Roman Shades - Grab And Run Tips

Roman shades instantly give your windows the classic timeless look. As an alternative to usual curtains, roman shades fill any room with a subtle-style distinction. They are ideal for nearly any area in a home, including patio and entry doors. Roman shades carry their name because of their historical use of dressing up windows in the ancient Rome.

In modern days, roman shades are quickly tipping the scales of home decorating trends in their favor because they combine classic looks with ease and convenience customers want.

The anatomy of traditional roman shades consists of a wooden or metal headrail, the fabric or natural materials, lift-up-and-down cords with or without a clutch; also called a cord lock.

These shades dress up a window quickly, stylishly and brilliantly. The neatly sewn window shades come with two choices: flat-fabric materials without folds and the impressive cascading folds in a teardrop shape; also called "hobbled".

Natural roman shades craft an earthly look in a room while adding a touch of warmth and connectedness at the same time. Nature-inspired materials like weeds, rattan, bamboo or jute serve as foundations for woven roman shades. Their light-diffusing weaves often create a breathtaking look and feel to a room while guarding your privacy.

Light-filtering roman shades let soft surrounding light into your home. At the same time, they add good to excellent insulating properties to your windows (depending on the liners you choose). From total privacy to soft liners to cellular shades liners, you have several choices of insulating layers. Light-filtering unlined shades are also available.

Blackout liners protect against UV rays known for damaging furniture, artifacts and floors. If a blackout (light-blocking - opaque) lining is thick and less flexible, it may take all the spunk out of the vibrant fabric. Make sure to keep this point in mind when choosing a blackout liner. Blackout roman shades usually fit well in any room with a prolonged sun exposure or bedrooms where bulky and heavy window curtains just wouldn't do.

When deciding, roman shades are a better choice than drapes and curtains because they stack above a window (outside mount) without losing sidewall space. As in inside mount (within a window frame), they stack at the top and do take some view away. All in all, these crafted shades offer a more finished and refined look than other window treatments like mini blinds or non-fabric vertical blinds.

From flat to hobbled, a simple pull cord to a clutch cord lock, top-down bottom-up choices, there's a combination of choices for roman shades that will satisfy your window decorating conditions. There are even courses online that can teach you how to make your own roman shades from scratch if you wish.

To sum it up, roman shades are simple, elegant window treatments with plenty of various manufactured or natural materials choices to match any home décor. Plus, they boost your windows insulating properties from moderate to excellent (depending on the liner quality). With their popularity rising, roman shades have become more affordable and easier to take care of thanks to smart new technologies.