Shade Fabrics
The fabric is the shade. Exotic Shades & Draperies specifies its solar and light-filtering screens from two American mills - Mermet in Cowpens, South Carolina and Phifer in Tuscaloosa, Alabama - in their best grades only, and fabricates them in Fort Lauderdale for Lutron, Somfy and manual shades from Miami Beach to Palm Beach.
Woven in the USA. Specified by the numbers.
Two roller shades can look identical on install day and age completely differently. The motor is rarely the reason; the fabric is. So we made a rule before we made a single shade: the screen comes from a mill that publishes its numbers, and we specify the best grade that mill makes.
For solar and light-filtering screens that means two mills. Mermet USA weaves E Screen, M Screen, T Screen, Satiné and the GreenScreen lines in Cowpens, South Carolina, and lists them as Made in USA. Phifer has woven in Tuscaloosa, Alabama since 1952, and the majority of its SheerWeave roller-shade fabrics still come off the looms there. We now source both mills directly and keep them in stock, which is why the same fabric can go on a Lutron motor, a Somfy motor or a manual chain, and why it is ready to cut when the measurements are, not weeks later.
What we will not put in a quote: anonymous "5% solar screen, charcoal" with no mill name, no spec sheet and no warranty behind it. Read why in our note on what no-name screen costs you.
Two American mills, one standard
Mermet · Cowpens, South Carolina
Vinyl-coated fiberglass solar screens woven in South Carolina for more than 20 years. E Screen is the reference screen on South Florida glass; M Screen and T Screen give a quieter palette and a twill hand; Satiné covers light-filtering and blackout; GreenScreen Evolve is the sustainable line; KOOLBLACK is the dark weave that reflects infrared heat. GREENGUARD Gold, and Build America, Buy America compliant for public and commercial work. Mermet fabrics
Phifer SheerWeave · Tuscaloosa, Alabama
An American mill since 1952. SheerWeave brings the textured looks and the PVC-free styles of the 7000 and 8000 series, Microban antimicrobial protection that matters a block from the water, lead-free construction, GREENGUARD certification and a 10-year interior limited warranty. Phifer fabrics
Six things the fabric must prove before we quote it
A fiberglass core that stays flat
Both mills weave on a fiberglass yarn, which does not stretch in heat or humidity. That is why a 10-foot-wide shade hangs flat in year five instead of waving at the hembar. Polyester-core screen is the usual reason a shade curls.
An openness that is true
1%, 3%, 5% or 10%, woven to tolerance and published, so the glare and heat you were promised are the glare and heat you get. We have measured unbranded "3%" that behaved like 5%.
Published figures for every colour
UV blockage, solar transmittance and visible light per colourway. We use those numbers to specify a west-facing Fort Lauderdale living room differently from a north-facing Miami Beach bedroom. See openness explained.
Certifications in writing
GREENGUARD Gold for low chemical emissions and NFPA 701 flame-retardant listings on the screens we specify, which high-rise associations and every commercial job ask for. Mermet USA also lists its Cowpens lines as Build America, Buy America compliant.
Widths without a seam
E Screen, M Screen and T Screen weave to 120 inches, so a wide slider or a wall of glass gets one clean panel. Where a run is wider than the goods, we split at the mullion, never in the middle of the view.
Colour that can be matched later
Controlled dye lots and colourfast coatings mean the guest-room shade you add in three years matches the rest of the house, and a manufacturer warranty stands behind the roll.
Every colourway, with its spec sheet
The pages below carry every colourway with its swatch and published figures. They sit in our Lutron library because Lutron carries these mills too; with direct supply, the same weaves are available on Somfy and manual shades. The wider Mermet and Phifer ranges - Natté, S Screen and the SheerWeave 5000 textures among them - are available by request.
The same fabrics, on the water
Turnberry Ocean Club, Sunny Isles Beach
Mermet E Screen 5% White/Linen on Lutron Sivoia QS rollers, ocean and Intracoastal exposures, the view kept through the glare.
Salato, Pompano Beach
E Screen 3% where the neighbouring building hits the dining glass, 5% on the ocean side, one White/White fabric throughout three residences.
Ritz-Carlton Residences, Sunny Isles Beach
Lutron Sivoia QS solar shades in Mermet T Screen 3% White, the twill hand that reads as textile rather than screen.
Bay Drive, Pompano Beach
Phifer SheerWeave 4000 Eco 5% in Alabaster across five sliders, the horizon still reading through the weave.
Sources: Mermet USA, Made in the USA and Our Story; Phifer, SheerWeave Interior and Company Info. Retrieved September 2026.
Frequently asked
Are your shade fabrics made in the USA?
The solar and light-filtering screens we specify first are woven in the USA. Mermet USA lists E Screen, M Screen, T Screen, S Screen, Natté, Satiné and the GreenScreen Evolve and Revive lines, KOOLBLACK included, as Made in USA, woven in Cowpens, South Carolina. Phifer weaves the majority of its SheerWeave roller-shade fabrics in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and we confirm the origin of a specific style on request. The shade itself is fabricated in our Fort Lauderdale workroom; the motors and hardware come from Lutron, Somfy and other specialist makers, which is why we say fabric woven in the USA rather than a made-in-USA shade.
What does best grade mean in practice?
A fiberglass-core weave that stays flat on wide glass, an openness woven to tolerance, a published spec sheet with UV, heat and light figures for every colour, GREENGUARD Gold and NFPA 701 listings, controlled dye lots and a manufacturer warranty. If a fabric cannot show those, we do not quote it.
Can I have Mermet or Phifer fabric on a Somfy or manual shade?
Yes. We source both mills directly, so the same E Screen or SheerWeave goes on a Lutron motor, a Somfy motor, our Essential tier or a manual chain. The fabric is chosen for the window and its exposure; the control system is chosen for the home.
Is the fabric in stock?
Yes. The Mermet and Phifer ranges we specify are stocked through our distributor rather than made to order at the mill for each job, so the roll is on hand when your measurements are and the shade goes into fabrication without waiting on a mill run. Special colours outside the stocked range are ordered in.
Do you still offer the full Lutron fabric library?
Yes, all 921 colourways, and many of its solar screens are Mermet and Phifer weaves. The library is the right place to browse colours and read the published figures; the mill pages explain where each fabric is made and why we specify it.
Which openness should I choose?
3% is the usual balance of view, glare and UV for South Florida living areas; 1% for hard west and south exposures; 5% and 10% where the view matters most. Dark colours see out more clearly, light colours reflect more heat. We bring the swatches so you judge in your own light - see openness explained.
Can I see and feel the fabric before ordering?
Always. We keep the Mermet and Phifer books in both showrooms and bring memo samples to the consultation. Designers and architects can request a curated sample kit through our trade program.
Discerning homeowners, designers, and developers across South Florida trust Exotic with their most important spaces.
"I'm really happy with my new curtains! The team came to my place, helped me choose the right fabric, and guided me through the whole process. Great service and beautiful results. Highly recommend, A+."
"We were referred to Exotic Shades by our contractor. They understood exactly what we had in mind and delivered it. The whole process was simple, and the pricing was very good."
"I needed help adjusting the existing Lutron shades in my new home. Most companies would not touch a system installed by someone else, but Exotic sent a technician the same week."
Control systems these shades answer to
Every motorized system we install runs from a remote, an app or the home's control system. Which one depends on the motor family, so we settle it before the shade is made.
Lutron
Sivoia QS, Triathlon, Serena and Palladiom shades: Pico remotes and the Lutron app, with native integration to Crestron, Control4, Savant, Apple Home, Amazon Alexa and Google Home through Caseta, RadioRA 3 or HomeWorks. Lutron motorized shades.
Somfy
Sonesse, Glydea and WireFree motors on Somfy RTS or Zigbee: Telis and Situo remotes, the TaHoma app for scenes and schedules, Amazon Alexa and Google Home through TaHoma, and Control4, Crestron and Savant through the TaHoma integration. Somfy motorization.
Crestron
Crestron shade motors and drapery tracks commissioned into the home's Crestron processor and keypads with your integrator, with the fabric, hems and hembars still made in our workroom. Crestron shades.
Start with the fabric
One free hour with our team routinely saves owners thousands in avoidable mistakes - wrong fabrics, bad mounts, missed motorization. We bring the Mermet and Phifer books, the samples and honest answers. Start with the free guide: the 5 costly mistakes.