The Room Everyone Wants, and Its Problem
A room that faces south gets sun for most of the day, low and deep into the room in winter, high and hot in summer. That light is the reason people love the room, and it is also why choosing south facing window treatments takes more thought than choosing for a north bedroom. The sun works on three things at once: the colour of everything it touches, the temperature of the room, and the glare on any screen or page.
None of those needs a dark room to solve. The aim is to keep the brightness you like while taking the edge off the parts you do not.
Fade: What the Sun Does Slowly
Fading happens so gradually that most people notice it only when they move a rug or a chair and see the stripe underneath. Sunlight breaks down dyes in fabric, bleaches wood floors and furniture, and dries out finishes. The window treatment itself takes the most direct hit, because it sits right against the glass.
So the first question for a sunny room is how the treatment will look after years of sun, not just on the day it goes up. A few things help:
- Lighter and neutral colours show fading far less than deep, saturated ones
- A lining behind a drape or a Roman shade protects the face fabric and the room behind it
- Faux wood and painted finishes hold up well where real wood stain might lighten
- Lowering a shade during the brightest hours protects the floor and furniture as well as the shade
Heat: The Summer Side of a Sunny Room
In winter, a south-facing room can be the warmest in the house without the heating on. In July and August, the same room can be the one nobody wants to sit in after lunch. The glass lets the sun’s heat in, and the room holds it.
The best south facing window treatments slow that heat at the glass. A cellular shade does this well: its honeycomb cells hold still air between the window and the room, which slows heat coming in on a summer afternoon as much as it slows warmth leaving on a winter night. Our guide on cellular shades and heat loss explains how the cells work. A lined drape drawn across the glass on the hottest days does a similar job with fabric.
Blinds help too, in a different way. Tilted upward, slats bounce the direct sun toward the ceiling, which keeps it off the floor and the furniture while the room stays bright.
Glare: The Problem You Feel Every Day
Glare is the reason a sunny room so often ends up with the blinds shut all day. A bright window behind a television, or beside a desk, makes the screen hard to see and tires the eyes. Shutting everything solves the glare and wastes the room.
A solar shade is the most direct answer. Its open weave cuts the glare and the harshest brightness while you still see out, which matters in a room with a garden or water view. A more open weave keeps more of the view; a tighter weave cuts more glare. We cover that trade in our guide to roller and solar shades.
Plantation shutters handle glare by angle. Tilt the louvres and the light comes in at a slant, off the screen, while the bottom panel stays closed for privacy.
Ready to Get Started? Book Your Free Quote
Call the Swansea store for a free quote, or come and see the samples in person.
Matching the Treatment to the House
The houses we work in each ask something different of south facing window treatments.
The mid-century capes and ranches across Somerset and Seekonk often have one big picture window on the sunny side of the living room. It is a lot of glass in one place, so heat and fade concentrate there. A cellular or solar shade across the whole width, sometimes with drapes at the sides, takes control of that one wall.
The mill-era three-deckers and Victorians in Fall River and Pawtucket have tall sash windows, often several on a sunny front. Shutters suit these windows: they are made to each frame, they stand up to sun, and the louvres manage glare without hiding the tall proportions.
The cottages and shingled capes near Mount Hope Bay and the Sakonnet face a double dose, the sun overhead and its reflection off the water. Solar shades and light filtering fabrics in pale colours are a common choice, because they keep the view and age gracefully.
On College Hill and Newport’s Point, a south-facing parlour with historic sash may have fabrics and woodwork worth protecting. Lined drapes or an inside-mounted shade that can be lowered on the brightest afternoons protect the room without changing the look of the window.
Sunrooms and Rooms of Glass
A sunroom is a south-facing room taken to its limit, with glass on several sides and sometimes overhead. Here the treatment has to work hard all year. Roller shades on every window give a clean, even look and can be lowered on just the side the sun is on. Shutters on a window seat turn a glaring corner into a place to sit.
The point in any glass room is consistency. Matching the treatments across every window keeps the room calm, even when some shades are up and some are down.
Choosing the Right Mix
Most sunny rooms do best with a layer for each problem. A shade or blind close to the glass handles glare and heat through the day, and drapes at the sides add softness and a lined layer for the hottest hours. Here is how we usually think it through when we measure in your home:
- We note which way each window faces and when the room is used.
- We look at what needs protecting: floors, furniture, artwork or a view worth keeping.
- We show you fabrics and finishes in pale and neutral tones, so you can see what will age well.
- We suggest the fewest layers that solve the problems you actually have.
Bring your questions about south facing window treatments to the Swansea showroom, where you can hold samples up to real daylight, or ask us to bring samples to your home.
Treatments That Handle Strong Sun
Roller and solar shades
Glare control that keeps the view, from light filtering to solar screen.
Cellular shades
Honeycomb cells that slow summer heat as well as winter cold.
Plantation shutters
Louvres that angle the sun away from screens and floors.
Woven wood shades
Natural texture that softens bright light and suits a sunny, relaxed room.
Questions About Sunny Rooms
Will my new shades fade?
Any fabric in strong sun changes over the years. Pale colours and lined fabrics show it least, and we will point you to choices suited to a sunny window.
Is a solar shade the same as a roller shade?
A solar shade is a roller shade made with an open weave. It cuts glare and brightness while you still see out.
Do shutters hold up in full sun?
Shutters stand up well to sun, and painted finishes are a common choice for the brightest rooms.
Can I keep my view and still cut the glare?
Yes. A solar shade or angled shutter louvres reduce glare while leaving the view in sight.
What about a room that is too hot in summer?
A cellular shade or a lined drape drawn during the hottest hours slows the heat coming through the glass.
Book Your Free Quote
Use the call button to book a free quote, arrange measuring in your home or ask about installation. We will look at how the sun moves through your rooms and suggest south facing window treatments that keep them bright and comfortable. You are welcome to compare fabrics at the Swansea showroom first.