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Using Roman Shades
by Peter Wilson
It was a 150-year-old farmhouse and we were lucky to get it.
The house had been well cared for, but nonetheless was showing
its age. It had been more than a quarter of a century since it
had been remodelled. The thing that struck us most about the
two-story stone and frame structure was that it was so much
different than the modern homes in a subdivision that had
sprung up nearby. This house had tremendous character.
I am not a decorator and will be the first to admit it.
Personally, I didn’t see what was wrong with putting an orange
bean bag chair in the living room. I guess it was something
about traditional styling and an emphasis on forest green. My
wife is only marginally better at home decorating than me, but
she emphatically threw out the bean bag.
Fortunately, we have a family friend who is a near genius with
decorating ideas. She can pluck items out of the trash and put
them together in such a way that Better Homes And Gardens would
include them in a pictorial feature layout. Home décor is a
hobby for her and she jumped at the chance to take on the
challenge of our new old house. I asked her about the bean bag
and got only a chilly stare in response.
Our goal was to decorate the house a little differently. We
wanted to reflect its character. We wanted the house to be just
a little different. We wanted it different, but not too
different. We weren’t to the point of Japanese screens and
seating ourselves with pillows on the floor. We called on our
friend to help out.
When our friend got to the dining room, she suggested Roman
blinds, also called roman shades. She ticked off the reasons.
+ First, they were classy and different. The fabric of the
shades could be made from the same material as the table cloth
and would go well with our antique dining room set.
+ Second, the dining room of the old house had non-standard
sized windows. After measuring them she announced it would be
hard to find curtains or blinds to fit them. Blinds, curtains
or shutters would have to be custom made.
+ Third, the house has beautiful native oak woodwork. We had
just finished stripping layers of paint accumulated over the
past century. The wood had been conditioned, sealed and
finished. It had beautiful graining. We didn’t want to cover it
up with curtains or drapes.
+ Finally, she could make them and save us some money. She is
very talented at making curtains and shades.
Those reasons sounded good to me. Especially the last one. When
you take on the project of buying and restoring an old house,
saving money becomes a real test.
A Description of Roman Shades
A roman shade is a rectangle of fabric that can be lowered at
will. It rises in even folds. These folds are created by a
system of rings, cords and horizontal battens. When the shade
is lowered completely down it is a flat panel, although some
styles have slight folds at each batten. The shade hangs from a
board attached to the top of the window frame and hangs within
the window framework. This board can also be fastened to the
wall above the window, if so desired.
Our friend chose to line the panels of our shades. She did this
to provide some additional insulation for the windows. The
bitter winter winds, known to sweep across the fields and
forests in our part of the world, rattles the windows and draws
heat from even the best built homes. Lined shades were just one
more barrier to help maintain interior temperatures.
Where You Might Use Them
Roman shades can be used in almost any room where you might
consider mini blinds or some other type of shade or blind. They
can be made from almost any fabric and either be lined or
unlined. As sheers, they can be used in combination with drapes
to give a formal dining room and special touch of grace. In a
bedroom they are excellent for room darkening and privacy.
Our friend was able to make the shades for our dining room
windows. They hung in folds about eight inches wide, which are
about as wide as you would want. Although I did not previously
know what roman shades were, I found out there were dozens of
patterns available for making them. As a courtesy, I suppose, I
was asked for my thoughts on which pattern to choose. (My
suggestion was promptly discarded. I think it landed next to
the bean bag.)
Anyone with a sewing machine and a little talent can make their
own roman shades. Home decorating books, magazines and websites
have patterns available, as do sewing supply centres. Talent
with a sewing machine is not required, of course. There are
also a number of stores and e-stores that have these shades for
sale in either standard or custom sizes and in your choice of
fabrics and colours.
When our friend got done with decorating the dining room and
hanging her shade creations, the effect was just what we
wanted. The room had a rich feel to it that went perfectly with
the styling of the old house and the furniture we placed in it.
The roman blinds were eye catching and different without being
strange or out of place. First-time visitors always stopped for
a second look and complimented them, which nice.
In the meantime, I hid the bean bag chair in the old barn. I
have to admit that it didn’t go with the current home décor,
but you never know...
About The Author: The writer Peter Wilson distributed a lot of
articles for the http://www.shades-blinds-shutters-guide.com
internetsite.
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