insight : o’d mckewan
Photo: SASS Shutters and Sunshades
MANAGING EXPECTATIONS: RoomDarkening Track Systems for Roller Shades Explain your room-darkening track system options to clients and never get caught in the trap of saying “blackout” or guaranteeing 100% light blocking BY O’D MCKEWAN
W
ith the ever-increasing popularity of roller shades, one of the most frequent requests that I receive is for a blackout roller shade. The only problem is that there is no such thing as a true blackout roller shade. Sure, there is blackout fabric, but that does not mean the shade as a whole will be a blackout shade. I am one of those window covering dealers who explains to clients that there is no such thing as a true blackout roller shade, and that there is much I can do to reduce almost all of the light, but I never guarantee 100% blackout. Additionally, the more light they want to block out, the more expensive the system will be. The difference between blocking out about 95% and 99% is more than double the cost. This does two things. First, it immediately puts the client in check, and they soon come to realize that they can probably live with the little amount of light that comes through on a well-designed room-darkening track system. It also allows me to explain the differences and lets them decide if they want to spend all that extra money trying to get that extra 5% of light blocked out. Before I get into describing what makes a well-designed room-darkening track system, let’s discuss how I approach
the whole room-darkening/blackout shade issues with all my clients and students. First and foremost, never call it a “blackout system”; instead, always refer to it as a “custom room-darkening track system.” As mentioned, the level of customization determines the price. Describe how light is like water: it will always find its way through even the slightest of gaps. It can bend, reflect, glow and disperse in any direction. Clarify how our eyes have one major function (and it is not to make googly eyes at someone you are smitten with). It is to see light. No matter how low the light levels are, your eyes are just light receptors, so even an extremely low level
or a small amount of light in a dark room will be visible, especially the longer you are in the dark room. Your eyes will adjust to find any traces of light. That is why I never say blackout or promise 100% blackout. I have traveled all over this country designing and building custom room-darkening track systems for environments, including everything from scientific research labs with molecular microscope rooms and sleep study habitats to working on Upper West Side condos for clients that just want the best room-darkening options available. The most frequent comment I get is that they cannot find anyone who can do what I can do in their area. So, for the first time ever, I am going to share some of my most valuable tips on designing a true room-darkening track system for those who want to know. Most importantly, every system needs to be designed for the location it is going to be used in. There is no standard for room-darkening systems, meaning there is no one system that will work for all applications. I am always using parts from multiple manufacturers to customize my systems. Here, I will cover
V ISION |
19
