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Roman shades the simple solution !

"This has really helped me understand what roman shades are all about, Many thanks"

Or roman blinds as they are also called give a very contemporary look. They look very modern. They use little fabric in comparison to curtains and are great for covering windows where curtains won't do.

What exactly is a "roman" ?

Romans when down are just a flat panel. Then when pulled up they start to fold into pleats, how many depends on the length of your blind. Checkout the picture below to see a window I have fitted shown with a mini pelmet over the top.

roman shades

What kind of roman do you want ?

Didn't not know there was more than one kind. Well there sure are. Check out below for the main kinds.

Standard roman

All the pleats are the same size and fold one on top of another.

Cascading roman

From the top down each pleat gets deeper so when pulled up you see all the pleats. Only drawback is it makes a deeper shade. roman shades

Relaxed roman

Made the same as the above shades but with no rods on the back of the shade. This makes it sag a little in the middle.

So how do roman blinds work ?

Well you have 2 ways to operate them:
No.1 Pull cords, several cords depending on the width of your shade. All thread into a metal or wooden cord pull. You simply pull the cords to move the shade up or down. When at the required height you wrap the cords around a cleat hook.

No.2 Chain lift, A loop of chain just the same as a roller shade. Simply pull the front of the loop chain to make the shade go down. Then pull the back of the loop chain to make the shade go up.

Blind in the recess or outside the recess ?

Where to fit your roman shade that's the question. Well most are fitted in the recess next to the window frame (as in picture above). This makes for a neat looking window treatment. Sometimes it's not possible to do that, so fitting outside the recess is fine. Usually making shade 10 cm wider and 15 cm longer.

roman shades

What about wide windows

On wide windows the fabric will probably not be wide enough to make your shade. So it will be made by sewing half widths of fabric on each side of the main piece of fabric.

This means that you will have 2 seams on your blind. On patterned fabric the pattern will need to be matched. See the image on the right.

Find someone to make your roman to
your exact size here

You can also check out my store for some really great roman shade bargains. There is a huge range to choose from or you can buy fabrics at way below high street prices and make your own roman shades. So simply click on My Bargains Store and take a look.

UK MAKERS

How do you make a roman blind ?

Would you love to make your own professional looking romans ? Then learn how to even if you have never sewn a stitch in your life ! Just click here on Easy make NO SEW roman shades to find out more.

Ask The Expert

Need an answer about that awkward window ?

Need some advice before you decide ?

Then simply click on here and ask me your question. Or simply look at what questions hundreds of others have asked.

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Testimonial

"Dear Lee, Just wanted to say I found your site last week and it was an absolute godsend. Most helpful and informative - easy to follow instructions - and my very first bay window pelmet looks like the work of a true (and expensive) professional! Many many thanks for your site. Kind regards Neal"