Shades · The soft one
Roman shades, fabric that behaves
The softness of drapery with the discipline of a shade. Where a hard treatment would fight the room, this is usually what you actually wanted.
Why Roman
It reads as textile, not hardware.
Every other shade on this site is fundamentally a mechanism you can see. A Roman shade is a piece of cloth that folds. In a room with good fabric already in it — upholstery, a rug worth the money, curtains you are keeping — a cellular shade can look like equipment, and this will not.
It is also the treatment that most rewards a considered fabric choice, which is why we bring the books rather than a colour chart. A linen in the wrong weight goes limp; the right one holds a fold for twenty years. This is the page where the samples in your own daylight matter most.
Choosing
Two decisions, then fabric.
Get these right and the rest is enjoyable rather than fraught.
- Flat fold or relaxedFlat fold is crisp and architectural — even horizontal folds, tailored, suits a formal room or a clean modern one. Relaxed lets the bottom edge swag gently. Relaxed reads softer and more forgiving; flat reads more expensive.
- LiningUnlined lets light glow through the cloth and shows its texture. Lined gives you privacy, protects the face fabric from fading and makes the folds hang heavier. Blackout lining is available where the room needs it — a bedroom that also deserves a nice fabric.
- MountInside the opening keeps your trim visible. Mounted above and wider makes the window read taller and larger, which on a modest window is the cheapest improvement available. We will show you both at the measure.
Compare with
Other shades worth a look.
If you like the softness, drapery is the next step up.
Questions
Asked and answered.
Are Roman shades practical, or just decorative?
Both, with one caveat: they stack. Raised, a Roman shade sits as a folded bundle across the top of the glass, more of it than a roller and less than a curtain. On a short window that can eat real daylight. Mounting above the opening solves it, and we will measure for that.
Can I match a Roman shade to fabric I already have?
Often, yes. We carry Carole Fabrics and can work from a swatch you bring us. If we cannot get close we will say so rather than sell you an approximate match that will annoy you every day for a decade.
Do Roman shades work in a bathroom or kitchen?
In a kitchen usually yes, away from the range. In a full bathroom we would steer you toward a composite shutter or a roller instead — sustained humidity is hard on fabric and lining, and the shade will not fail dramatically so much as slowly stop looking good.
Free & no-obligation
Roll credits on bare windows.
Tell us a little about your project and we'll call to set up your free in-home consultation — usually within one business day. Prefer to talk now? Call (610) 883-9063.
- Up to 30% off current promotions applied to your quote
- Professional measuring included
- Lifetime service warranty on every install
Windows still bare? The consultation is free and the coffee's on you.