What’s the Right Way to Hang Roller Shades?
The most common option is the standard roll, shown here, in which the fabric rolls back, close to the window glass. “Having it as close to the glass as possible blocks the most amount of light and affords the most privacy,” says Josh Gaudet, a design consultant with Blinds.com.
The downside for a standard roll, says Gaudet, is that the roll and hardware show — a look some people don’t like.
A reverse roll means the fabric comes over the front of the roller, as shown here. You don’t see the fabric on the tube, so this creates a more finished look without the need for a valance.
Reverse rolls are also used for shades that have two different colors on each side of the fabric, says Kimi Brown of Manhattan Shade & Glass. This is the case, for example, with blackout shades that have white on one side and color on the other. For one of these blackout shades, hanging the roller standard would mean that the roller would show all white while the part of the shade that hangs down would be black.
A valance could conceal this, but again it’s an added cost and might look too fussy in a minimalist setting.