Roman blinds are those window coverings that are made of soft, flexible fabric or similar material, which form pleats or rectangular folds when raised. These folds create a soft and tender look, giving the sensation of comfort and elegance without cluttering the space. Their simplicity translates into elegance, that’s why roman blinds are preferred by interior decorators and home owners who follow the minimalist current which ignores useless elements of decor in favor of simple, natural materials and shapes. Modern, expensive homes use roman blinds in combination with exterior shutters.

This is how elegance and functionality go hand in hand: the blinds complete the interior decorations, but they don’t offer too much of a privacy. This is accomplished by the exterior shutters. That’s because Roman blinds are the most beautiful when made of light, translucent fabrics or of thin bamboo sticks woven together with threads in pale shades of color. Sunscreen fabrics are another excellent option to increase your comfort in hot summer days.

However, if you want, you can make Roman shades from thicker, yet smooth fabrics, thus obtaining a better degree of light filtering and privacy. It’s possible to make blackout Roman blinds by adding a special lining to the fabric. You can either do this by yourself and create your own custom, DIY Roman blinds, or you can buy some ready-made ones, either online or in home and garden stores such as JC Penney.

Although most Roman window treatments models are manually operated via cords or chains, it is possible to automate them by attaching an electric motor operated by a remote control.

What To Know When Buying Roman Shades

Choosing Roman blinds for your windows or doors shouldn’t be too difficult, provided that you already know the impression you’d like to create with your decorations. Beyond this aspect, there are four more factors to be taken into consideration:

• Light control: light colors would filter less light, while dark colors would darken the room. If you want more light, choose lighter colors, otherwise you’ll have to either raise your blinds or turn on the lights during the day, if you want to see better.
• Privacy: Thicker fabrics would offer you more night time privacy, while thinner ones would expose yourself to your neighbor’s looks at night, when you have your lights on inside the room.
• Energy efficiency: Some materials are better insulators than others. Ask your shop assistant for advice, in case you are interested in improving a bit the r-value of your windows and decrease your energy bills.
• Style: This can be traditional or contemporary, simple or sophisticated, depending on the overall style of your home. Remember that your Roman blinds and their accessories must suit your home and your decor elements. Here you’ll need to decide if you want straight edge, pleated border, vertical border or tab headed Roman blinds. You’ll also need to choose the hardware: rails, rods, finials or window valances.

All important window treatments manufacturers offer a wide range of Roman blinds: Bali, Hunter Douglas, Laura Ashley, Hillary’s or Luxaflex, all of them offer beautiful models of window blinds and trained staff to help you with your purchase.

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