i bought these shades in white and even though it is a light color you can actually see the room being much darker. The magnets are really convenient, so you don't have to deal with tangled strings or the shade being sideways. The assembly was easy. We mounted these outside the window frames, just attached to the wall; the whole shade is properly secured and does not move at all. I highly recommend this if you are looking for room darkening without  sacrificing style.