Roman shades with a softer, tailored look

When a Roman shade is the right call

Roller shades are clean and almost disappear. Roman shades do the opposite: they add texture and softness to a room. When raised, the fabric gathers into neat horizontal folds at the top of the window. They're a natural fit in bedrooms, dining rooms and dens, and in homes with stone, wood and warm finishes, from timber-frame houses in Park City to the chalet-style homes around Midway.

Fold styles

• Flat fold: a smooth panel when lowered, with crisp folds when raised. The most tailored look.
• Soft or relaxed fold: fabric that drapes in gentle loops, for a more casual, layered feel.
• Hobbled: folds that stay cascading even when the shade is down, for a fuller, traditional room.

Linings change everything

The same fabric behaves very differently depending on the lining. An unlined Roman shade filters light and lets the weave show. A privacy lining hides silhouettes at night. A blackout lining turns a Roman shade into a bedroom shade, though, like any fabric shade, a little light can show at the edges. In sunny mountain rooms a lining also protects the face fabric from fading. We'll help you match lining to the room.

Fit and stack

Roman shades need some room at the top of the window, because the folded fabric "stacks" there when raised. On short windows that stack can cover part of the glass. We measure the depth and height of each window and tell you how much of the opening the raised shade will cover, so there are no surprises. Very wide windows may need to be split into two shades.

Cordless and motorized

Cordless lift systems keep cords out of reach of kids and pets. For tall or hard-to-reach windows, battery-powered motorized Roman shades can share remotes, apps and schedules with the motorized roller shades elsewhere in the house. For rooms that need more light control, compare cellular shades and blackout shades.