How do we love Roman shades? Let us count the ways! Versatile and customizable from fabric color to lining to high-tech features, the Roman shade is a high-style interior designer favorite. Here, we’ve rounded up a few of the reasons why this window covering remains a go-to favorite, according to the experts.
Roman shades create interesting textures and contrasts.
Available in a number of different materials and patterns, Roman shades can provide the finishing touch to your space, even when paired with other window treatments. Take it from interior designer Lilly Bunn: “I love layering a natural wood shade with a pair of super-luxurious silk curtains,” she says. “The contrast in material adds so much depth and texture. I have these shades in all of the back rooms in my apartment because they offer just the right amount of privacy, so the neighbors won’t see in.”
They’re no-nonsense.
Intricate draperies make perfect sense in a dramatic dining room or living room, but sometimes, you need a more streamlined window covering to stand on its own. “Roman shades are stricter, less fussy, and more modern,” explains designer Robert Couturier in Architectural Digest. For this reason, they’re a popular pick in splash-prone kitchens, bathrooms, and even children’s rooms.
They provide a sleek, contemporary look.
Whereas many fabric treatments softly frame your windows, Roman shades create additional shapes and lines, ideal for a modern living room or transitional bedroom. “They can provide more of a clean-lined architectural look than full-length drapery in most situations,” says Abby Rodriguez, vice president of New York’s Chelsea Workroom.
Roman shades don’t weigh down the room.
Your window treatments should feel effortlessly beautiful, like a pearl necklace atop a black gown. As designer Emily Henderson writes, “Roman shades are kinda the best because they are modern and sophisticated and super functional. They keep the room feeling light.” Her favorites? “Simple flat panels that don’t do anything too romantic or frilly, just add a lovely line of fabric when up and textured fabric shade when down.”
Discover Your Roman Shades
To see fully-installed, working Roman shades in person, visit our showroom in Wilmington, NC. Our designers will help you explore all of the possible styles for your new window shades.