subject: History of Roman Blinds [print this page] History of Roman Blinds History of Roman Blinds
Roman blinds are known as a stylish and inexpensive alternative to curtains. But did you ever wonder how Roman blinds were first invented?
As their name suggests, Roman blinds originate in ancient Rome. Roman houses had no glass in their windows, so dirt, dust and smoke from the outside would come in through the open holes and settle throughout the house. This can't have pleased Roman housewives very much, especially because the paved roads were quite dusty.
To combat this, the Romans hung drapes of cloth over their windows, much like our modern curtains. When construction began on the Roman coliseum, hundreds of men and machines moved into the centre of Rome to begin construction, kicking up huge amounts of dust. The curtains were no longer enough to keep the dust at bay, so the clever Romans invented Roman blinds.
Soon, anyone who was anyone in ancient Rome had Roman blinds on their home. Roman women liked to show off their good taste to one another with expensive and trendy furnishing, so Roman blinds became a must-have dcor item. Soon, Roman blinds were being made from a variety of materials and painted and embellished with different designs. The more impressive your blinds, the wealthier and more influential your family was.
Roman blinds today haven't changed much from their original design. They're still made of virtually any material and can be highly decorative. With the advent of glass windows, Roman blinds are no longer needed to keep out dust, but they do make an attractive and stylish alternative to curtains.
Roman blinds make a great dcor option for your home for several reasons. Firstly, they're often significantly cheaper than other window dressings, such as drapes. A set of good quality roman blinds will cost less than a set of good quality curtains. Roman blinds are also much easier to measure for and install than curtains.
Roman blinds are also much easier to clean and maintain. While dirt can collect on curtains and pets or children can rip them, Roman blinds are quite durable. To clean them, simply vacuum the dust off the blinds or wipe it away with a warm, damp cloth.
Want to know more? Read on for more information on Roman Blinds and Venetian Blinds,