Check the same candidates in nearby rooms if you want a coordinated appearance.

A small swatch does not show a complete pattern repeat or a full-width installation. Ask how the fabric direction, seams and hardware will appear at your finished dimensions.

Record the final selection

• Write down the product, fabric name or code, color, opacity and room.
• Confirm cassette or valance, rail and track finishes alongside the fabric.
• Note whether different rooms need a different opacity in a coordinated color.
• Keep any approved special layout or pattern instructions with the quote.

Prepare for the visit

Bring inspiration images and tell us which windows cause the daily problem. Clear access to the openings so measurements and mounting conditions can be checked. The fabric catalogues can help you shortlist, while the consultation confirms the actual sample and installation details.