How We Choose : Roman Shades
This is a question I’ve been getting a lot, especially since our new home has windows that lend themselves to roman shades. Why choose a roman shade over another window treatment, and more importantly- how do you choose? Window treatments can really make or break a home. My pet peeve is when people blow their entire budget, finish a project, and forego window treatments- or even worse, buy really cheap ones that aren’t appropriate for their windows. Click through for my favorite resources, tips, tricks, and a complete guide to selecting a roman shade appropriate for your space and budget.
I love soft, textural drapery just as much as any other designer. However, our current home just isn’t architecturally set up for those type of window treatments (I miss you pinch pleats). Our high, rectangular mid century windows are odd sizes, we’re short on space, and pretty much nothing in this home is centered or balanced when it comes to the construction. Therefore, in 90% of our rooms, the most functional and visually appealing window treatments are roman shades. If you’re wondering how to determine if a roman shade is a good fit for your window, here are some things to consider:
- Do you have room for stack back? That’s the part of the drapery panel that opens to each side of your window? If the answer is no, a roman shade would be a great alternative.
- Are your windows odd sizes or difficult to reach? If so, again- roman shades are convenient and even come synced to remotes for those difficult-to-reach windows.
- Do you prefer a window treatment that is a bit more streamlined and less feminine? If your answer is yes, roman shades would be a great fit.
- Is the window located in a really small room or area? Roman shades don’t physically take up as much space as traditional drapery, since they’re mounted inside the window frame or above it.
- Do you have pets or children that might pull or rub against drapery panels? If so, you should totally consider roman shades! The dogs can’t get them dirty and the kids can’t pull and tug on them.
The first big decision you’ll make is selecting the material and style! I’m a big believer in natural materials- like linen, cotton, or woven wood. They tend to look higher end and will withstand the test of time. In regards to the shade style, you’ll have to select the way in which the shade will lie when in the “down” position on the window. I created a little diagram below to make it easier to see the style options available. Typically I go with a flat, plain, or soft fold.
Once you’ve settled on a fabric, there might be an option to add a detail or accent. Inset borders and contrast piping make great additions to roman shades!
You’ll also need to decide if you’d prefer to have a liner. These days, there are tons of options… privacy liners, blackout liners, and even thermal liners to help with your home’s efficiency. We have blackout liners in our master bedroom and it was a solid choice! I will say, we opted for privacy liners in the guest room and they’re really pretty dark. Our guests have yet to complain. Would you guess the white shade below is blackout? We had a couple minimal white roman shades in our previous home and they were a great budget friendly, readymade option.
If you’re convinced your window is appropriate for a roman shade, next you have to determine what type is needed. To start, you’ll need to decide what type of mount will work with your window. Mount refers to whether the treatment will be mounted within the window frame (inside mount) or on the wall surrounding the window (outside mount). I always prefer an inside mount if the window allows. Depending on what type of product you’ve found or what manufacturer you’re going with… inside mounts have different requirements. Basically, you have to make sure the window frame is deep enough for the mounting hardware. For more on windows themselves, click here.
The remaining details are the knitty gritty items, such as the lift. Would you prefer a cord to open and close the shade? If so, which side would you like the cord to fall on- right or left? If you’d prefer not to see a cord, there are plenty of cordless options, as well as lifts that sync to a remote. It all depends on where you’re purchasing the shade and what your budget looks like! FYI – we have hidden cords on all of our roman shades… that means you can’t see them because they lift from the backside.
If you’re wondering where the heck you find roman shades, that’s a great question. It took me a long time to find the best resources. If you have the budget, I’d 100% recommend a custom treatment. It will give you all of the options I discussed and will arrive at your door perfectly sized to your window. However, there are also plenty of great budget-friendly readymade options. I created lists for each…
C U S T O M:
Most of the custom retailers will mail free samples, too! It definitely makes the process much easier seeing the material in the space.
R E A D Y M A D E:
- Wayfair
- Overstock
- Pottery Barn
- Pottery Barn Kids
- West Elm
- JCPenney
- Bed Bath & Beyond
- Bellacor
- Amazon
And finally… I’ll leave you with a collage containing some of my favorite readymades. Let me know what you guys think, or if you have other roman shade sources / suggestions that should be added to the list!
01: linen cordless roman shade // 02: classic soft fold roman shade // 03: white light filtering shade // 04: whitewash bamboo roman shade // 05: natural bamboo roman shade // 06: classic cotton roman shade // 07: flat fold roman shade // 08: bordered roman shade // 09: woven roman shade with taped edge // 10: woven bamboo roman shade // 11: greek key border roman shade // 12: thermal blackout roman shade
I’d also love to know what else you guys would like to see on the ‘How We Choose’ series. I feel like there are SO many home decor items that are difficult to purchase online. As always- comment with any questions below, I’m happy to help!