Bedroom Roman Shades & Window Blinds: Top Tips, Ideas & Photos

 

If you want your bedroom to evolve into a cozy cavernous spot where light flees and sleep reigns, its window treatments must be the ninjas of room darkening and flawless privacy. And, their game is further elevated if, after fulfilling these functions, they are also dripping oomph. Roman shades - by the very virtue of being functionally efficient while also offering endless fabric options - serve this mandate beautifully. 

Capable of featuring any color, pattern and finish, fabric roman shades are equipped to appease most decor styles and the rarest of tastes, attracting clients who look for bespoke window treatments for their bedrooms. Shades are especially popular in modern homes where the streamlined and architectural visual appeal of roman shades aligns best with the decor’s mandate of clean lines and simple sophistication. Being sill-length, roman shades are also preferred in bedrooms where space is at a premium or for windows that have heaters and furniture pieces underneath. And, that’s not all, roman shades make your bedroom safer for kids and pets, as they stack up away from their reach, leaving the floor free for their frolicking.

So, if you’ve come to The White Window looking for custom roman shades to style your bedroom windows, capitalize on this blog where our window shade experts share their trusted techniques for balancing function with visual appeal. On to their top tips - 

Define your Bedroom Roman Shades Aesthetic: Select Fabric Material, Palette & Pattern

 

Roman shades occupy prominent optical real estate in the bedroom, which is especially true if your windows are oversized. Whether you want to nail the modern chic, the traditional formal or something in between, your bedroom window shades can lead the bandwagon and set the tone. So, select a fabric that best embodies the sweeping aesthetic of your bedroom, and let the following tips aid you in the decision:

• FABRIC: For a bedroom that wants to look very dressy and formal, consider statement fabrics like silk and velvet. Nothing compares to silk’s lustrous delicacy or velvet’s plush-piled luxury when you want opulence to be the hallmark of your bedroom. On the contrary, if you’re looking to make your bedroom feel casual and loungey, opt for more homely fabrics like cotton, linen, high-quality polys and their blends. Not by luster, but by texture, these fabrics relay beauty with true pared-back modern sophistication, making them ideal for transitional and contemporary bedrooms.

• PALETTE: The palette of your bedroom roman shades can set the tone of your overall decor, as unlike other fabric accessories, shades typically occupy substantial space. Hence, featuring the key colors of your bedroom palette on your roman shade is advisable to tie the space together and make a cohesive visual statement. Be assured that you will not find a dearth of choice in our collection where everything from the most ethereal of pastels to the finest of brooding hues are arrayed. Whether you want a pristine white in true Scandinavian style, a deep blue for a nautical theme or a woodsy brown for a modern organic color scheme, you will find them all at The White Window.

• PATTERN: While the choice between plain and pattern hinges entirely on personal preferences, if you do wish to add pattern to your bedroom, let roman shades be your prime candidate. Their flat front surfaces transform the most ordinary pattern into an art piece, and when folded up - they ensure that the vibrance of the pattern is not too intrusive for a room that is envisioned to be quiet. Again, you will be spoilt for choice as you can find everything from the most sinuous damasks and florals to the most minimalist stripes and plaids here. So, whether you’re following the modern sleek aesthetic of the Japandi style or the vibrant pattern play of maximalist home decor, you will find a pattern that voices your decor style at The White Window.

Ensure Darkness with Optimal Choice of Fabric Material & Lining

 

While the aesthetic appeal of your bedroom roman shades is important, certain functional requirements of the bedroom enjoy equal priority. Privacy cannot be compromised here, and optimal light control for room darkening is non-negotiable. Therefore, the fabric of choice for your bedroom roman shades should ideally be thick and insulative, and if not, it should be bolstered with an insulative lining. 

No surprise, blackout shades - with their capacity to block light to a very high degree - are one of the top candidates for bedrooms. In addition to blocking light, they also muffle sound and assist the HVAC in maintaining the room’s temperature. 

And the good news - when shopping with The White Window - is that this does not mean limiting your choices to blackout ‘face’ fabrics only. In fact, by simply adding blackout lining behind, you can convert any non-blackout shade into a blackout shade, keeping the wide world of our diverse fabrics - from homely cottons to sumptuous velvets - open for choice.

That said, we do advise opting for the thicker and tight-woven versions of the face fabrics for higher insulation even if you’d be lining them with our blackout lining. Say, if you’re going for a casual look, choose a tight-knit linen instead of the conventional sheer linen, or a heavier cotton rather than an airy one. And, then add our blackout lining behind to reap all the benefits of blackout shades.

Fine-Tune your Decor Language: Pick the Most Suitable Fold Style

 

The overall visual appeal of the roman shade is not only decided by its fabric but also by its fold style. At The White Window, you can choose from three popular fold styles: the back-slatted flat fold style, the front-slatted plain fold style and the relaxed/ European style. We invite you to look into each style’s nuances in detail in our Roman Shades Style Guide. But, for now, let us throw light on which fold style can best embody your aesthetic vision.

The flat fold shades feature straight bottom hems and make even accordion-style folds that stack on the top in a neat pile. Together with the perfect-fit structure of roman shades, this style of folding serves a modern minimalist mandate of sleek finishes and clean lines. 

Of these, the front-slatted shades feature raised silhouettes of the slats on their frontage, which acts as a subtle pattern of horizontal stripes. This style is therefore highly recommended for plain/ textured shades as the ribbed contours can add an element of visual interest without taking away anything from the quietness of the fabric. 

The back-slatted flat fold style, on the other hand, has a clear and continuous frontage that is especially well suited to patterned fabrics. The plain, uninterrupted surface of the shade acts as a canvas on which the pattern’s lines and adornments are presented like a work of art, whereas raised silhouettes of the front-slat style could optically disrupt the flow of the pattern. This clean-frontage style is also suited to hardcore minimalist bedrooms where clients prefer unadorned folds to complement their plain roman shades.

The European fold style uses a more elaborate language of a scalloped bottom and softer silhouettes that convey a sumptuous feel. When on homely cotton, linen or sheer, this scalloped bottom translates into an enviable lazy charm that adds to the coziness of the bedroom. And, when on resplendent silk or velvet, it becomes a statement of extravagance, feminine elegance and formal flair. 

Hand in hand with the details of the fabric, the shade's structure and manner of folding vocalizes the underlying ethos of your design style. So, don’t miss the opportunity to stamp a bit of your own personality through a thoughtful choice of fold style.

Personalize for True Bespoke Elegance: Add Border Trims & Coordinated Treatments 

 

Since the bedroom is the most private room of the home, you can let it mirror your personality candidly. So, besides offering room to customize the roman shade to your taste with the choicest fabric, The White Window also makes it possible for you to add a few other personalized touches. Because, if you want to run the extra mile to make your bedroom unique, sumptuous and alluring, we’re excited to walk that stretch with you, with these special offers reserved for our clients -

• SHADE TRIMS: Haute couture is incomplete without complementing accessories, and so is a customized shade without suitable border trims. Pick an aureate tassel trim for a Victorian twist, a fluffy pom pom trim for a Bohemian flavor or a plain velvet ribbon trim for a modern appeal. These little adornments don’t only add zing to the decor, they also serve as the hallmark of tailor-made couture that only a well-loved bedroom can wear. 
• COORDINATED FABRIC TREATMENTS: Another layer of bespoke elegance can be brought about by coordinating other fabric accessories in your bedroom with your roman shades. Explore our pillows and cushions section and the fabric-by-the-yard section to pair matching and complementing fabrics from our collection with your bedroom shades. This step will go a long way in making your bedroom feel tied together on a theme and well put together. 

Eliminate Light Leaks: Mount the Shades Higher & Wider

 

Roman shades are typically mounted inside the window’s recess in made-to-measure sizes so that they fit the window frame with precision like a glove fits the hand. However, some clients prefer to mount their shades outside the window. Both mounting positions have unique features that can work in your favor and you can read more about them in our blog on Inside Mount Roman Shades Vs Outside Mount Roman Shades. Whichever position you choose, some light leaks at the edges of the shade are inevitable and this can be bothersome since you may be aiming for complete light control in a bedroom. To counter that, here are some recommendations:

• If you choose the ‘inside mounting position’, take the measurements with precision so that the shades may cover the window without leaving gaps at the seams. This will help to minimize light leaks around the profile of the shades. However, if you want flawless results, opt to layer your bedroom window blinds with framing curtains to cover the mild glow on the sides. More on this coming in the section below.
• If your bedroom roman shades are going to serve as standalone treatments, we recommend opting for the ‘outside mounting position’ to widen the coverage of the shades on all four sides. For this, measure the length and width of the window and add about 5-6 inches to each side when specifying the details in the order. Thus, the shade will overlap the window on all sides, minimizing light leaks at the edges of the roman shade and providing you with a more efficient room-darkening roman shade.

Double the Good: Layer Bedroom Roman Shades with Curtains

 

Designer interiors are carefully curated and layered, and if you want your bedroom to carry that same professional character, layer your roman shades with the soft elegance of drapes. It lends the unique aesthetic opportunity of mixing patterns, colors and texture. But, layering is not just an aesthetic statement. Using multiple layers of window treatments is also advantageous if you’re aiming for a high level of insulation with zero light leaks or for more versatile arrangements for light control and privacy. 

So, if your decor style aligns with the concept of layering, take advantage of this design technique that enhances both the functionality and the visual appeal of your bedroom. We bring you our clients’ top three favorite ways of layering bedroom roman shades with drapes, and you can choose the one that piques your heart:

• PATTERNED ROMAN SHADES AND PLAIN CURTAINS (OR VICE VERSA): In this combination, one of the layers takes on the duty of flaunting your favored pattern while the plain colleague echoes the accent hue of the pattern. The key point to bear in mind when deciding on the combination is that the flat frontage of roman shades is of particular advantage if you want to make your pattern the star of the show.
• SHEER ROMAN SHADES AND BLACKOUT DRAPES: Here, sheer roman shades offer the soft elegance apt for a bedroom while the blackout layer dons the more sumptuous and insulative coverage of drapes. The roman shades offer the first line of defense for privacy while the drapes frame them gracefully, coming into full swing duty only when room darkening is required.
• BLACKOUT ROMAN SHADES AND SHEER CURTAINS: In this arrangement, the sheer curtains ensure daytime privacy while the blackout shades remain mostly out of sight, neatly folded up. At night or during naptime, when the role of the blackout layer becomes significant, the shades can be folded down. Thus you can bank on the idyllic beauty of sheer curtains to soften the bedroom visually while using your blackout roman shades most effectively for their function.

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