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Open Monday to Saturday
1703 West 4th Ave, Vancouver
A Practical Solution for Hard-to-Reach Skylights
At Fresh Design, we offer skylight blinds that are framed honeycomb shades designed to stay securely in place on ceilings and angled windows.
Hunter Douglas Duette® shades are the best option because skylights can create significant heat. The right honeycomb construction helps insulate the glass while still giving you control over the light.
Excellent Service
Very professional and attentive to detail. Excellent service. They went out of their way to make sure I was satisfied with the design and installation of my blinds. Worked with me every step of the way.
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-Murphy Berzish, Vancouver
Great Job, Quick Install
Thank you, Fresh Design! I’m so happy with my new blinds. From the beginning of the process to the end of the installation done by Logan & Ayden, they did a great job: quick install, kept everything clean and helped me with the Powerview app install. Thanks, guys!
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-Racquel Ng, Vancouver
Excellent Job
Their technician, Logan, did an excellent job installing solar-powered Hunter Douglas blinds for our 30ft skylight. We are happy with the quality of service and support.
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-Kitoshi Charlton, Vancouver
Understand Your Skylight Blind Options Before You Buy
Skylight blinds have more limitations than standard window blinds.
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The fabric remains over the skylight at all times, so the glass cannot be left completely uncovered. This is based on Canada's blinds regulations.
You can combine sheer and light-filtering fabric or sheer and room-darkening fabric on your skylight. Both options look beautiful and allow you to filter light at the desired level.
For most projects, heat that enters the space from the skylight is a major consideration. If that’s the case, we recommend Hunter Douglas Duette Architella, which provides up to 80% heat reduction.
Hunter Douglas Blinds for Skylights
Hunter Douglas skylight blinds use a framed honeycomb system that can be installed horizontally or at an angle.
The frame and guide strings hold the fabric taut, so your window treatments won’t sag.
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For kitchens and living spaces, a ClearView sheer paired with a light-filtering fabric is often the best choice because it softens bright overhead light while still reducing heat.
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For bedrooms, pairing a room-darkening blind with a sheer gives you a cozy feeling at night while allowing bright filtered light to flow through during the day.
Vancouver’s Best Source for Premium Skylight Blinds
Fresh Design can help guide you through the process of getting skylight blinds.
Our team will measure the skylight, determine how many blinds are needed for larger openings, and help you choose the right fabric and operating system for your space.
Because skylights are often difficult to reach, we also discuss battery access and ongoing maintenance before installation so you know exactly what to expect.
Skylight blinds have more limitations than regular blinds, so it’s important to speak with an expert and select the right option for your window.
SKYLIGHT PROJECT
Elegant Skylight Blinds for a Modern Kitchen
Problem:
This kitchen was designed with an all-glass ceiling to let light into the space, creating a bright, open look. However, without blinds, the kitchen will be extremely hot and bright.
Design Solution:
The solution was to use eight skylight blinds to cover the glass ceiling. The blinds were planned into the design and hardwired so that the homeowner could operate the blinds with a remote control or use automation to have them open and close based on the time of day.
Product:
We used multiple skylight blinds, pairing ClearView sheers with a light-filtering fabric that could be moved over the skylights when the kitchen was getting too hot or bright.
Result/Purpose:
The ClearView sheers provide soft natural light with the ability to still see through the skylights, while the light-filtering fabric reduces heat entering the space through the windows and decreases brightness further.
MULTIPLE SKYLIGHT BLINDS FOR A KITCHEN CEILING
SKYLIGHT BLINDS IN A BEDROOM PROJECT
Benefits of Skylight Blinds
Skylight blinds help you achieve light filtering or room darkening as well as reducing the amount of heat entering your space through the skylights.
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Heat Reduction: Duette Architella honeycomb shades provide strong insulation for skylights, helping reduce the heat that can build up under large areas of overhead glass.
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Softer Natural Light: Sheer and light-filtering fabrics reduce harsh top-down sunlight and create a softer, more comfortable glow in kitchens and living spaces.
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Room Darkening: A room-darkening fabric can block overhead light in bedrooms, including skylights positioned directly above the bed.
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Secure Fabric: The shade is held inside a frame and guided by strings, keeping the fabric taut instead of allowing it to sag on angled or horizontal glass.
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Motorized Control: PowerView® motorization makes high and hard-to-reach skylights practical to operate without manually reaching the blind each day.
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Solutions for Large Skylights: Oversized skylight areas can often be divided into several framed blinds installed side by side.
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Flexible Fabric Choices: Depending on your needs, you can choose a sheer with light filtering for heat and daylight control or pair a sheer with room darkening where darkness matters more.
Where Can You Use Custom Skylight Blinds?
Kitchens
Skylights over kitchens can bring in intense light and heat, especially when several panes of glass cover the ceiling. A sheer and light-filtering combination keeps useful daylight while reducing glare and excess heat.
Bedrooms
A skylight above a bed can make a bedroom very bright early in the morning. A room-darkening skylight blind gives you much better control over overhead light when you want to sleep.
Angled Window Walls
Skylight blinds can also be used on angled windows that are not directly overhead. The framed system supports the fabric at an angle and keeps it taut.
Offices and Large Glass Ceilings
Large skylight installations can work well in offices and other commercial spaces where overhead glass creates heat or glare. Where one blind cannot cover the full opening, several framed shades can often be installed side by side.
Visit Fresh Design Blinds on West 4th Ave
Why visit the showroom?
When you visit us in-person you'll have a chance to see the wide range of blinds and pick the perfect window treatments for your home. With over 150 colour choices and fabrics, it's helpful to see all your options in person.
Your needs and how you interact with your space is personal.
Each blinds system comes with different lifting and light filtering options. You can try out each system at our showroom and speak with a design consultant about your space.
Address
1703 West 4th Ave,
Vancouver, BC
V6J 1M2
Opening Hours
Common Questions about Skylight Blinds
What are skylight blinds?
Skylight blinds are framed honeycomb shades designed for horizontal and angled windows. The frame and guide strings keep the shade supported against gravity. Fresh Design primarily recommends Hunter Douglas Duette Architella shades for skylights because heat control is usually the main concern.
How much do premium skylight blinds cost?
Pricing depends on the skylight size, fabric, motorization, and whether the opening requires multiple blinds. Large skylight projects can vary considerably, so Fresh Design measures the space and prepares a custom quote rather than using a standard per-blind price.
Can skylight blinds be completely opened so I can see bare glass?
No. With this system, one of the fabrics always covers the skylight. You can choose a transparent sheer such as ClearView to maintain light and visibility, but the glass itself will not be completely exposed. HunterDouglas ClearView sheers allow for maximum visibility. You’ll be able to see the view through the sheers while still filtering light.
How often do motorized skylight blind batteries need to be charged?
We advise homeowners to plan on accessing a rechargeable battery roughly once a year.
If the skylight requires a ladder and you cannot safely reach it yourself, you may need to budget for a service visit to remove and recharge the battery.
Do skylight blinds have to be motorized?
Most high skylights are motorized because they are difficult to reach.
A manual crank-operated version is available for reachable windows, such as an angled skylight in a sloped-ceiling bedroom, but motorization is much more practical for typical ceiling installations.
Can skylight blinds be hardwired instead of using rechargeable batteries?
Skylight blinds can potentially be hardwired, but doing so usually requires electrical work and can be much more involved in an existing home.
We’ll discuss both options with you so you can compare the cost of upfront electrical work with the annual access required for rechargeable batteries.
What are the main downsides of skylight blinds?
The biggest limitation is that you cannot completely uncover the skylight glass.
One fabric remains across the opening at all times; however, when you opt for ClearView sheers, you’ll be able to see right through the sheer textile to see the view.
High skylights will also require annual battery charging unless you have them hardwired.
Very large openings may require several blinds to cover all the windows.
In addition, skylights with crank hardware that interferes with the frame cannot be covered.
Why do skylight blinds have child-safety restrictions if children cannot reach them?
Health Canada’s blind safety rules apply to the window treatment even when it is installed on a ceiling.
One of Health Canada’s safety guidelines for blinds is that exposed operating cords/strings are not permitted. This holds true even if a window is hard to reach.
Skylight systems still need to comply with the same cordless safety requirements.
However, we find that the transparent sheer creates a clean and cohesive look that is preferable to the look of a naked skylight.
With ClearView fabric, you get a sharp view outside while still benefiting from the UV filtering properties of the textile.
In addition, the sheer fabric filters the harsh top-down light from your skylight, preventing glare, which is particularly noticeable in spaces with hard surfaces like kitchens and bathrooms.
Light becomes more flattering when filtered, particularly top-down light, which is innately harsh.
We find our skylight blind clients are pleased with the final look and feel of their space after installing these blinds.
Will the fabric sag on a ceiling or angled skylight?
No. The fabric sits inside a frame and is guided on strings, which keeps it taut even when the blind is horizontal or installed at an angle. There will be no sagging when you use Hunter Douglas blinds on your skylight.
Can you cover very large skylights?
Yes, skylight blinds can cover very large windows, but there are maximum sizes for an individual blind. For large skylights or entire ceilings of glass, we will often divide the opening into sections and install several framed blinds side by side, which creates a beautiful cohesive look.
Can I get blackout skylight blinds for a bedroom?
Yes. Room-darkening fabric is especially useful for skylights above beds, where early morning light can wake you up well before you’re ready to take on the day.
For bedrooms, you can choose a sheer and room-darkening configuration so you have different light levels throughout the day.
Can skylight blinds go on angled windows?
Yes. The framed skylight system can be installed on different angles, including sloped window walls. The frame and guide system support the shade so the fabric stays in position instead of hanging freely.
Can you put blinds over skylights that open?
No, you cannot put blinds over a skylight that opens if the skylight's opening mechanism or crank handle interferes with the blind.
How long are Hunter Douglas skylight blinds covered under warranty?
Hunter Douglas motorization carries a five-year warranty; the operational cords have a 7-year warranty, while the fabric has a limited lifetime warranty for as long as the original owner has the product.
Fresh Design can also help clients locally if warranty service is ever required.