Custom roller and solar shades at Two Pages span a real range, from a $39.29 Alvin cordless that a first-time renter can actually afford, to a $200-plus Rae woven wood that anchors a living room like a piece of furniture. This hub maps the full landscape, collection by collection, so you can locate the right shade for your window without clicking through 40 product pages. We drew on the current Two Pages catalog, verified Trustpilot reviews from owners, and live cart simulations for pricing. No installation was performed by our team; every claim below is analytical.
What Roller & Solar Shades Actually Are
Here is the deal with roller shades. A single fabric panel wraps around a top-mounted tube and unrolls flat down the window, no folds, no slats. Solar shades share the same hardware. The only real difference is the fabric weave and its openness factor, the percentage of light that passes through by design.
Roller fabrics come in three flavors: light filtering (soft glow, no view, 70-85% light block), room darkening (85-95% block, some edge halo), and blackout (99-100% block with coated backer). Solar fabrics are open weaves rated 1% to 10% openness. A 3% solar shade cuts glare on a laptop screen while you still see the tree in the yard. A 100% blackout roller turns a bedroom into a movie theater at noon.
🪟 Which one blocks what
Roller (light-filtering)
70-85%
Softens light, preserves view. Living rooms, kitchens.
Solar (openness 1-10%)
UV block
Cuts glare and heat while keeping outward visibility.
Roller (blackout)
99-100%
Bedrooms, nurseries, media rooms. Side channels help.
Sounds technical. Translation: if you can still see faces on a walk-past sidewalk at 7pm, that shade is not truly private. If sunrise still wakes you at 6am with the shade down, that shade is not truly blackout. The right choice depends on what the room does, not on the fabric name printed on the tag. Certifications like OEKO-TEX Standard 100 confirm the fabrics are tested free from harmful chemicals, which matters most in nurseries and chemically sensitive households.
🧵 Fabric families in the Two Pages roller catalog
Basic (Alvin)
Polyester twill, 140 gsm. Room darkening and light filtering variants.
Boutique (Alvin)
Refined hand, blackout and room-darkening tiers, 22 colorways.
Linen blend (Alvin)
Warm slub texture, light filtering or blackout with coated backer.
Waterproof (Alvin)
Coated blackout backer rated for humidity. Bathrooms, laundries.
Motorized (Alvin)
Rechargeable Li-ion, HomeKit + Alexa + Google. Sheer, linen, boutique.
Woven wood (Rae)
Natural jute + bamboo weaves. Statement piece, from $129.98/panel.
Solar openness ratings follow industry openness-factor guidance. The lower the percentage, the more UV block and the less outward visibility. Two Pages’ solar-adjacent options live inside the Alvin Sheer and Light Filtering lines rather than as a separate “solar” collection. That is the piece most buyers do not realize until they configure. If you came looking for a 1% solar shade, the closest match in the Two Pages catalog is a light-filtering roller with a heavier weave.
Now, into the collections themselves.
Reviews & Head-to-Head Picks
Twelve roller shade collections sit inside the Two Pages catalog. Rather than force you to open all twelve, we grouped them by what they solve. For a fully ranked shortlist across use cases, see our current top roller shade picks.
Our methodology below draws from three sources: the current Two Pages catalog for specs and pricing, verified Trustpilot reviews from owners for real-world drape and durability, and live cart simulations for configured prices. No shades were physically installed by our team.
Blackout roller shades
Three collections cover the blackout spectrum: Alvin Basic Premium Blackout at from $41.39/panel, Alvin Boutique Blackout at from $49.89/panel, and Alvin Waterproof Blackout at from $41.99/panel. Basic Premium is the workhorse. Boutique is the design upgrade. Waterproof is the bathroom and covered-patio answer. The most-asked question we get is Boutique vs Basic Premium: our full Boutique vs Basic Premium blackout comparison settles it, and the short version is that Boutique earns its $8-per-panel premium when the shade lives at eye level in a public room.
Review · Entry-tier · From $39.29/panel
Alvin Basic Room Darkening Cordless Roller Shades
The most-configured Two Pages roller by volume: 14 solid colorways, 85% light reduction, cordless spring lift compliant with the current CPSC cordless window covering safety rule, and a 140 gsm polyester twill that resists dust well for a synthetic. It is the shade we would recommend a renter buying their first custom set.
Trustpilot reviewers flag consistent tension over time and clean roll-up. The tradeoff: it is room-darkening, not true blackout, so a bright east-facing bedroom will still see amber light at sunrise.
🪟 Best entry-point
Alvin Basic Room Darkening Cordless Roller Shades
14 solid colors, 85% light reduction, cordless safety lift, custom sizes to 96″ wide. From $39.29/panel. Final price depends on size and options.
JULY saves 20% sitewide. Free shipping over $300.
Boutique tier
The Boutique line runs slightly heavier, with a more textured fabric hand and a color palette skewed toward warm neutrals. It is what you order when the shade lives above a sofa in daylight, not just behind a headboard at night. Alvin Boutique Blackout comes in 22 refined colorways, from Boutique Shell to Boutique Mudstone. Alvin Boutique Room Darkening covers the same aesthetic without the coated backer, from $43.79/panel.
Review · Mid-tier · From $49.89/panel
Alvin Boutique Blackout Cordless Roller Shades
Boutique blackout is where the catalog starts to feel considered. The fabric hand is denser than Basic Premium, the roll edges land cleaner against the tube, and the 22-color palette gives a genuine design lever. 99% blackout, cordless spring, custom sizes to 96 inches.
If it were my room and the shade sat above a headboard I actually look at from bed, I would spec Boutique over Basic Premium. In a utility bedroom, that $8 premium is not doing much.
Light filtering & solar
For living rooms, kitchens, and any room where you keep the shade down during the day, light filtering is the default. Alvin Light Filtering Cordless at from $41.99/panel uses a twill or plain weave that softens direct sun without cutting the view entirely. The 1% plain and 1% twill variants function as low-openness solar shades in practice, with a slight tint.
☀️ Solar openness at a glance
1%
Max privacy, minimal view
3%
Sweet spot for glare on screens
5%
Balanced view + UV cut
10%
Best outward view, least block
Waterproof & outdoor
The Alvin Waterproof Blackout Cordless collection is the only roller in the Two Pages catalog rated for high-humidity rooms. The coated backer resists mildew, which standard blackout fabrics do not. This is the correct pick for bathrooms, laundry rooms, and screened porches. Configure it via the Alvin Waterproof Blackout page if that is your use case.
Review · Wet-zone · From $41.99/panel
Alvin Waterproof Blackout Cordless Roller Shades
The waterproof coating adds durability without changing the sightline. From the front it looks like a matte blackout roller. The difference shows up after two years in a steamy bathroom, when the standard blackout would spot and this one still rolls clean.
One caveat honest reviewers repeat: this is not a rated outdoor shade for direct rain. Covered porches yes, exposed decks no.
Natural fiber: Rae Woven Wood
Woven wood shades are their own aesthetic category. The Rae Natural Jute Woven Wood Cordless line uses jute, bamboo, and reed weaves at from $129.98/panel, roughly three times the entry Alvin. What you buy is texture. In a room with mostly painted walls and neutral upholstery, a woven wood shade does the work of a piece of art. Full stop.
Review · Premium natural · From $129.98/panel
Rae Natural Jute Woven Wood Roller Shades Cordless
Jute and bamboo weaves in 14 natural tones from H012 snowy white to H030 paper dark brown. The weave openness lets warm light through with a honeyed cast, which is why designers keep specifying Rae in earthy living rooms. Cordless standard, matching liners optional if you need privacy at night.
Between us: order swatches first. The tonal difference between two adjacent natural weaves is real, and the photo does not capture it.
Head-to-Head Comparisons
Two comparisons come up repeatedly in owner questions. The first is Boutique Blackout vs Basic Premium Blackout, both blackout, both cordless, $8 apart. The second is cordless vs motorized, both technically hands-free, several hundred dollars apart across a house.
🪟 Boutique Blackout vs Basic Premium Blackout at a glance
Alvin Boutique Blackout
From $49.89/panel
✓ 22 refined colorways
✓ Textured hand, catches daylight
✓ Rooms where the shade is visible
Alvin Basic Premium Blackout
From $41.39/panel
✓ 18 solid colorways
✓ Smoother flat fabric
✓ Utility bedrooms, offices, closets
The way I would think about it: if the shade lives behind a curtain rod and you almost never see the fabric, Basic Premium. If the shade lives naked against a painted wall in a public room, Boutique. Coming back to the original question, that $8 delta is real over ten windows. It buys texture, not blackout.
🧵 Shading rate cheat sheet
85%
Room darkening. Amber halo at sunrise.
95%
Deep dim. Movie-quality with lights off.
99%
True blackout. Faint edge halo.
100%
Total block with side channels or outside mount.
How-To Guides
Two skills matter with custom roller shades: measuring right the first time, and installing without cracking the drywall. Made-to-order shades are non-returnable, which raises the stakes on the first one. The install itself is honestly simple once you know inside mount from outside mount and can hold a level.
Roller Shade Buying Guide
Fabric families, mount types, lift options, sizing traps. The 12-minute read before you configure.
Most first-timers underestimate one thing: inside mount requires a minimum recessed frame depth (usually 2 inches for a standard tube, 3 inches for a fascia or valance). If your window frame is shallow, outside mount is the honest answer, not a compromise. Outside mount also gives you the 3-inch overhang that closes the light halo on blackout shades.
How to Install Roller Shades (Inside & Outside Mount)
Step-by-step from bracket placement to leveling the tube. Under 20 minutes per window if you follow the sequence.
Bracket placement is where installs go sideways. If the shade is inside mount, brackets sit flush against the window frame face. If outside mount, brackets sit on the wall above the frame with the tube centered on the opening. Do not screw first, measure and pencil first.
Interactive Calculators
The single biggest cost of a made-to-order shade is ordering the wrong dimensions. Inside mount, subtract 0.25 inch from the actual opening for clearance. Outside mount, add 3 inches per side plus 4 inches at the top. Get the math wrong and you own a $150 shade that does not fit. A calculator that returns the exact figures for both mount types is worth the two minutes.
Roller Shade Size Calculator
Enter your window opening. We return exact ordering width, drop, and overhang for inside or outside mount.
If you are ordering a wall of three shades, the math compounds. A quarter-inch off on each shade adds visible unevenness across the wall.
Motorization: Cordless, Corded, Smart
Real talk on cords. The CPSC cordless window covering safety rule under 16 CFR § 1260 made stock corded shades a non-option for stock retail as of 2022. Two Pages custom cordless roller shades use a spring-loaded lift compliant with the rule. Above 96 inches wide, spring tension gets uneven, and motorized becomes the safer, smoother answer.
✨ Cordless vs motorized at a glance
Cordless (spring lift)
✓ Zero premium, safe by default
✓ Ideal up to 96 inches wide
✗ Manual reach required
Motorized (Li-ion)
✓ HomeKit, Alexa, Google
✓ Widths to 120 inches, quiet motor
✗ Roughly $50-100 uplift per shade
If you have a tall stairwell window or a bank of three living-room windows, motorized pays back in years, not dollars. If you have four bedroom windows a family opens twice a day, cordless is enough.
🪟 Bedroom & nursery pick
Alvin Boutique Blackout Cordless Roller Shades
99% blackout, boutique-grade fabric hand, 22 refined colorways, cordless. From $49.89/panel. Configurator prices depend on width, drop, and mount type.
Code JULY at checkout applies 20% off.
Pricing & Two Pages Configurator
Roller shade pricing at Two Pages scales with three levers: width, drop, and options (fascia, side channels, motorization). The base per-panel figure listed on each collection page is the smallest configuration. Every quoted price below comes from a live cart simulation, not a marketing sheet.
💰 Pricing by configuration (cart simulation)
30 × 48 Basic Room Darkening
~$52
36 × 72 Basic Premium Blackout + valance
~$88
48 × 84 Waterproof, outside mount
~$115
60 × 96 Motorized Sheer
~$208
36 × 72 Rae Woven Wood cordless
~$156
Every one of those figures drops 20% with code JULY at checkout, and orders over $300 ship free. Configure a full house of five to six shades and the JULY code alone typically pays for the swatch order that preceded it.
Order free swatches before committing
Rae Natural Jute Woven Wood swatches (H012 snowy white, H030 paper dark brown, plus 12 more natural weaves) ship free. See the actual weave, tone, and light-through before configuring your shade.
Style & Inspiration (Room by Room)
Picture the moment you walk into a room at 3pm on a Saturday. That is where a shade earns its price. A bedroom with the wrong roller reads utilitarian. A living room with the right one reads considered. Each room has a default that works.
🎨 Room-fit mood board
Bedroom
Boutique Blackout, outside mount, 99% block.
Living room
Rae Woven Wood or Linen Blend light filtering.
Bathroom
Alvin Waterproof Blackout only.
Home office
Motorized Sheer or 3% solar for screen glare.
Nursery
Boutique Blackout, side channels, cordless.
Anyone who has bought the wrong drapes knows the feeling of $400 hanging in the wrong texture. The room fit above is not a rule, it is a starting point. Real projects flex the defaults, but they rarely violate them.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between roller shades and solar shades?
Roller shades and solar shades share the same hardware, a top-mounted tube with a fabric that unrolls down. The difference is the fabric. Roller shades use opaque or semi-opaque woven or vinyl fabric that filters or blocks light. Solar shades use a mesh weave with a defined openness factor between 1% and 10% that cuts UV, glare, and heat while keeping outward visibility.
If you want to preserve a view during the day but knock down glare on a screen, a 3% or 5% openness solar shade is the right call. If you want privacy or full room darkening, choose a roller shade at 85% (room-darkening) or 99-100% (blackout).
Are cordless roller shades better than corded ones?
For any home with children or pets, yes, and it is now a legal requirement for stock window coverings in the US under the CPSC 16 CFR § 1260 rule. Two Pages custom cordless roller shades use a spring-loaded lift compliant with the rule.
The tradeoff is that spring lifts have a maximum tension by width, so if you are ordering shades wider than 96 inches, motorized is often the safer and smoother option. For standard bedroom or living-room widths, cordless is the default.
How much do custom roller shades cost at Two Pages?
Entry-level Alvin Basic Room Darkening cordless start at from $39.29/panel. A configured 30×48 shade lands around $52, a 36×72 in Basic Premium Blackout runs around $88, and a motorized sheer at 60×96 sits around $208. Natural-fiber Rae woven wood cordless are the premium tier at from $129.98/panel and around $156 for a 36×72.
Every configuration is priced live in the Two Pages configurator, with the JULY code applying 20% off sitewide and free shipping above $300.
Are blackout roller shades really 100% blackout?
The fabric itself blocks 99-100% of light on Two Pages’ blackout collections (Alvin Basic Premium Blackout, Alvin Boutique Blackout, Alvin Waterproof Blackout). Real-world darkness depends on the gap between the shade edge and the window frame. A standard inside-mount blackout roller leaves a thin light halo at the sides.
To reach true blackout, you either add side channels (available as an accessory) or spec an outside mount that overlaps the frame by 3 inches on each side. Owner feedback on Trustpilot consistently reports that outside-mount blackout rollers deliver near-perfect darkness at dawn.
What is the lead time on custom Two Pages roller shades?
Two Pages quotes 10-12 business days for made-to-order roller shades across Alvin and Rae collections. Motorized shades sometimes add 2-3 days for hardware pairing. Verified reviewers report the quoted range holds for standard orders.
If you have a firm date (nursery reveal, house closing, holiday), order swatches first, then shades at least three weeks ahead. Made-to-order shades are non-returnable, so the measurement step matters more than the delivery clock.
Can roller shades work outdoors or in bathrooms?
Yes, but only the waterproof line. The Alvin Waterproof Blackout Cordless Roller Shades use a coated backing rated for high-humidity environments. That makes them the right choice for bathrooms, laundries, covered patios, and screened porches.
Standard roller-shade fabrics absorb moisture and can develop mildew in humid rooms, so do not substitute a standard blackout roller in a bathroom. For true exposed outdoor mount, most Two Pages roller shades still require a covered overhang; the collection is not rated for direct rain or continuous UV exposure like a patio-specific weave.
Are Two Pages roller shades OEKO-TEX certified?
The Alvin polyester and linen-blend fabrics used in the roller shade catalog carry OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certification, which confirms they are tested free from harmful chemicals. The natural-fiber Rae Woven Wood collection is made from responsibly sourced jute and bamboo without added flame retardants.
If certifications are a priority for a nursery or a chemically sensitive household, filter to Alvin Basic Room Darkening, Alvin Boutique Blackout, and Rae Natural Jute; product pages list the current cert on file.
How We Built This Hub + Editorial Team
This hub is not a Spec-Checked install log. Every claim above draws from three sources: the current Two Pages catalog for specs, SKUs, and pricing; verified Trustpilot reviews from actual owners for drape, durability, and lead-time honesty; and live cart simulations for the five configured price points listed in the pricing section. Photos are Two Pages’ own catalog imagery.
💼 How this guide was built
Catalog analysis
12 roller collections, full spec pull, current as of Q3 2026.
Verified reviews
Trustpilot verified buyer photos and durability notes.
Live cart simulation
Five configurations quoted directly from the Two Pages configurator.
Edited by Iris Vandeleur, Shades Editor. See the full methodology.
Two Pages is the primary source for every product mentioned in this hub. We link to their product pages using an affiliate tracking parameter, which pays us a small commission if you configure and buy. That commission does not change what we recommend, and the honest read on which collection fits which room is the same whether you buy through our link, direct from Two Pages, or not at all. Don’t overthink it, order swatches first, measure twice, then configure.
✨ Smart-home top pick
Alvin Motorized Sheer Roller Shade
Rechargeable Li-ion motor, HomeKit / Alexa / Google compatible, quiet operation, day-privacy sheer weave. From $43.79/panel. Custom widths to 120″.
Use JULY for 20% off. Free shipping over $300.
