What are the main styles of Roman shades?

Common Roman shade styles include Soft, Flat, Relaxed, Classic, Hobbled, Casual, and Gathered. Each style offers a different fold, texture, and look to suit your window treatments.

How do I choose the best Roman shade for my space?

Consider your room’s style, privacy needs, and light control. Flat Roman shades fit a clean, modern look, while Soft or Hobbled styles add dimension and a more traditional feel.

Can Roman shades help with energy efficiency and privacy?

Yes. Adding blackout or light-filtering linings improves privacy and can reduce heat loss in winter while helping block solar heat in summer for better energy efficiency.

Are motorized Roman shades a good choice?

Motorized Roman shades offer push‑button or smart home control, which is great for large or hard‑to‑reach windows and adds convenience and a modern touch.

Should I mount Roman shades inside or outside the window frame?

Inside mounts create a streamlined look and show off trim. Outside mounts can block more light and visually enlarge the window. Choose based on design goals and light control needs.

Best Roman Shades | Styles, Features & How to Choose

Roman Shades offer a vibrant and stylish look to any room. When the shades are pulled up, they provide a beautiful valance appearance. As you unfold your Roman Shades, they cascade into style in your space.

Picking the correct type of Roman Shade for your room shouldn’t be as tricky as picking where to go for dinner. There are two main styles to know: Soft and Flat. With various fabrics to choose from, your room type and aesthetic will help determine the best shades for your space.

Soft Roman Shades

Soft Roman Shades are the window treatments that the Roman style is best known for. Looking traditional, slightly more formal, and in various options, Soft Roman Shades upgrade your interior and come in varying styles. There are more than 150 designer fabrics available in Soft Roman Shades, and your choice of soft fold gathering style will help determine how the shades look and work in your home.

A Flat Roman Shade has no horizontal seam across the front, creating a simple, modern look. The Relaxed Roman Shade is gathered on the sides, allowing the center to fall slightly as it scallops in the center.

The Classic Roman Shade has horizontal seams sewn through the middle, giving your windows a more tailored appearance as the shades fold neatly into themselves. Hobbled Roman Shades are close to the Classic look, and among the more popular choices as they are most versatile with any fabric selection.

Casual Roman Shades and Gathered Romans Shades provide a “gathered” rather than folded look as they rise. The Casual selection gathers the shades at the side and leaves the impression that your windows are “smiling” at you. The Gathered shades have a drawstring in the middle that provides swoops that are ideal for larger windows.

Flat Fold Design

Maybe what’s holding you back is the fear that the puffy-topped design you grew up with is what Roman Shades are all about. A Flat Fold design might be more your style. This shade keeps the valance look without the bulk at the top using design folds that are separated at six-inch intervals. This is perfect for a minimalist look, or to pair with draperies when you don’t want bulk at the top.

Your Style, Your Choice

Add a room-darkening lining to Roman Shades for privacy or to help control your energy bills. Select motorized shades or cordless shades for convenience and to perk up your smart home. Roman Shades are extremely versatile and you can pick the best type to fit your needs in your home.

In addition, all shades can be mounted inside your window frame or just outside the frame. This choice determines how much more control you have over the light that filters into your room.

Roman Shades can also be fitted with “top-down” or “top-down, bottom-up” operational controls. For bathroom or bedroom windows, this means you can open your shades from the top instead of the bottom, maximizing privacy control without sacrificing style.

About the Author

Nigel Harris

Content Writer

Nigel Harris is a content writer with over 10 years of experience and a 3 Day Blinds Marketing Manager. His work on the marketing team has helped him develop a knowledge window treatments that helps customers better understand products. When he’s not writing, Nigel enjoys music, gardening, and traveling.

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