How should I judge a fabric from a small sample?
Look at it in the room where the blind will hang, at different times of day, and against the real wall and window. A sample is a few centimetres of fabric, and a finished blind is a large flat surface, so the same cloth can look different. Seeing it in your own light for a day or two is a lovely, reliable way to get a feel for it.
How a small sample can look different
- Size. Colours look stronger or paler across a whole window than in a small square.
- Light. A shop light, a phone screen and your living room all show colour differently. North-facing rooms tend to look cooler and south-facing rooms warmer.
- Texture. A weave or a coating shows more on a large surface, and a sample may be cut from a flat area.
- Hang. Fabric on a card does not show how it falls, folds or pleats in the blind you choose.
Step by step
1. Test it where it will hang
Hold or tape the sample to the window frame or the wall at the position the blind will sit. Step back across the room and look at it from where you usually sit or stand.
2. Look at it in the morning, afternoon and evening
Daylight changes constantly. A fabric that looks warm and creamy in the morning can look grey late in the day. If you can, repeat the check on a bright day and a dull one.
3. Look at it with the lights on
Evening is often when a blind is most noticed. Check how it looks with your usual lamps and ceiling lights on, and whether you can see through it. Many customers are surprised by how much shows through a pale fabric once it is dark outside.
4. Hold it up to the window
Put the sample between you and the light. This shows how much light it lets through, which matters for privacy and for blackout or filtering. Remember that a sample shows what the cloth does, not how much light will get in at the edges once the blind is fitted.
5. Put it beside what is already there
Place it next to your walls, curtains, flooring, woodwork and sofa. If you have a window frame in white, grey or wood, hold the sample against it, because contrast changes how a colour appears. See our guide to picking a blind colour for more thoughts on this.
6. Touch it and test it
Feel the thickness and stiffness. If it is for a kitchen or bathroom, ask how it should be cleaned. Go gently with the sample: it is best not to rub or wet it unless the maker says that is fine, as it may be the only piece you have.
Questions to ask about the sample
- Does the finished blind use the same side of the fabric as the sample shows?
- Is the colour consistent from one batch to another? Small variations can happen between production runs.
- Is it blackout, light-filtering or somewhere in between?
- Does it suit the blind style, such as a roller, a Roman or a vertical?
- What are the care instructions?
Decide with more than one sample
It helps to compare two or three fabrics side by side rather than one on its own. When you compare, you notice differences you might otherwise miss. Keep the samples together and look again a day later. A second look can be reassuring.
If you're browsing before you order, you can see ranges on our Decora fabrics and Louvolite fabrics pages, and our colours and fabrics page gives a wider overview. Pictures on a screen are only a guide, because screens vary in how they show colour.
Think about the practical side
Colour is only part of the choice. Think about whether the room needs privacy, whether sunlight might fade a colour over time, whether children or pets will touch it, and how easily it can be wiped. A fabric that is easy to keep clean will go on pleasing you for longer.
Next step
If you would like to talk through fabrics at your own window with someone who can answer questions, book a free measure and we can talk through the options there.
