subject: The Very Specific Nature of Roman Shades [print this page] The Very Specific Nature of Roman Shades The Very Specific Nature of Roman Shades
Roman Shades refer to a very specific type of window shade. Roman shades are made with a fabric material, and rather than roll up like a roller shade, a Roman shade actually folds up. There are 4 fold styles available on Roman shades, and depending on which fabric and feature selection, you can choose from as few as 2 fold styles, or from all four fold styles.
Classic Fold Roman Shades gather the material in a somewhat loose fold as you raise the shade. The classic fold roman shade falls much like a standard drapery panel, showing no specific fold when in the lowered position. The classic fold Roman Shade is exactly as its name implies; a classic look in a fabric window shade.
Flat fold Roman Shades are a more structured window shade. There is a visible horizontal fold even when the flat fold shade is in the lowered position. Depending on how long your Roman Shade is, the folds will repeat every six to seven inches. As you raise the flat fold Roman shade, the fabric folds at these predetermined folds, providing a very neat and clean appearance.
European fold Roman shades are a spin-off of the Classic Fold Roman Shade. When the European fold shade is in the lowered position, there are no visible folds. The bottom of the shade is a looser shape, giving a more casual look to the window shade, and as you raise this Roman shade, the fabric material gathers in a way that gives the impression of a generous amount of material.
Roman shades also can be custom made in a Hobbled fold. A hobble fold is like a European fold in that it uses the material in a more casual manner, but it also has the predetermined horizontal folds of a flat fold Roman shade. The hobbled fold definitely gives the most generous amount of fabric to the very drapery like look of any Roman Shade.
If that is just too much to digest, a simple breakdown is:
Neat looking shade with a level bottom = Classic fold.
Classic fold with set fold points = Flat fold.
Classic fold with a casual, loose bottom = European fold.
European fold with set fold points = Hobbled fold.
Roman shades also are option rich window shades. Liners that provide additional light control can be added to nearly any Roman shade, making these beautiful fabric shades appropriate for any room in the house. Roman shades with blackout liners are perfect for a bedroom.
Continuous cord loop lift systems offer a way to keep the lift cords from getting tangled, or dangling and gathering on the floor when in the fully raised position.
Cordless lift systems completely eliminate the lift cord. The Roman shade is raised and lowered by lifting the bottom of the shade, or pulling the bottom down.
Roman shades can even be ordered with the extremely popular Top Down, Bottom Up lift system, which allows the shade to be lowered from the top, as well as being raised from the bottom.
All of the Roman shades mentioned above can be custom ordered from the leading on-line retailer of window fashions, www.selectblinds.com.
