Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a safe and fun merriment in bringing in the New Year!
I tend to keep things simple at home with a few close friends, good food and a bottle of champagne.
Over the holidays, I made and installed a couple of projects for two clients that involved custom fabric Roman shades. These shades have become very popular.
More formal spaces might require a layered look or drapery panels dressed nicely on a decorative rod with finials, but more casual rooms might consist of a simple treatment that will help to not only add a pop of color or pattern, but also help to block out the harsh rays of the sun.
I sometimes do a soft shade with a sheer fabric. Especially if the view is important to see through the treatment. This might also turn into an Austrian type shade that gives flowing layers and texture.
However, most Roman shades I design are lined with a blackout lining. Not to confuse anyone, this blackout lining is white, but it blacks out the light. There are a variety of blackout linings.
Some do allow some light to penetrate, but I prefer 100% blackout. I sometimes use a brown, black or beige lining if using a sheer fabric that might require another color other than white.
In using a blackout lining, it not only blocks out the sun, but it allows the face fabric to be as it appears, without the sun to bleed through and create shadows and weaken the pattern or color.
Shades usually have a cord that can raise or lower the shade to the desired position. Sometimes my clients might upgrade to a motorized shade that can raise or lower at the touch of a button, but the price is not for the faint of heart!
I would like to share the first client’s project featuring custom fabric shades and custom chair slipcovers. I coordinated the fabrics in the chair fabric, although being a polyester performance fabric, it appears to be a linen in a soft spa blue, plays nicely off of the geometric pattern we chose for the shades.
This serene look will last a long time as it is easy to layer other decorative items in the rooms of this open floor plan.
Considering the long bank of windows, the shades really helped to warm up the space by softening the wall of glass. Pulled up the shades offer a sort of top treatment and when lowered, the rooms become private and free from the sun’s rays.
My next client was a little more daring. They wanted color and drama!
We found this really bold fabric that played well with the other elements in the room. The room was large and they were not afraid to bring some drama into the room.
Again, pulled up, the shade makes a nice topper. But when lowered it blocks out the sun and gives the room a lot of pizazz!
These types of shades are usually installed in the fashion that we call “inside mount.” This means that the shades are installed inside of your window trim.
As many homes have nice trim, it can really enhance the trim detail. There are cases when installing an “outside mount” shade is important.
If you don’t want the shade to block any light when pulled up, then you might like this installation option. Or maybe you have a lot of wall space above your window and hanging a shade above your window and trim might be a better balance?
