salondelynn's Profile

Amada, I've made Roman shades for 38 years. They are deceptively simple in appearance. Windows are rarely perfectly square and even if they were it is difficult to make anything that size out of fabric square, not to mention perfectly the right width and length.

Ideally fabric should be pre-washed or dry cleaned before fabrication. (Fabric shrinks more in length than width.) I usually made them with an extra fold or two at the bottom so length is not a problem and I like the look. But if they shrink in width there is nothing to be done except adding a trim or border to the edges. An expensive prospect.

Usually shades are stapled to a dustboard making them difficult to remove for future cleaning. We use Velcro to attach the shade to the dustboard allowing you to remove the shade leaving the cords in place for easier re-installation. More expensive but worth it in the long run.

I saw shades in a French Quarter window that could have been 100 years old! The fabric had seen better days but they were still doing the job so, if treated properly, they are a good investment. (If you use a neutral color you can change the rest of the room in the future and your shades will still work.) Important: make sure they use brass rings. The plastic ones will soon become brittle and break.

A soft Roman shade has only two cords and sets of rings on left and right. They should be a little less expensive since rows of rings for a flat Roman like the picture are spaced about 8 inches apart. A soft Roman has a slight curve at the bottom since there are only rings at the sides and thus gives the shade a softer look. It's the style all the architects and designers we work with are doing here in New York City. We made them for Mary-Louis Parker's bedroom.

Soft Romans work best unlined out of a light weight fabric so that they drape nicely at the bottom. But unlined, the face fabric will not last as long from sun damage (silk is particularly susceptible).

You can also do Roman school shades that lower from the top down giving you privacy with a view out the top of the window. They can also be made to go up from the bottom at the same time so you can have both looks. However, they require guide cords from the top to bottom of the window attached to screw eyes. This makes them a little more difficult to remove for cleaning. And flat Romans require a guide cord for each row of rings so when they are lowered you see all those cords but it's a look. Also you see the screw eyes at the top unless there is a little valance made to cover them.

The more perfectly they fit width wise the less light will come through the sides. If they are mounted closer to the window inside the frame less light will come from the edge. We usually mount them half way back.

You can make Roman shades out of anything that will fold. A bar in New Orleans has leather shades. You can line and even interline them for better insulation and sound reduction.
—Thomas Lynn Pool, director of design, neodesigninc@gmail.com Send me a photograph!