With the entrance of the horseless carriage, and the incredible ease at which production lines can be streamlined for simple production, there came a great level of innovation in many industries and categories. Among these innovations was the great improvements to the blackout roller shades used to darken rooms worldwide. As one would have seen old style roller shades used ugly plain designs, now one can select among the many options of high quality and attractive treatments using higher quality roller shade fabrics, ensuring not only a great appearance, but a long-lasting product.

The basic blackout roller shade uses a multiple-layer vinyl material which prevents light filtering into a specific room. Many new blackout roller shades also use a material which includes a fiberglass layer thus increasing the strength and dimensional stability of the shade regardless of height or width.

Top of the line roller shades include a chain/cord operated control system which facilitates the operation and widens the user's options. These controls allow the operator to raise or lower the shade to a specific point without ever having to touch the material thus keeping the shade material clean of finger prints and significantly reducing wear and tear thus prolonging the useful life of the product.

The control systems presently used in this type of roller shades include a continuous chain/cord operated geared clutch allowing the smooth and gentle raising and lowering of the shade. These chains/cords are available in many colors thus expanding the color coordination of the hardware and the shade fabric material. Chains are available in metal or plastic. It is worth mentioning that the use of plastic chains is fast becoming more popular than metal chains due to the strength superiority of the plastic chain over the metal chain. Plastic chains are generally able to withstand twice the pulling force of metal chain and are somewhat less obtrusive.

Next a blackout roller shade can be decorated by simply selecting from a range of colors that coordinates with your decor. Rather than a simple choice of one or two colors, the new collections of roller shades offer many options for blackout roller shade fabrics. The range of colors goes as far as to offer such colors as green and black, as well as the traditional white and off white. The ability to coordinate your roller shades to the remaining decor in your spaces can help them to be more attractive.

Whenever desired by the consumer, valance and fascia systems are available to enhance the decor of a specific setting. These systems hide the roller shade hardware and create a soft, aesthetically pleasing look. Although these valance and fascia systems are not necessary to the operation of the roller shade, they are fast becoming very popular. Additionally, the popularity of ?media rooms? in today's new homes, have increased the overall demand for ?complete blackout? roller shades which include, in addition to a fascia, a side and bottom rail system which blocks all light from entering a room where darkness is desired.

The appearance of a basic blackout roller shade can be significantly improved by the addition of decorative trims available in many colors and designs, deluxe bottom rails and color coordinated control chains/cords. These optional features will add a softer look and help in the overall appearance and coordination of the room being decorated.

In the end, we have come a long way from where we started. Basic, or plain roller shades, those which used a wooden slat bottom bar, and had only one color available, are no longer the norm. At this time, consumers have a wide range of options in the realm of decorative features for blackout roller shades. The collection of great colors, the new control systems, the potential for the use of a coordinated valance, as well as the sophisticated bottom bars are opening a world of decorative options for consumers.