These curtains have a bit more grey in the background than the picture shows, but in my case, that was acceptable. The pattern seemed a little larger than I was expecting but it isn't overwhelming. The fabric has a nice hand, not stiff and rough like you might expect from a room darkening fabric. While I don't have them up permanently yet, I do have them up and they block the slight coming in on the southern exposure window significantly, plus they seem to keep the temperature down during those warm afternoons. Once I have the second set up on the west window, I'll have a complete idea of how dark and cool they keep the room. I am also hoping for a little bit of sound blocking as I live only a few blocks from a RR crossing and can hear the train whistle.