When I first started in business 30+ years ago, we put up sheers and draperies at almost every window. Now we rarely hang sheers as an under curtain, but instead we often use a “hard” treatment.  This could be wood blinds, cellular shades, sheer blinds such as Hunter Douglas’ Silhouette shades, or roman shades.

Just this month a customer wanted to replace her 20 year old draperies with something new.  So we took down the old treatments and installed Vignette shades – Hunter Douglas’ roman shades.  What a difference that made!  They look cool, crisp, clean and modern.  Very flexible, they keep out the sun’s fading rays, yet let in the light.  And they roll up out of the way when the sun is on the back side of the house.

Although they liked the look, it was a little stark after having draperies for so long, so we will add side panels and valances.  These windows are on the front – a living room window and a dining room window on either side of the front door so we are treating them alike.  The Vignette roman shades will control the light and privacy.  The stationary side panels – hanging nicely beside the windows but will not traverse – and valances that are tailored with inverted box pleats will soften the look and frame the window.  

They will have the best of all worlds – clean, tailored and soft – a perfect solution to a fading problem, a privacy problem, and a softness problem.  

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Roman shades are so versatile they can be used in any room and with any style.  Although all roman shades draw up into folds, there are many variations.

Many years ago we made only the classic style.  The classic shade is flat, with no pleats in the closed postion, folding into pleats when it is drawn up providing a clean, minimalist look.  But it is hard to make the folds draw up evenly and often requires a lot a adjusting.  If the fabric pattern is intricate and would show better without interruption, or if you just prefer the flat style, it is still a great tailored option.  Adding a contrast banding on the sides and hem can add detail to this flat shade and create a unique look.

Slatted roman shades create a permanent stitched pleat in the fabric every 5-8” so these shades draw up well, almost without fail.  It also adds interest to the shade with pleats or tucks on the front.  Hobbled roman shades have a continuous soft fold falling to the front or they can have a continuous overlapping pleat that adds depth and insulation to the shade. These shades are more eloquent and add fullness to the shade and a dimension to the window.  Adding tucks, hobbles, banding, or shaping the bottom edges all add sizzle to the window treatment.

Room darkening lining can be added to any of these shades controlling the light for bedrooms or media rooms where light control is important.  Shades can be interlined to provide even better insulation and depth.

I think roman shades in any style create a finished look and can stand alone.  But it is easy to dress them up by adding valances or side panels to soften the tailored shade.   For a more formal look you can have the bottom hem swag down in a relaxed look.  London style shades  have the sides drop down to match the center drop.   Adding trim will accentuate the shape and add an accent to the shade as well as additional coordination to the room.

As you can see roman shades are varied in style, fabrics, colors and textures. Your individual taste can dictate which shade works best for you. 

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