Best Window Treatments for French Doors in Oklahoma City
What You'll Learn:
- ✓ How to cover French doors without blocking handles or creating awkward clearance
- ✓ How roller, cellular, and Roman shades and blinds compare on privacy, light, and style
- ✓ Which option fits everyday door use and fall entertaining
- ✓ Why door hardware and measurements have to be checked in person
Call Edna today at 405-259-5599
for a free in-home consultation.
Staring at your French doors and wondering what on earth goes on them? You are not alone! Glass doors let in great light, but they also bring glare, fading, and a front-row seat for the neighbors. Then there are the handles, the swing, and the constant in-and-out traffic. Below we compare four options, roller shades, cellular shades, Roman shades, and blinds, so you know what to ask about. As authorized dealers of Graber® and Norman®, Shaded In The Sun measures and installs throughout Oklahoma City, Edmond, Nichols Hills, and the surrounding metro.
Roller Shades
Clean lines and the exact amount of light and privacy you want.
- • Four Opacities: Sheer, light filtering, room darkening, or blackout.
- • Lift Options: Cordless, continuous loop, or motorized.
- • Finished Top: Choose a fabric-wrapped valance or cassette for a tidy look.
Cellular Shades
Honeycomb shades that add insulation and soft, simple style.
- • Insulating Cells: Air trapped in the honeycomb adds a barrier between the glass and the room.
- • Light Control: Opacities from sheer to blackout.
- • Top-Down/Bottom-Up: Lower the shade from the top to let in light while keeping the bottom closed for privacy.
Roman Shades
Soft fabric folds that bring a drapery-like feel to a glass door.
- • Fold Styles: Flat pleats for a sleek look, or looped fabric for cascading folds.
- • Lining Options: Choose a lining to control privacy and light without changing the look.
- • Lift Options: Cordless, continuous loop, or motorized.
Blinds
Classic slats you can tilt for light and privacy.
- • Tilting Slats: Adjust the slats with a wand to balance light and privacy.
- • Cordless Lift: Cordless options are certified “Best for Kids.”
- • Faux Wood Blinds: Moisture-resistant slats in solid colors or patterns that closely mimic the grain of real wood. Learn more about faux wood blinds here.
- • Aluminum Blinds: A practical, modern-looking, moisture-resistant option for precise light control. See our custom blinds.
- • Easy Cleaning: Faux wood blinds can be cleaned with soap and water and metal blinds are very easy to clean with either regular light dusting to keep your blinds looking fresh, or you may also try to spot clean with a slightly dampened soft cloth.
How Do You Choose a Treatment That Won't Block the Handles?
This is the number one worry with French doors, and it is a smart one. A treatment that sits too close to a handle can catch it. One that hangs in the wrong spot can leave an awkward gap or move around every time the door does. The fix is not a magic product. It is checking the door itself.
The three things that matter most are handle position, how the door swings, and how much room there is around the frame. Those are different on almost every home, so we look at them in person before anything is ordered. A hanging cord or chain loop near a handle is one more thing to snag, which is why cordless and motorized lifts are worth a look.
Roller, Cellular, Roman or Blinds: How Do They Compare?
- • Privacy: Roller and cellular shades come in opacities from sheer to blackout, and Roman shades depend on the lining you choose. Blinds close their slats for privacy.
- • Light Control: Roller shades give you four opacity levels. Cellular shades add top-down/bottom-up. Blinds tilt, and Roman shades change with the lining. Not sure what each level means? See window shade opacities explained.
- • Fabric and Style: Roller shades are clean and modern. Cellular shades are simple and insulating. Roman shades are the softest look, and blinds are the classic slat style.
- • Everyday Door Use: Every option has a different profile and mounts differently, so handle clearance and door swing decide the winner. Cordless and motorized lifts also keep cords and chains away from the handles.
- • Fall Entertaining: Gatherings often run into the evening, so privacy at dusk matters. A motorized lift lets you close shades with one touch before guests arrive, and a softer Roman shade can dress up the room.
Should You Go Cordless or Motorized?
Both keep the area around your door handles clear. Cordless shades raise and lower by pulling the bottom rail or hem bar. Motorized shades are controlled with a remote or app, which is handy for a door you use all day. Motorization is available on new treatments. See our page on motorized window treatments.
What Does the In-Home Consultation Look Like?
When homeowners are choosing shades, Edna sits down with them, looks at the room, and talks through light control, privacy, and style. For French doors she also looks at the door hardware and how the doors open. From there she helps you narrow down the right treatment, fabric, opacity, and control option, with samples brought right into your home. No pressure, no obligation. It is a conversation, not a sales pitch.
What About the Rest of the Room?
French doors rarely stand alone. The windows next to them have the same sun, glare, and privacy needs. Our window shades page shows the full range. Doors that face the afternoon sun take the most heat and glare, so read Best Shades for West-Facing Windows too.
Ready to Get Your French Doors Covered the Right Way?
Get a free in-home consultation with Edna — no pressure, no obligation.
Have questions? See our comprehensive FAQ for expert answers.
Ready to cover those French doors? Call Edna at 405-259-5599
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