Fabric roman shades add a touch of refinement, flair and
sophistication to any room. You can buy a ready-to-use set of
Roman shades or you can create them from scratch in any fabric
and size that you like. You can hang Roman shades flat for a
more modern style, or fold them and create a softer and more
conventional teardrop Roman shade style with buffs of any
volume.

Roman shades are becoming a big home-decorating trend,
returning on a wave of the interest to streamlined minimalist
or exotic designs. Made with beautiful soft fabric, simple and
very practical, Roman shades fold into well-defined pleats when
raised, much like a classic Venetian blind. At the top, a
matching fabric is used allowing for an array of color and
pattern. For the lining, a solid pale color is commonly used.

Roman shades are incredibly flexible and light-efficient. They
also offer better temperature control than other types of
shades. In winter, you can draw them high to allow the sun's
natural heating rays to enter the room, and after the sunset
you can close them tightly stopping the heat from escaping
through the window. In the summer, you can close the Roman
shades almost completely to prevent the overheating of the
room, while in the evening you can open the shades to cool down
the temperature. All other types of shades leave too much fabric
around the window that doesn't allow for precise light and
temperature control.

Roman shades are relatively simple to make. Before you start
picking the fabric you must measure your window and estimate
which hardware and mountings you need. Roman shades don't
require any specific mountings – that's the beauty of them.
They draw up via a cord strung through the sides of the shade.
The cords then travel through the pulleys mounted on mounting
board above the window on or outside the window frame.

The fabric that you choose for your roman shades depends on
where the window overlooks. If there is a beautiful scenic view
you will most likely choose a plain sheer light fabric. If your
window overlooks a busy street, then you will need an opaque
fabric that gives you a sense of privacy. Plus, some people are
prone to season affected disorders and need more light to remain
positive and healthy. In this case, you may need a sheer fabric
that doesn't block the sun light, but rather diffuses it.

The type of fabric is also determined on what type of
activities the room is used for. If it's a living room with a
TV, you may need a fabric that allows you to control the amount
of light and glare on the screen. If you a planning to put your
roman shades in the bedroom you will need a light-blocking dark
fabric to help you sleep during the summer months when the sun
rises early.

At the end of the day, all window treatments require
maintenance and cleaning. The benefit of roman shades is that
they are the easiest to keep clean – you can wash them in your
washing machine, iron afterwards and re-hang them looking as
good as new.


About The Author: Kathryn Whittaker writes articles on a number
of different topics. For more information on Window Treatments
please visit http://www.window-treatment-guide.com/ and for
additional Window Treatment articles please visit the following
article page
http://www.window-treatment-guide.com/windowtreatment-articles/.