Roman Shades have been and are making a comeback. We are also noticing that designers are ordering them more and these shades are becoming more popular on design specs for hotels. This style will give windows the softness and style of drapery with less bulk and still be able to execute a modern or classic style. They're easy to operate and can give guests complete privacy when lowered.
What is a roman shade? In the most simple terms, a Roman shade is a window covering made out of fabric that can be raised or lowered by a chain or motorized system. When you raise a Roman shade it stacks evenly creating folds in a horizontal fashion. These can be lined with blackout or dim out material for privacy.
There are a few styles for Roman Shades but for hotels we recommend Soft fold and Flat Fold style ( due to high volume use).
Flat Fold: Fabric lays flat for a clean and minimalist look. This is a good choice if you have a patterned fabric and you don't want it interrupted with the loops. Flat fold uses less fabric and labor vs soft fold. This is the most popular choice among clients and designers. Horizontal seams adds design to solid fabrics and the seams allow the shade to close evenly so this a great choice if you're opening and closing frequently.
Soft/Hobbled: This is considered a traditional style that is constructed with loops of fabric all the way down the shade. The folds give you the roman look even when the shade is fully lowered. This style can still be used in a modern setting with a great fabric. This style does use more fabric and requires more labor ($).
Tips & Tricks:
Use a dustcap ( see photo on the right for reference) to cover lift mechanisms/hardware.
If mounting outside, cover at least 4" on each side to reduce as much light leakage as possible.
If mounting inside, keep in mind the finished size of the shade will be slightly smaller than the window width so there will be small spaces on each side (the lift mechanisms takes away shade width coverage) .
The wider the window, the heavier the shade becomes to lift/operate. You can make a roman shade any size you want but we recommend staying under 78'' inches for both width and length.