Darker than what they appear online and definitely only for looks and modest light filtering. I would not recommend for a bedroom or bathroom for this reason. I have to pull the drapes too if the sun is shining in (the sun sets on this side of the house). When I had pleated cellular shades I didn't have to close the drapes. You have to be careful raising and lowering to keep them even. I hope the lifting mechanism lasts. These kinds of shades, with valance, can take up a lot of window and light on an inside mount, so I did an outside mount above my window frame. I'm glad I did this bc they really darken the look of the room. The colors in my photos are accurate to what I got. I hope this helps someone.