Much like drapes, Roman Shades are pure love. They are a classic timeless beauty that has continued to impress homeowners’ time again with the sheer elegance, grace, softness and alluring appeal. Roman shades help to add soft feminine touch to the windows and to the rooms. Made of fabric, Roman shades are often regarded as a hybrid of drapes and blinds. They have look and feel of drapes with the functionality of blinds. With Roman shades, you get the best of both worlds and the effect is mesmerizing only if chosen and fitted well. The right fabric, texture, color, design, fall, and fit could do wonders to the decor and your living space.
Advantages of Roman Shades
Roman shades have quite a lot going for them which accounts for their continuing popularity despite stiff competition from newer models of blinds and shades.
• They are comparatively cost-effective.
• They require less fabric compared to drapes.
• Require less labor in installation.
• Doesn’t require expensive rods/hardware.
Types of Roman Shades
There are primarily three types of Roman Shades that you will come across in the market.
Flat fold Roman Shades are made of a single continuous piece of fabric that hangs flat against the window sans pleats and frills. They have horizontal fabric vanes supported by strong bars to help keep the shades sturdy. They have a sleek, uncluttered, pristine and smart appearance that works great for minimalist ad contemporary homes.
Soft fold or relaxed Roman Shades consist of soft loose folds and are also referred to as looped or hobbled Roman Shades. This style of Roman shades retains the loose folds whether raised or lowered. They lend a romantic and airy feel and look stunning in a traditional decor.
Slouch or ‘dog-ear’ Roman shades is also very popular among home stylists. They are also referred to as swag tail shades. When these shades are lowered they fall flat with the bottom retaining the folds and ‘ears’. When raised the shade gathers all the soft folds at the bottom. The soft fabrics drape nicely and look elegant. They blend beautifully with a traditional, medieval decor style.
Inside Mount or Outside Mount
Now that you know the different types of Roman Shades and the look they help to create, it is interesting to know whether they suit inside or outside mount. Inside mount is when the shade is installed inside the window frame and reveals the window frames. This works well when the window recess has sufficient depth and you have a beautiful frame to flaunt.
Outside mount shade is installed outside the frame on the wall above the frame. The shades extend beyond the frame. This is preferable when your windows lack depth, when you are looking for better window coverage to seal unwanted lights, or even if you have defective, unsightly or small windows or window frames that you want to hide and want to create an illusion a larger window.
If you have sufficient depth and you want a sleek uncluttered look for your windows, you could opt for an inside mount for your Roman shades. If the window trim is very close to the ceiling then outside mount will not work well either. For this, we would recommend flat Roman Shades as they will sit well inside the window frame. They will function well and look neat.
You can opt for outside mount Roman Shades if your window lacks depth and you want to create the illusion of larger windows. Inside mount also tends to leave a light gap along the edges which allows beams of light to stream into the house. Outside mount helps to cover these gaps. Soft fold and dog-ear Roman Shades with their folds and swags would definitely make a better fit with outside mounts. They will get more space to function and ensure better fall for the soft folds. You can also opt for an outside mount for flat-fold Roman shades. You could layer them with a cornice board using similar fabric for a minimalist look and feel. The cornice boards add drama and aesthetic interest to the windows and the window treatments and help to pull the room together. About an inch on either side of the window frame would give outside mount Roman shades a perfectly neat appearance.
With outside mount Roman shades, you could also go for layered window treatment. A soft fold Roman shade outside and a wood blind or roller shade as an inside mount for the same window would mean more versatility in terms of light filtration, privacy, heat control and insulation. It is preferable in these instances for Roman shade to be on the outside as they come with folds and swags.
Roman shades can be installed both inside and outside the window frame depending upon your need and the depth of your windows. Structurally we believe that soft fold and dog-ear Roman shade would make a better fit as outside mount than the inside mount. So if you had doubts about how to hang your Roman shades we hope we have successfully addressed your concerns.
