The Colorado view stays. The harsh glare doesn't.
Light You Can Actually Live With
Colorado sunlight is extraordinary - and relentless. It's intense at altitude, it shifts angle dramatically through the year, and it creates glare on every screen in the room within hours of sunrise. The common response - close the blinds - solves the glare problem by creating a different one: you lose the view you moved here for.
Sheer shades solve the actual problem. They use alternating horizontal bands of sheer and opaque fabric on a single roller - when the vanes are open, light passes through the sheer bands and is softened and diffused before it reaches your eyes. The glare disappears. The view stays. When you want more privacy, rotating the vanes closes the opaque bands over the sheer ones, blocking the view into the room while still letting diffused light enter.
The key is the tilting vane. When you tilt the vanes open, soft diffused light floods the room and the view stays fully intact. Tilt them closed and the opaque bands overlap like louvers - the room stays bright, but the outside can't see in. One product, two distinct positions, a completely different relationship with your windows.
Frequently asked questions
How are sheer shades different from regular roller shades?
Sheer shades use alternating horizontal fabric vanes — sheer and opaque — suspended between two fabric facings on a single roller. By rotating the vanes, you can align the sheer bands to let diffused light through while preserving your view, or overlap the opaque bands for daytime privacy. Regular roller shades are a single flat layer of fabric — you can only raise or lower them, with no view-through or privacy adjustment while the shade is down.
Note: sheer shades are sometimes confused with dual shades (also called zebra or banded shades), but they are different products. Dual shades use alternating solid and sheer fabric strips woven into a single flat roller fabric — a simpler mechanism that shifts the strips up or down rather than rotating vanes. Dual shades provide continuous light control between sheer and solid, motorize more easily, and are generally more affordable. Sheer shades use a three-layer vane construction that gives a fuller, softer view-through when the vanes are open. If you're interested in dual/zebra shades specifically, see our Roller Shades page.
How does light diffusion work in sheer shades?
When the vanes of a sheer shade are open, sunlight passes through alternating sheer fabric bands and is softened before entering the room. The amount of glare reduction and ultraviolet filtering varies by fabric and window; ask for the manufacturer's specifications for the selected material.
Do sheer shades provide daytime privacy?
Yes - in the privacy position (vanes tilted closed), the opaque fabric bands overlap like louvers, blocking the view into the room from outside while still allowing diffused light to enter softly through the sheer bands. This gives genuine daytime privacy without needing to draw a curtain or lower a separate blind. At night, when interior lights are on, the shade needs to be raised fully to prevent visibility from outside.
Are sheer shades good for Colorado homes with mountain views?
Sheer shades are one of the best window treatments for Colorado homes with mountain views. In the open-vane position, they reduce Colorado's intense high-altitude glare and UV while preserving your outdoor sightlines - the view of Pikes Peak or the Front Range stays intact. No other single window treatment manages glare this effectively while keeping the view fully visible.
What warranty do Alta sheer shades come with?
Warranty coverage depends on the exact sheer shade and current manufacturer terms. Ask us for the written warranty for your selection, including exclusions and component coverage.
What warranty do Graber sheer shades come with?
Warranty coverage depends on the exact sheer shade and current manufacturer terms. Ask us for the written warranty for your selection, including exclusions and component coverage.
How do I clean Alta sheer shades?
For routine dusting, use a feather duster or gentle air blower such as a hair dryer on the cool setting to remove dust from the fabric layers. Do not vacuum - suction can distort the woven vane structure. For spot cleaning, blot carefully with a clean cloth barely dampened with water. Avoid rubbing or saturating the fabric, as excess moisture can affect the layered vane construction. If the shade develops wrinkles, a fabric steamer held several inches from the surface gently relaxes the fibers.
Can I vacuum Alta sheer shades?
No. Do not vacuum Alta sheer shades. Suction can distort the woven vane structure. Instead, use a feather duster or a gentle air blower such as a hair dryer on the cool setting to remove dust.
How do I remove wrinkles from Alta sheer shades?
If Alta sheer shades develop wrinkles from packaging or storage, use a fabric steamer held several inches from the surface. Steam gently relaxes the fibers without damage. Do not iron, and do not use a hair dryer on warm or hot settings - heat can distort or shrink the fabric layers.
How do I clean Graber layered sheer shades?
For routine dusting, use a feather duster or gentle air blower such as a hair dryer on the cool setting to remove dust from the fabric layers. Do not vacuum - suction can distort the woven vane structure. For spot cleaning, blot carefully with a clean cloth barely dampened with water. Avoid rubbing or saturating the fabric, as excess moisture can affect the layered vane construction.
Can I vacuum Graber layered sheer shades?
No. Do not vacuum Graber layered sheer shades. Suction can distort the woven vane structure. Instead, use a feather duster or a gentle air blower such as a hair dryer on the cool setting to remove dust.
How do I remove wrinkles from Graber sheer shades?
If Graber layered sheer shades develop wrinkles from packaging or storage, use a fabric steamer held several inches from the surface. Steam gently relaxes the fibers without damage. Do not iron, and do not use a hair dryer on warm or hot settings - heat can distort or shrink the fabric layers.
What warranty do Norman PerfectSheer shades come with?
Warranty coverage depends on the exact PerfectSheer™ shade, motor, and current manufacturer terms. Ask us for the written warranty for your selection, including exclusions and component coverage.
What does the Norman sheer shade warranty cover?
Check the current written warranty for the exact PerfectSheer™ shade and motor. Coverage, duration, exclusions, and eligibility can vary by component.
How do I clean Norman PerfectSheer shades?
For routine dusting, use a feather duster or gentle air blower such as a hair dryer on cool setting to remove dust from the fabric layers. For spot cleaning, blot carefully with a clean cloth barely dampened with water. Avoid rubbing or saturating the fabric, as excess moisture can affect the woven layers.
Can I vacuum Norman PerfectSheer shades?
Do not vacuum Norman PerfectSheer shades. Suction can distort the woven vane structure. Instead, use a feather duster or a gentle air blower such as a hair dryer on the cool setting to remove dust.
How do I remove wrinkles from Norman PerfectSheer shades?
If Norman PerfectSheer shades develop wrinkles from being stored or shipped in a folded position, use a fabric steamer held several inches from the fabric. Steam gently relaxes the fibers without causing damage. This is one of the few window shade types where a steamer is the recommended wrinkle remedy.