It isn’t easy to be classic as well as popular. Roman shades have the distinction of being both.
When it comes to window treatments, roman shades have stood the test of time. After all, these have been in vogue for over 2000 years!
Whatever your home décor style – minimalist or mid-century, contemporary or traditional, bohemian or farmhouse, Scandinavian or Victorian, or just a mishmash of this and that – carefully chosen custom roman shades can fit into it beautifully. Let us re-emphasize on the ‘carefully chosen’ a bit here. Before you go shopping, you need to know more about the types and varieties of roman shades on offer.
In this article, we bring you a complete bird’s eye view of roman shades. Read it and you will know the A-Z of how to choose the best possible roman shades for your home.
What are roman shades?
Let’s begin with the basics. Roman shades are stitched fabric panels used as window coverings. These are hung above or inside the window frame using a mount. These have slats and rings are sewn at the back along with a cord system that can be used to raise or lower the shade. When lowered, the shade hangs over the window as a flat panel. When raised, the shade stacks into even horizontal pleats.
Now we look at some of the key benefits of roman shades
- Roman shades can be used in virtually all types of spaces – bedroom, living room, dining room, kitchen, and even the bathroom too.
- Roman shades can be used for windows of all sizes and almost all shapes. Windows without wall space on either side, whether they are long, wide, narrow, high, or low. Even windows with arched upper edges can be covered using mounts above the window’s upper edge.
- Roman shades are also space friendly. Unlike drapes, these stay close to the window frame and don’t hog room volume. Therefore, these are really good as window treatments in small spaces.
- Roman shades give energy-efficient insulation. Add thermal liners and your roman shade helps keep heat/cold out. When your room’s internal temperature is maintained, the heating/ air conditioning expenses also get reduced accordingly. Roman shades are great energy savers.
- Roman shades give good sunlight and privacy control. If you want light diffusing in, use sheer fabrics in your panels. If you want all light blocked, use blackout roman shades. To get desired levels of sunlight, simply lower or raise the length of roman shades to your preference.
- Roman shades are usually operated using a cord system. For those who want even more convenience, there are remote-controlled versions also available. No hanging cords, no need to get up every time you want to raise or lower the shades. You can do so with a fingertip on your remote’s button.
- Just like custom curtains, roman shades can be made from a variety of fabrics. Light or heavy, airy or dense, jacquard or plain, roman shades adapt to all kinds of fabrics, patterns, and weaves. The only fabrics that do not make good roman shades are the stretching kinds.
Next comes the roman shades style types
As mentioned earlier, roman shades stack into pleats when raised. Well, the different ways of pleating styles create different types of roman shades.
Flat fold roman shades with front slats
These are highly functional and structured roman shades that have horizontal stacks at the front that fall into a neat straight line at the bottom. They are ideal for casual spaces. These work best with solid color fabrics and give them a unique structure which gives an architectural facelift to any space.
Flat fold roman shades with back slats
The most minimalistic of all the styles, these fold into neat horizontal slats at the back. The invisibility of the slats make them very neat and the most ideal for formal spaces and sleek modern decor style. They work best with bold patterns, florals, or stripes as their continuous flow show off the patterns perfectly.
Relaxed/ European fold shades
The iconic feature of this style is the elegant curve that the shades fall into. It is perfect for the casual spaces and feminine decor that mixes traditional or antique style with modern elements. When raised, they form elegant folds that look lavish and add a touch of luxury to the entire space.
Last comes the mounting type
As we mentioned earlier, roman shades have to be mounted above or within the window frame. This means you get to choose between two types of mounting styles:
Inside mounted roman shades
For inside mount roman shades, the mounting mechanism is fitted inside the window frame. The roman shades are tailored to fit within the window frame and do not exceed its limits. The shades give a structured and custom appearance. If you have an attractive window frame, this mount will help you show it off in style.
Outside mounted roman shades
In this mounting style, the mounting mechanism is fitted above the window frame on the wall or ceiling. The shades too are bigger than the window frame. This style is good for shallow windows with insufficient space for fitting a mounting mechanism inside the window frame. Or, if you wish to hide an imperfect window trim, go for this mount.
CONCLUSION
Roman shades offer the flexibility of styles and functionality like no other window treatment. They are specifically good for unusually sized or shaped windows which need tailor-made treatments. They are elegant, neat and highly functional while also being an element of high decorative value. The various styles they are available in spoils you with choice and greets you with the opportunity of having the perfect window treatments for your home.
