Flat fold roman shade
There’s a subtle consumer move away from horizontal and vertical blinds as the default choice for window coverings, towards fabrics. This blog post will explore what’s available in fabric window treatments.
For many years now, the default choice for most consumers was horizontal and vertical blinds. Step into any average home and you were bound to see mini blinds – either vinyl or aluminum – wood blinds and faux wood blinds. These window blinds are fine. They’re functional, easy to operate, and when matched well with other decor, can be an nice aesthetic addition to a home.
More recently, there’s been a shift away from window blinds as the share leader towards more elegant and imaginative window treatment products that incorporate fabrics. Enter the roman shade. And, if you don’t know roman shades, you should. They’re an elegant and versatile window treatment that marries the look and feel of drapes with the functionality of a window shade.
Roman shades, which are also called fabric shades, are a group of elegant and versatile window shades. Their looks range from casual to modern to formal elegant. The way to achieve these different looks is understanding the principle styles and then matching up the right fabric and color. Roman Shades come in two principle styles: flat fold and teardrop, also called hobbled. Flat fold roman shades offer a more classic or modern look, while the teardrop style lends toward more formal settings and decors.
Fabrics choices include many polyester blends for durability and stain resistance, but these fabrics have been made to mimic other fabrics like cotton, suede, linen and more. You can choose solid fabrics, patterned fabrics, weaves as well as textured fabrics. Bottom line is, you’ll have lots of choices.
teardrop roman shade
Adding to their versatility, roman shades are available in a great range of opacities (how much light is transmitted through the fabric. Basically, you can choose materials that allow in lots of natural light, ones that block it partially, and ones that block it out completely.
Does this trend signal the end of the perennial window blind? Probably not. But, I for one am pleased to see more consumers branching out a bit and choosing from a different category and exploring what fabric shades, like romans have to offer.
