Natural texture for South Coast houses
Woven wood shades bring something to a window that fabric and painted shutters do not: the look and feel of natural material. Around our North Dartmouth showroom, they suit the houses unusually well. The shingled capes of Padanaram, with their weathered cedar outside and simple rooms inside, look right with a woven shade on the window. The old farmhouses out toward Russells Mills, with wide floorboards and deep-set nineteenth-century sash, take a natural weave as though it had always been there.
They work in newer houses too. The ranches built in the sixties and seventies off Faunce Corner Road and Slocum Road often have plain, wide windows that can feel flat, and a woven shade adds warmth and pattern without any fuss. Where a South Dartmouth room faces the hard afternoon glare off Apponagansett Bay, the weave breaks the light into a soft, dappled glow.
Weaves, liners and folds
Every woven shade is a mix of three choices: the weave itself, whether it has a liner behind it, and how it folds when you raise it.
The weave
Bamboo, reeds, grasses and wood strips, in tones from pale and sandy to deep brown and grey. Each material gives a different texture and a different amount of light.
The liner
On its own, a weave lets light and some view through its gaps. A privacy liner closes them at night, and a room-darkening liner makes the shade suitable for a bedroom.
The fold
A flat style stacks in crisp, even layers. A softer folded style falls in gentle loops, much like a fabric roman shade, for a more relaxed look.
How much light comes through
People are often surprised by how much light an unlined woven shade lets in. The gaps in the weave are part of the charm: during the day the room stays bright and the view outside is softened rather than blocked. Tighter weaves let in less light and give more privacy. Open weaves feel airy and coastal.
At night the picture changes. With lamps on inside, an unlined shade can show shapes from the street. That is why we talk through liners room by room. A living room that faces the back garden may need no liner at all. A front bedroom close to the road almost always does. For rooms that face the water, a liner also helps take the edge off strong glare. Our guide to the best shades for sun and glare compares woven shades with the other options.
Where woven shades work best
Woven wood shades are at home in living rooms, dining rooms, sunrooms and kitchens, anywhere that benefits from warmth and texture. In a shingled cape they suit the casual, coastal feel of the rooms. In a colonial they can soften a formal room when paired with drapery panels on either side. On the wide picture window of a ranch, a single large shade or a row of matching shades brings the window into scale with the room.
Because they are made from natural materials, no two shades are exactly alike. Slight changes in colour and weave from one shade to the next are part of what makes them look natural rather than manufactured. Very humid rooms, like a bathroom with a daily shower, are usually better served by a different product, and we will tell you if we think so.
Request a Consultation
Visit a showroom or let us bring the showroom to you, with samples, an expert and a free estimate.
Pairing woven wood shades with drapery
A woven shade and a pair of drapery panels make one of the most comfortable windows you can put together. The shade handles daily light, and the panels frame it and add softness and extra cover at night. Natural woven textures sit beautifully beside linen or a plain textured weave. See our drapery page and the Carole Fabrics drapery collection for fabrics that work with a woven shade.
Hunter Douglas also makes woven styles in its shade families. If you are comparing, look at our woven shades page and the Provenance collection.
Ordering woven wood shades
- Request a consultation online or with the call button. Our vans carry samples, so we bring the showroom to you.
- We look at each window and talk about light, privacy and the look you want.
- You compare weaves, colours and liners at your own windows, in your own daylight.
- You get a free estimate for the shades you choose.
- We measure every opening, inside the frame or on the wall around it, depending on the window.
- A certified Hunter Douglas installer mounts the shades and checks that each one raises, lowers and sits level.
To browse the range before we visit, see the Hunter Douglas woven wood catalogue.
Why buy woven shades from a Hunter Douglas Gallery dealer
Blinds & Designs is a Hunter Douglas Gallery dealer, and certified Hunter Douglas installers fit everything we sell. A woven shade is a large, textured piece, and it only looks right when it hangs level and clears the window frame evenly.
We offer in-home consultations, free estimates and interior design consultations. We cover towns across the South Coast from North Dartmouth, including Dartmouth, Fairhaven and Westport; every town is on the store locations page.
Woven shade questions
Do woven shades give privacy at night?
Unlined, they can show shapes when lamps are on inside. A privacy liner closes the gaps in the weave, so we usually suggest one for bedrooms and street-facing rooms.
Can woven wood shades darken a bedroom?
With a room-darkening liner, they cut most of the light. Some light can still show around the edges, which is normal for any shade.
Will my shades match each other exactly?
Very closely, but natural materials vary a little in colour and weave. Most homeowners like that, because it is what makes the shades look natural.
Can I use a woven shade in a bathroom?
In a powder room, often yes. For a bathroom with a daily shower, we usually suggest a product made for steam, such as a shutter without wood.
How do I clean a woven shade?
Light dusting or a vacuum on a soft brush setting is usually all it needs. Avoid soaking the weave with water.
Is the estimate free?
Yes. Estimates are free. We look at your windows with you and give you an estimate for the shades you have in mind.
See the weaves in your own light
Request a consultation and we will bring woven samples and liners to your home, so you can see how each one looks against your own walls and windows. You can also call the North Dartmouth showroom with the call button, or come in and see the woven shades in person.
Every Hunter Douglas line we carry is on our Hunter Douglas Gallery dealer page.