This is a guide to help you test our fabric samples in your own home.
When testing your fabric samples, place them directly up against the window panes, wall, or blinds, exactly how the window treatment you plan on purchasing will hang.
It’s best to test your fabric sample 4 times to see how it will behave against light:
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- In the morning, when fabrics tend to have a bluish tint;
- Slightly after noon, when fabrics tend to be true to color;
- Before sunset, when fabrics tend to have a reddish tint;
- After dark, to see how the ambient lighting in your room will reflect the light.
It isn’t uncommon for fabrics to appear to have a yellow tint inside a home due to soft ambient lighting. If you’d like your fabric to be true to color, we recommend swapping out your soft light incandescent light bulbs for CFL fluorescent light bulbs, or exchanging natural and yellow lampshades for white lampshades.
Fabrics will also reflect your wall color to some minor extent, especially in small spaces. Warm wall paint reflects red and yellow around a room, while cool wall paint reflects blue and white around a room.
Don’t forget that linings are also part of the testing process.
If you forgot to purchase lining samples, use the following alternative solution*:
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- For thermal suede lining, place 1 sheet of standard white copy paper behind your fabric sample.
- For cotton sateen lining, place 2 sheets of standard white copy paper behind your fabric sample.
- For thermal suede/cotton sateen lining with flannel interlining, place 2-3 sheets of standard white copy paper behind your fabric sample.
- For blackout lining, place the palm of your hand behind your fabric sample.
*These are just approximations. We still recommend purchasing lining samples if in doubt. Not all linings are available on all products – see product page to see how your window treatment will be lined.