Roman Blinds Online: Information & Tips

Roman Blinds...

Window treatments are something that all of us want and need, and it seems the possibilites are endless!

That is why I've created this special page...to share information on window blinds and Roman Blinds. Roman blinds are a very popular option, and for good reason!

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A New Look for Your Home with Blinds

When considering window treatments, the trend has been to consider and eventually go for blinds and shades instead of curtains and draperies.

There have been two main reasons why curtains and draperies have declined in popularity, to the advantage of blinds and shades. For practical reasons, curtains and draperies have been relegated to second choice. They are simply difficult to maintain and it is a task to keep them clean. Furthermore, since they are made out of cloth, they tend to absorb all smells present in the room. Thus, they need to be laundered every so often, especially if they are in rooms where tobacco smoke is present. Also, they look bulky and make the whole room feel stuffy. With climate change gearing towards extreme conditions, curtains and draperies tend to look out of place especially during very hot summers. Curtain window treatments are still certainly favored for rooms that need to exude a stately and formal image. The trend with designing living spaces these days would be to make areas warm yet casual, well put together yet a bit quirky, and elegant yet cozy. Thus, blinds have taken over as the window treatment of choice among more homes these days.

When shopping for blinds, you may be the kind of shopper who focuses first on aesthetics rather than technical aspects like measurements and quality of stitching. If you are the aesthetic-conscious kind of shopper, you need to make sure that you will incorporate the design theme of the entire space. Blinds can be a good unifying piece to put together the colors and textures of the decorative pieces in a room. But after considering the look of the blinds, make sure that you also get the blind with the right measurement. You would not want to install blinds that are too long or too short for your window.

When getting the perfect blinds for your home, look for something that would be reasonably priced. If your budget allows you to go with an expensive product, then by all means, try to buy it. Otherwise, you need to remember that, just like with other things, you get what you pay for. Cheap blinds may only last you for a couple of years, and eventually, the colors may get tarnished, or some of the parts may come off. Moreover, blinds that are too cheap may be difficult to install and may unravel anytime. But you do not need to worry as even blinds of the highest quality are still more affordable even when compared to other window treatments like draperies and curtains. As they are quite affordable, you may even afford to buy two sets so that you can change the treatment of your window, for example, once a year.

There are so many different blinds made out of a lot of different materials – bamboo, plastic, fabric, reed, and wood among others. Choose from these materials to make your blinds blend with the theme of the room you are going to install them on.

Blinds: How to Choose and Buy Them

If you have chosen blinds to be the window treatment scheme for your house’s windows, then congratulations.

Choosing blinds over other kinds of window treatment like drapes and curtains is quite a wise decision that should give you a lot of advantages. For one, they are easy to clean and maintain. Drapes and curtains need to be washed to get rid of the dirt, as well as any odor that gets stuck to the curtain cloth. In the case of blinds, they just need to be wiped with a moist rug to get rid of any dust or dirt and be sprayed with a solution that makes them smell good. Moreover, blinds come in different varieties and styles and made up of different materials, colors, and textures, that you will not find any difficulty in choosing one that fits your taste and the design aesthetic of the space. Lastly, they are quite affordable that even blinds of the highest quality are still cheaper than curtains with questionable quality.

So, if you are raring to buy blinds, here are some suggestions on how to get them:

First, you need to decide on some specifics of the blinds you are planning to buy. As mentioned earlier, they come in different varieties, so decide first what to buy. The first consideration would usually be the orientation. Are you going to buy vertical or horizontal ones? Horizontal blinds are recommended for small rooms and bedroom. They are more effective in blocking light, which should be great for people who don’t like too much light coming from outside sources when they want to sleep. Meanwhile, the vertical variety should be better for bigger windows. Horizontal blinds are rolled up and if the window is long, you might find the effort of rolling horizontal tiles a bit taxing since the blinds would be very long to match the length of the window.

Second, budget is of course, a main consideration. Don’t scrimp too much on blinds, as they are not that expensive compared to curtains, as mentioned earlier. If you are looking for affordable varieties depending on material, try aluminum mini-blinds. Blinds made out of wood are usually the most expensive type. Always consider that if you are to get your blinds from the internet, you need to pay for shipping and handling. Don’t forget to factor that into your budget

In connection to the second point, choosing the material would come next. Aside from price, different materials have different characteristics, some of which would be desirable according to your personal needs and preferences. The textures of most materials also ultimately affect their ability to complement the rest of the space’s décor. If you are looking for materials that come across as warm and cozy, try fabrics in earth colors or wooden and bamboo varieties. On the other hand, if you would like a more formal and stately look for your room, vertical blinds made out of vinyl in solid colors should do the trick.

Lastly, don’t forget to take note of the measurements of your window. Blinds that do not fit well in the windows that they are supposed to treat will ruin the entire look of your space. The windows are a focal eye point that everyone who is looking at a room will notice first. If your blinds don’t fit well, the sense of balance in the room’s design will be lost.

Why Choose Roman Blinds for Your Window?

There are so many reasons why Roman blinds have become one of the most popular window treatments these days. Let’s look into the reasons why these types of blinds have achieved its share of fans.

For one, the unique orientation of Roman blinds makes them aesthetically appealing. They press flat against any window makes it look very clean and streamlined. Moreover, the flatness of the blinds when they are drawn down makes them easy to clean. Maintenance is a breeze as you can just use a rag or a spray cleaner when the blinds are fully extended. No corner is hard to reach and takes forever to clean.

This flat orientation of Roman blinds also makes them effective light diffusers. As they flatten up against the window, their measurements are made precisely to fit the window frame, making them block out as much light from the outdoors as possible. Roman blinds are thus very effective for people who want to block sunlight in their rooms as they have to sleep during the day. People who work in the night shift might as well have Roman blinds in their bedrooms so that they can have peaceful sleep without being disturbed by any sunlight glare. Moreover, the toned down outdoor light can make the house’s interior more cozy and romantic. If you want to create a more scintillating atmosphere in any part of your house, Roman blinds should be the answer to your prayers. This kind of window treatment will allow you full control if you want all light to come from interior sources, allowing you to manipulate the lighting situation of the rooms better. Of course, if you would like cheerful sunlight to back the rooms, all you need to do is to raise the blinds up. But if you are in the mood for a dimmer room, Roman blinds would be your ally, as opposed to other window treatments that still allow slits of light from outside to get into your house.

Roman blinds should also come handy for offices and spaces for work and entertainment. If you have a computer screen or huge plasma TV, you wouldn’t want unnecessary glare to ruin your work or viewing experience. If you still want a nice outdoor view, you can adjust the blinds to allow it while still blocking any source of glare. With other window treatments, this is almost impossible since they are oriented vertically, and you will need to bear with having the view totally blocked but still have pesky thin slices of light coming in.

The flat orientation of Roman blinds also work in your favor when you need to pull them up. Most window treatments look bunched or bulky when they are rolled up or gathered to the side. As for Roman blinds, they transform into folds and pleats when they are rolled up, making them look neat and organized.

Lastly, Roman blinds simply have a great look to them. They can look professional and decorative at the same time. Most other window treatments tend to be either to artsy or too boring. That’s not the case for Roman blinds.

Making Roman Blinds

Roman blinds are types of window treatments that, like curtains, hang from the top of a window frame. Bars that are horizontal in orientation are threaded at the back of the blind at measured intervals.

To operate the blind, there is a cord that runs at the backside of the blind which are sewn from one end of the horizontal bars to another. Once you pull the cords, the bars are raised to the higher portion of the window which makes the fabric pleated. The cords should be secured if you want the blinds to remain raised. If you want to lower the blinds, release the cords and the blinds go down.

Why choose Roman blinds over any other window treatment? There are actually many reasons to do so. First, Roman blinds can be done by anyone who wants to do a DIY project. They are very economical to use because only a few materials are needed to make them. They also look polished and do not really take up too much space as they are made to fit windows perfectly. Expensive fixtures such as curtain tracks are a thing of the past, since blinds can be fit to the frame just by using Velcro material.

Making Roman blinds is not that complicated. Simply have material (any fabric) and measure it so that you can leave a 5 centimeter (width) and 10 centimeter (length) margin. You will also need five rods that should be thin and trimmed to measure the exact width of the blind. Don’t forget to hem the sides of the materials to the width measurement. Hemming can be done by machine or hand stitching. Make sure that the hemming thread matches the color of the material to make it discreet.

Then, you need to make rod pockets for the blinds. Measure the same width of lining material as the main material. Cut strips measuring 9 centimeters of the lining material, and fold the lining in half vertically and fold each side to meet in the center. Now, you have the rod pockets. Stitch them through the open end unto the rear end of the blind. Leave one end of the pocket open so that you can thread the rod in this end. The bottom of the pocket should be hemmed by 2 centimeters. Check the length against the window to make sure that the exact length is followed. Then, attach the Velcro by sewing its rough side across the blind’s top. Secure a wooden rod, fix it to the window frame using screws, and stick the Velcro to it.

Go back to the 5 thin rods and sew a tiny ring to each rod’s end, measuring up to 2 centimeters in from the edge. In the wooden rod where you attached the Velcro to, put eyelet screws at the same measurement as on the blind. Hang the blind so that you can measure the length of the cord needed. Once you measured the cord, threat it through the rings and attach it strongly to the bottom rod. This can be done by tying to the ring securely. Tie the cords in such a way that they are long enough to hang down and easy to be pulled. Thread a large bead or cord weight to finish the cord. Attach a hook to the sides of the window where the cord could be wound for it to be secured.

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