When we were house-hunting, one of the things that sold me on our present home was the bright, sunny interior. Our living room has two huge windows, one facing south and one facing west. From about noon to sunset, at least one piece of furniture or another has direct sunlight on it. Not a big deal, until we bought two couches and a chair in a dark shade of green.
Not long after the furniture made its arrival, I started noticing a change in color due to the sun. Then a friend introduced me to Gila Window Film. It is a thin, clear sheet of film that goes on the inside of your windows and filters out the UV rays that can damage and fade your furniture. We have had it on our windows for over two years now and the fading has completely stopped.
The application of the film can be a bit difficult if you are dealing with a large area. I've found it manageable if you have at least one other person to help you. You soak the film with a water and soap solution and basically slide it into place. Once the film is up, you trim it to fit your window and then have to work out the bubbles that form underneath the film. I was able to remove all of the larger bubbles, but was left with a few very tiny bubbles that have never really disappeared. I can't see them unless I am quite close to the window and purposely looking for them. Not a bad trade off for couches that will actually stay the color that they are meant to be.
