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Roman Shades: The Just-Right Window Coverings for Summer
Calm and Minimal, Frilly or Faux, There's a Roman Shade For You
Window coverings bring a soft polish to the interior design of any room. If drapes are too fussy and blinds are too cold, roman shades offer a classy and practical alternative that warm up windows while providing privacy and protection from the sun. In their most basic form, roman shades are simply fabric window covering panels that can be raised or lowered with the help of a cord system and rings sewn onto the back of the fabric. When raised, the fabric stacks in evenly sized horizontal folds.
With summer heating up, getting those window coverings installed is more important than ever. But, how do you choose? There are a variety of style options to coordinate with every flavor of home decor, and all styles can be created with a lining, which improves insulation for energy-efficiency, not to mention privacy. Let's go over the basics!
With summer heating up, getting those window coverings installed is more important than ever. But, how do you choose? There are a variety of style options to coordinate with every flavor of home decor, and all styles can be created with a lining, which improves insulation for energy-efficiency, not to mention privacy. Let's go over the basics!
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Unconstructed flat romans. Patterned fabric works well for unconstructed flat roman shades. While similar in appearance to their constructed sisters, unconstructed flat roman shades are even more simple. Made with a single piece of fabric that hangs flat over a window, unconstructed romans have no back bars or additional panels. Patterned textiles work well because unconstructed romans do not have horizontal seams or stitching to obstruct or complicate the pattern.
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Constructed flat romans. Flat roman shades create a clean, modern and unfussy look that coordinates well with several styles, from modern loft to more frilly traditional, especially when embellished or paired with drapes for additional privacy and decoration. A constructed flat roman consists of fabric panels sewn together with back bars placed about six to eight inches apart to reinforce the fabric, giving it more rigidity and durability.
by Amoroso Design
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Relaxed romans. The name says it all with relaxed roman shades, also known as soft or London shades: They are classy but casual unconstructed shades that gently bow when raised. Due to the lack of construction, relaxed romans work best with windows less than 54 inches wide. Wider shades should have two poufs.
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This window may be wider than 54 inches, hence the double swoop. I love the soft bow of these relaxed romans, which polish off the casual, beach-y breakfast nook.
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by Stacy Curran
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| Balloon romans. With their highly decorative look, balloon roman shades complement traditional home decor beautifully, but are not ideal for everyday use and should be outside mounted. Inverted box pleats at the top open to soft scalloping at the bottom, similar to the look of relaxed roman shades. |
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| Butterfly romans. Add a swag with small winged offshoots at the bottom to bring in additional richness. |
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| Tucked/pleated roman shades. Uniform folds sewn 4 to 5 inches apart give this style of roman shade body and substance. Their cascading panels stack neatly on top of one another when raised. Spaced approximately 6 to 8-inches apart, rod pockets and dowel inserts sewn into the shade give the design body and strength. The horizontal lines of this Asian-inspired shade result in a calming, Zen-like design.
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| Austrian roman shades. Austrian-style roman shades are by far the most formal and traditional, delineated by several vertical and horizontal rows of ruched gathers and scalloping along the bottom. Due to the gathers and scalloping, an Austrian shade requires more than double the amount of fabric than typical flat romans, making them a more expensive choice. |
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| Another example of Austrian romans — girly, sweet and whimsical! |
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| Faux romans. Stationary shades, or faux romans, give the illusion of roman shades without the added expense of yardage or operating mechanisms. This monogrammed stationary roman looks chic and high-end. |
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Soft fold/waterfall roman shades. Soft fold or waterfall shades feature permanent folds whether raised or lowered. The ones in this image are beautifully constructed from bamboo, but they can be fabric, as well.
| My inclination has always been to make window coverings stand out, but they do very well as quiet complements to rooms, too. These flat romans seamlessly blend into the walls, allowing the floors, furnishings and accesories to shine. |
by Amoroso Design
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Sometimes it's hard to wrap your head around the idea of mixing window covering styles, but roman shades can coordinate with curtains, especially when the fabric is the same. In this home, the sliding door required curtains in order to open easily, but romans were preferred for the windows. Both work well in the space.
More:
Pretty Ways With Stationary Shades
How to Get Your Window Shades Right
How to Layer Patterns Right
More:
Pretty Ways With Stationary Shades
How to Get Your Window Shades Right
How to Layer Patterns Right
Ideabook updated on June 11, 2011.
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You should share your DIY roman blinds how-to I saw on your blog. They turned out great and would no doubt inspire many in the Houzz!
http://www.thespecialtygrp.com/EMAILS/safety/safetybulletin.html
With this in mind, we can still enjoy the WONDERFUL ROMAN SHADE!
http://beautifuldrapes.com/
I'd like to add that in addition to textiles and bamboo for your roman shade, you can use a natural woven grass which I adore, as I've included an example in the photo.
This is a great way to add a relaxed summer air to your space, and can be dressed up with silk draperies as shown, or left by themselves for a beautiful natural and organic look. Cheers!
These are the roman shades I grabbed: http://www.blindschalet.com/lumina_silk_roman_shades.html