Window Shades for a Unique Coastal Home

3 years ago

last modified: 3 years ago

We have a unique home that I am struggling to select window shades for. The house gets a lot of sun and does not have central a/c. It only has two mini-split units. So we need to purchase solar shades, especially for the west side of the house so that we can keep the house comfortable in the summer. I am overwhelmed with choices and can't find anything that feels quite right.

Requirements/Questions:

1. I want to stay pretty neutral, modern and simple. The walls throughout are all juniper wood so we have a ton of texture and warmth already. Would simple white shades be too stark against all the wood?

2. Technically, I need shades for 4 different rooms - den, upstairs landing, bathroom and bedroom. But the house is small and VERY open. If you can see multiple rooms from one vantage point, does that mean all the shades should match?

3. Not all the windows are the same color and type. There are newer windows that are white and older windows that are stone colored. But one shade needs to accommodate both.

4. Six of the shades are for windows 16' in the air so remote control is a necessity. I've read about battery operated, hard wired (requires drilling holes in window frames and running electric) and solar (Smith and Noble).

5. Are solar shades and blackout shades the same thing, in effect? Does getting "lined" shades equate to the same blocking of heat that a solar shade does? Or do they perform differently?

Does anyone have experience with the different ways of doing this and have a preference?

Photo #1 shows the living area just to show the style of the house and our aesthetic. Warm, comfortable, clean and modern.

Photo #2 and #3 show the two types of windows I'm dealing with that can be seen from the same vantage point.

This is an enormous investment that will dramatically impact the feel of the house so I'm terrified of messing it up. All opinions and suggestions greatly appreciated!

Featured Answer

lynartist

3 years ago

Black solar shades will be less noticeable and will preserve the view. The more” open” the material the more you will be able to have a view through them but the less protection although I feel a10% gives pretty good view& protection. If you want privacy that is another matter. Solar shades are not black out. As some of your windows are quite recessed you could do inside mounts. The ones with cranks need outside mounts. The large expanses of windows might be a problem as the fabric comes in limited widths. It is best to have a professional come advise you especially if you are doing remote control. The install on these will be so important for your satisfaction but you will enjoy them in the heat of summer!

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Comments (19)

decoenthusiaste
3 years ago
For uniformity and to clear the cranks on some windows, outside mounted shades would be best. You have enough wood here, so covering the wood window frames shouldn't be an issue. I would do a warm creamy white. I think I've saved a floor plan for your home or a similar one in my personal wish book. It was built on stilts and had windows that lifted like garage doors into the screened deck area. I thought it would be interesting to cut a sunken tea table into one of the deck corners and install a heater like they do in Japan so you could sit with your feet in the recess and be under a heavy quilt over the table.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAJot4vI8zo
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btydrvn
3 years ago
In our similar situation we put the shades outdoors ...on the screened area framework.... as the sun does not hit the windows directly...we use them in the summer only as we love all the sun and light in the winter ... you can see thru the shade cloth shades so the view is not obscured.....the windows that are hit directly by the sun can be dealt with by using awnings .......if you dont want to block the view and also skip having another up and down chore every day.....they come in roll-up versions for winter reasons as well...the upper ones really just need to be convenient to open and close at the time of day they get direct sun....so i would not aim for continuity only .....over getting the right function ing element ....for each situation...
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btydrvn
3 years ago
We have about 30-40 feet of the manual roll up shades and appreciate the ability to raise and lower each section separately according to how they are needed ...and where you are seated ...also....when outdoors ...we sometimes we like to just roll the shade down enough to block the sun from our eyes but up high enough to warm our feet...flexibility in general is a premium feature ...
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Windows on Washington Ltd
3 years ago
Wowsers....every time I see one of these homes...I get jealous. I know I am not supposed to...but dang it. That is a gorgeous vista.
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arcy_gw
3 years ago
I really cannot wait for this window shade fad to pass us by. They are soo utilitarian thus UGLY IMHO. Privacy and the heat of the sun have to be addressed at times. Your views are sooo awesome and private--are you sure this is a must? The idea of the outside hung shades might be something I could embrace...
jenj
Original Author
3 years ago
arcy_gw and btydrvn - I wish outdoor shades were an option but unfortunately that doesn't address our issue. The windows in question are 40 feet off the ground level. Sorry if it was unclear but I'm not referring to the windows in the screened in porch area. Those will remain unadorned. This home is on the NC coast where temperatures reach 100 degrees in the summer with high humidity and the house does not have central air. So yes, controlling the heat rise during the summer is critical to being able to enjoy the house. But thank you for your thoughts!
jenj
Original Author
3 years ago
decoenthusiaste - I would give anything to see the house plans you are referring to that are similar to our home! Could you please share? And I think I agree - a warm creamy white is probably the least obtrusive way to go. Thank you!
decoenthusiaste
3 years ago
http://houseplans.southernliving.com/plans/SL102?search%5Bsort%5D=
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btydrvn
3 years ago
Ahah!... then the best option is exhaust fans on the roof ...preferably at the highest point...they work best in homes with tall ceilings as all the heat rises...and exits thru the exhaust fan...
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decoenthusiaste
3 years ago
https://www.tamtech.com/product/tc1000-h-solid-roof-wall-home-ventilator-white/

Here's what I was considering when contemplating building the plan
suezbell
3 years ago
Is the problem both heat and light?

Is it the heat?

Have you considered swapping your overhead lights and installing ceiling fans in every room to keep the air moving?

Is it the light?

Have you tried blue or gray sheers on your windows to diffuse the sunlight?

Have you considered tinting your windows rather than closing them off with window treatments?

Have you considered adding awnings outside?
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jenj
Original Author
3 years ago
decoenthusiaste - Thank you SO MUCH for the link to that plan! It has to be the basis for our home, although ours made a few slight adjustments. Where the plan shows a small porch and a small deck on the back side of the house, those spaces are actually very small bedrooms. And from the second floor, there is a ladder that leads to a 3rd floor loft. Other than that, it is pretty much identical. Our house is also surrounded by live oak trees, just like in the sketch. So interesting. Well, if you would like any real world photos of what it looks like, what I'd change if I could, etc. just let me know. We absolutely love it and everyone that visits thinks it's the coolest thing ever. Thanks again!
decoenthusiaste
3 years ago
Yes, I'd be curious to know how it lives and see your configuration. I had a plan to alter it quite a bit if I built it. Was hoping to sort of cantilever it on a bluff near the vacation rental cabin I manage. Please do share pix. You never know; I might build it yet!
suezbell
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
If you do not open or close the high windows anyway, consider doing something entirely different for them: You might invest in tinted storm windows that will cap over the existing window and attach to the existing window frame. That will give you a pocket of air between the windows for insulation so your heat/ac will not need to work as hard and, importantly, you will not need the very expensive remote control electric windows. You might even specify that you want double pane storm windows for more insulation value and your choice of tint color -- if a blue is available, you might have a more "sky" look to the natural light still coming into the room. Otherwise consider gray tint.

If you're buying shades for two different window frame colors for the downstairs windows, you might consider wood or faux wood shades rather than any "white" or off white color -- and if you cannot match the wood on the walls, you might choose a significantly lighter or darker wood. Otherwise I suspect any shade of white or off white or even gray will emphasize any color difference and the darker ones will come off dingy looking.

What is your roof line and overhang like? Can you increase your overhang to help keep the mid day sun from coming directly into the room for a little bit longer?
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suezbell
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
Most Houzz posts that mention them oppose them but, absent an outside fix, what you DO need for the downstairs for light control and privacy control is vertical blinds. When the vertical blinds are (horizontally) pulled together so there are slats all the way across the window, the vertical slats can be turned all or part of the way either to the left or right and that lets you have more control over sunlight entering the room as the sun passes across the sky east to west each day. You can close them completely or you can pull the two sections of vertical slats all the way apart for the view, watch the rain, enjoy the heat that gets in and the visually perceived warmth of the sun in winter. I had them for three sliding glass patio doors before I downsized -- two of the doors facing south and the other east -- and I liked them and would want them again.

Vertical blinds come in wood, faux wood, vinyl -- a lot of different colors -- and even fabric. They are easy to adjust/open/close -- no expensive electronics necessary.
suezbell
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
If you put tinted storm windows over the top windows and would prefer to NOT have window treatments on the downstairs windows/doors, consider an outside fix: add a pergola outside the windows and add semi-clear tinted roofing material to that.

Or add a porch with a solid roof.

I've never seen a two story pergola but I suppose one could be built.
decoenthusiaste
3 years ago
My plans were to turn the original kitchen and back porch on the main level into a galley kitchen. Then I planned to make the area between the bath and living room into a bedroom with a short hall to the bath and a closet on the kitchen side and shelf storage on the left. I was going to leave the upstairs as per the plan, but close the floor and install a counter weighted lift from the first floor up. Also planned to put in a catwalk across the living room to join with an observation deck around the second story perimeter, so the view of the valley and surrounding mountains could be enjoyed from indoors in winter when the screened porches might be a bit chilly. Why don't you price adding more mini-splits?
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decoenthusiaste
3 years ago
Still interested to see more of your place if you have time.

Window Shades for a Unique Coastal Home

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Window Shades for a Unique Coastal Home

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