When night refuses to descend on cue, trust our blackout roman shades to step in as custodians of darkness. Draw them close, and daylight dissolves as though the sun itself has taken a bow. One moment, your room is ablaze with sunshine, and the next it is a cocoon of pitch-darkness. 

But these shades aren’t just poets of the night; they’re tireless multitaskers. They tame drafts, provide thermal insulation, and create the kind of hush that even the most determined toddler or the noisiest metal-loving neighbor can’t break. Whether your living room moonlights as a weekend movie theater or your afternoons double as nap o’clock, our blackout roman shades are your most trusted accomplices.

And if the word “blackout” makes you envision brooding, joyless fabric, we’d love to change that narrative too. We bring you hundreds of elegant blackout fabrics ranging from prints and embossed patterns to light-bright and deep-dark shades. So, form and function work hand in hand!

But before you dash off with a shopping cart, our stylists have gathered a few clever tips to help you make the most of these nifty window dressings. Read on!

MORE FROM THE STORE: Blackout Curtains | Velvet Roman Shades | Velvet Curtains

Dimout Vs. Blackout Vs. Lining: Know the Difference

Roman shades may all look the part, but not every fabric pulls the same weight once the sun comes up. Some politely dim the glare, others slam the door on daylight, and the very clever ones hide their tricks in the lining. Here’s the breakdown—

DIMOUTS: Think of dimouts as sunglasses for your windows. They soften the glare and lend a gentler ambience but they won’t plunge your room into total darkness, making them perfect for nurseries where tiny tots may be afraid of complete darkness, or for those who worry about trips and falls in the dark. 

BLACKOUTS: This is the show you came here for. Blackout roman shades are constructed from specially-treated fabrics, designed to block up to 95% of external light. Pull them down and noon becomes midnight, whether you’re chasing REM sleep, toddler naps, or a squint-free movie marathon.

BLACKOUT LINING: The magician’s trick. With a stitched-in blackout lining at the back, even an otherwise non-blackout fabric shade can perform like a blackout star. It’s not just about light control either; blackout lining adds extra insulation, improves drape/fold, and protects your chosen face fabric from fading in the sun.

The takeaway? Dimout sets the mood, blackout steals the show, and blackout lining lets you cheat the system without compromising your style.

The ‘Mounting’ Debate: Inside Vs. Outside Mount Roman Shades

Similar to all domestic dilemmas, like pouring milk before tea or after, the choice of mounting position for roman shades comes with its own set of voices. But before we delve into the pros and cons of the inside and outside mounting positions, let us clarify what they are. 

In the inside mounting position, the roman shades sit snug within the window frame/recess, making for a neat and highly-fitted look. The outside-mounted position places the roman shades outside of the window frame. The roman shade is affixed to the wall above the window frame or the ceiling if the window is positioned close to the ceiling.

Now, on to the benefits and drawbacks of each:

OUTSIDE MOUNTED ROMAN SHADES: For blackout roman shades, outside mount is almost always the star of the show. By extending the shades a few inches beyond the frame on all sides, this position allows clients to seal every edge, banishing those sneaky slivers of light and plunging the room into cinema-worthy darkness. It also forgives all sorts of quirks and challenges. Shallow frames, unsightly trims and slightly uneven window heights are no problem here. 

INSIDE MOUNTED ROMAN SHADES: Inside mounts do have their charm. Nestled neatly within the frame, they deliver a crisp, architectural finish that celebrates your window’s trims and tailored finishes. But the price of that polish? Measurements must be precise to the millimeter, and stray light can slip through the edges nevertheless - not ideal if you’re aiming for perfect blackout.

But what if space does not allow outside mounting, yet you’d like to enjoy complete blackout? We got you covered with one simple tip. The secret is to layer with drapery. Framing curtains not only seal off those light leaks at the edges but also add an extra layer of insulation, making your window treatment more energy-efficient.

For a further deeper dive into the pros and cons, refer to our blog post on Inside Vs. Outside Mount Roman Shades.

The Point About Palette: Light Vs. Dark Colors

Our blackout roman shades come in every shade imaginable, from airy cream to moody charcoals. But here’s the science beneath the style: darker fabrics are naturally better at absorbing light, which means they sharpen the blackout effect. A deep navy or espresso shade will swallow brightness far more effectively than a pale linen or soft blush.

That said, sometimes your design vision calls for lightness. A breezy ivory in a coastal bedroom, or a pale grey to keep things airy, might be on the mandate. If aesthetics lead you toward lighter tones but you still want true blackout performance, we suggest lining even your blackout fabric roman shades with blackout lining. It gives you the best of both worlds—an ethereal look and uncompromising darkness when you draw them close.

Beyond Blacking Out: All the Reasons You Should Choose Blackouts

Yes, the headline act is obvious; blackout shades block light. But that’s only the start of their repertoire. Here’s why they earn their keep long after the sun goes down:

A Hush You Can Hear!

Thick, special-coated blackout fabrics do more than block light; they muffle noise. Street traffic, early-bird lawnmowers, even the neighbor’s endless DIY, whatever you can think of as a bother, all dulls to a more tolerable hum.

Stay Cool or Stay Cosy

Thermal insulation is another hidden gift. In summer, blackout curtains keep the heat out and keep your home cool; in winter, they hold warmth in and ensure cosy, snuggly locales. Your thermostat breathes a sigh of relief, and so do your energy bills.

Privacy Guarded like Classified Files

Once drawn, blackout shades turn your windows into impenetrable forts that keep your private life secure and blissfully nosy-neighbor-proof. Being thick-woven, blackout roman shades do not allow light to pass through, thereby preventing any shadows from being cast on the surface, and leaving intruding outsiders clueless about the scene inside. 

The Shades Come with Life Insurance

When you line a roman shade with blackout lining, you technically invest in a life insurance policy for them. The lining protects the face fabric from sun damage and premature fading. This is a bonus for natural fabrics like silk and linen, which are prone to weathering due to sun exposure.

Guardian of the Home, Protector of Furnishings

It’s not just the shades that benefit from blackout therapy! Your sofas, rugs, wooden furniture and artwork do too. Less UV means richer colours and finishes that don’t fade away with the seasons.

Save in Style

Every degree of temperature held in or kept out is money saved, making blackout roman shades as practical as they are panache-packed. By keeping heat out in summer and sealing warmth in during winter, they help reduce the need for constant cooling or heating, cutting down your energy use (and your bills) without compromising on style.

Blackout Roman Shades: The Scenes Where They Play Heroes

Blackout roman shades have a niche of their own. While they may not make the starring cast in sunny living rooms or dining nooks, they do come truly alive in other rooms. Let us quickly lay out the best rooms for blackout roman shades:

LULLABY-LIKE NURSERIES: Convincing a baby to nap in broad daylight can feel like battling the odds. But with blackout roman shades, you can dim the stage, hush the glare, and give yourself a fighting chance at the matinee performance: actual sleep. 

SNOOZY SLEEPING ZONES: Bedrooms deserve true night, not an interpretive version of it. Whether you’re a night hustler finally dozing at dawn or an early bird desperate for eight unbroken hours, blackout roman shades silence streetlamps, soften car headlights, and barge-block the sun.

AT-HOME-MULTIPLEX ROOMS: Try watching a midday thriller without blackouts, and you’ll spend the whole movie squinting. Draw these shades, and daylight bows out so your projector can play star. Add popcorn and theatrical gasps, and suddenly you own the cinema.

GUEST BEDROOMS: Your cousin flying in from Sydney doesn’t need a sunrise at 4 a.m. on their first jet-lagged night. Blackout roman shades extend the courtesy of controlled light, making your guest room less “place to crash” and more “place to actually rest.”

PRO GAMING DENS: Blackout roman shades keep PC screens glarefree, cocooning a gaming space in theatre-level darkness. They don’t just set the scene for marathon quests and midnight raids; they heighten immersion, letting pro gamers lose track of time until “just one more round” somehow becomes dawn. 

To Sew It All Up

You have fought many battles with the sun, and now you win with blackouts by your side. Whether you are setting up your baby’s nursery or your very own sleep sanctuary, blackout roman shades from Sewn can be your best ally. And armed with styling tips and pro-knowledge, you’re now all set to hop on your shopping spree. So, go ahead and jump into the pool of fabrics, all waiting to deck up your home!