Extra Wide Roman Shades for Large Windows: Top Tips & Ideas

 

To say that large picture windows, patio doors and bay window units are the finest features of any home is an understatement. These broad portieres welcome light and air, making the home feel bright, airy and spacious. So, there is no wonder that you were sold on expansive windows for your new home. However, finding the right-sized window blinds to meet your privacy, light control and insulation needs can be a challenge. If you’re scouring the market looking for extra-wide roman shades for large windows, rest assured you’ve landed at the right place.

At The White Window, you can not only order roman shades to your prescribed size, but also customize them to meet your preferred functionality and aesthetic. Yes, indeed! From choosing the desired fabric to adding preferred lining and embellishments, there is plenty of room to personalize your roman blinds to your taste and needs, besides the size. But before you get to shopping and personalizing, we invite you to go over the key aspects to consider when looking for extra-wide roman shades for oversized doors and windows. Stay with us! 

Fabric Joins & Pattern Flow

 

The prime allure of custom roman shades is that they can be tailored to the tee for even non-standard windows, no matter the length or width. However, with extra-wide roman shades, one should expect to see vertical joining seams as multiple fabric bolts have to be joined to attain the desired width. This is because most drapery-weight fabrics come in 137cm-wide bales, and for roman shades wider than this dimension, two or more bolts have to be sewn together. 

Fabric joins in extra-wide roman shades are a standard industry practice and, depending on the fabric, their visibility may be discreet or slightly more prominent. For instance, seams might be more conspicuous on a lustrous plain fabric, but flawlessly blend into the patterns of a matte finish roman shade. Similarly, a white sheer roman shade will show any seams more visibly than a darker-toned, medium-weight fabric roman shade. Rest assured, our team of seamstresses do their very best to offer a clean seamless transition and align patterns flawlessly, making the seams as discreet as possible 

HomeSewn Wisdom: Some printed fabrics, such as plaids, may not align perfectly because these prints often carry minor asymmetries from the printing process. While we assure you of the best efforts from our meticulous tailors, in rare cases, clients should expect to see minor mismatches when choosing patterns that feature horizontal stripes.

Weight of the Shade

 

The overall weight of a roman shade depends on the weight of the chosen fabric and lining. Extra-wide shades for large windows tend to be heavier than standard-size shades for obvious reasons, and more so if the face fabric is heavy and the shade is further lined with blackout lining. This excessive weight may take a toll on the support hardware and compromise the longevity of the shade in the long run, so we do not offer shades wider than 240 centimeters. 

Further, to maximize the life of a large shade and ensure smooth operation, clients can choose a medium or lightweight fabric to keep weight to a minimum. However, if you fall for a heavy face fabric, you can still keep the weight in check by skipping the lining or choosing privacy lining over blackout. The other option is, of course, to go for multiple shades, instead of one - and that takes us to the next point.

Number of Shades

 

While the need for extra-wide shades may have brought you to us today, they are not the only option for extra-large windows. You can also consider hanging multiple shades in narrower widths if that complements your taste and functional requirements. These are some thoughts to be kept in mind when deciding between one and more than one -

• The sweeping coverage of a single shade is desirable for draught-proofing the window. Aesthetically, it also helps to visually define a window bank as one unit, elevating the appeal of the entire space. When the shade is folded up, it also tends to look like a decorative valance, which would have not been the case with multiple panels. However, if the roman shade is too heavy, you can expect it to understandably wear over a period.

• Multiple roman shades offer versatility for light control and privacy. You can keep one shade open to let in light and air while keeping all others closed, whereas, a single shade would leave you with just two choices between all or nothing. However, on the flip side, this arrangement would require more work to fold up each panel individually when you want the full benefit of the view and light. Lastly, multiple panels often are not as cost-effective as single shades.

Depending on your preferences for flexibility of light control, budget and aesthetic appeal, you can determine the number of panels to go for. 

Palette & Pattern

 

Large window roman shades occupy considerable optical estate in the room, calling for a keen consideration of the palette and pattern. This means that, whatever the pattern and palette of the roman shade, it will very likely take the lead in your design narrative. So a plain neutral extra-large roman blind that matches the wall color will help script the unadorned aesthetic of a hardcore minimalistic home. While a personality-loving maximalist home will be best complemented by an attention-garnering scrumptious-colored, often patterned, roman shade. Further, not just the decor style or design intent, the proportionality of size of the roman shade to the scale of the room also matters. 

Therefore, to make the most of the generous scale of a large roman shade while endorsing your decor style and maintaining a visual balance, here are our top suggestions:

• For an extra-wide roman shade in a large room, consider the boldness of the palette and pattern carefully. Mild colors, low contrast patterns, and small and medium-sized patterns may get visually lost in the large frame of an expansive room. Whereas, if you introduce a dramatic color or amp up the scale of the pattern, you will have created a focal point without overwhelming the room. Besides, you do not have to worry about a large pattern being cut off abruptly, as you might with a small-size roman shade. So, if you wish to create a focal point in your design, go for a compelling pattern and/or color scheme, as the scale of the room will assuredly complement it.

• For an extra-wide large roman shade in a small room, be wary of introducing extra-large motifs, or patterns with stark contrast and loud colors as they can overpower the space and disturb the visual harmony of the room. Here, it is better to notch down the scale, palette and contrast level to maintain a visual balance in the room. Besides, if there already is a focal point in the room, you will be making sure that the roman shade does not compete with it for attention.

In summary, extra-wide roman shades give you the rare advantage of a grandiose canvas to make an impressive visual feat as opposed to small windows that leave you at a constraint to choose small or medium-scaled patterns to not look out of sync with the size of the window. However, whether you want your roman shade to feature a compelling palette or pattern should also be informed by the scale of the room and other focal elements already in the setting.

Fold Style

 

The White Window offers roman shades in three popular fold styles, catering to different aesthetic sensibilities - the back-slatted flat fold style, the front-slatted plain fold style and the relaxed/European style. You can read about each in detail in our Roman Shades Fold Style Guide. 

The choice of the fold style is made based on the choice of fabric and the decor style. But, over and above these aspects, when it comes to extra-wide roman shades for large windows, there are some more considerations to be made -

• The Back-Slatted Flat Fold Style offers a clean uninterrupted frontage and a streamlined structure that breaks into even folds. The slats sewn into the rear side provide support but remain completely out of sight. This style is, therefore, ideal for presenting patterns without the slightest visual distortion, doubling up the roman shade as a piece of wall art. It is also the hardcore minimalist’s dream - clean, chic and uncluttered. While this unadorned fold style looks great on small and medium-sized roman shades, it may appear too stark on extra-large roman shades featuring plain neutral hues as they will appear as nothing more than an enormous flat sheet when folded down. Instead, we recommend opting for other fold styles for plain fabrics whose structure can add visual interest and compensate for the plainness of the fabric.

• The Front-Slatted Plain Fold Style has a clean-lined squarish structure that effortlessly breaks into even-sized folds. It has pronounced contours due to its ‘ribbed’ frontage revealing the silhouettes of its supporting slats affixed to its rear side. This subtle pattern of horizontal lines greatly compensates for the lack of an alluring element on an extra-large plain roman shade. And therefore, the front slatted style is often chosen by clients who pick a plain/textured fabric. However, for patterned roman shades, the slat lines will cause visual interruptions, somewhat distorting patterns with large motifs or scattered layouts.

• The European Relaxed Fold Style is known for its signature scalloped bottom and gently curved folds. It remains an apt choice for a space cut out for luxury, casual charm, organic shapes, rustic themes and feminine aesthetic. This style is especially suited for extra-large roman shades as the expansive width of the roman shade and the accentuated weight enable it to form a deep swag. This soft fold style is apt for both plain and patterned fabrics.

Shop Extra Wide Roman Shades for Large Windows at The White Window

 

A wide window that frames a panoramic view of the cityscape or a teeming garden is what many homeowners desire to make their homes bright and stress-free. Adding a thoughtful window treatment to it improves the functionality of the space, enabling you to let light in at your will. Besides, being able to incorporate color and pattern into the room only helps to give a rich personality to the home. So, an extra-wide roman shade is the wisest addition you can make to top up the aesthetic as well as functionality of the space. Why wait, then? Visit our catalogue where more than 2000 premium fabrics are waiting to drench your massive windows in color and character. From the plush velvets and delicate silks to the breezy linens and casual cottons - find a piece that will speak to your decor style at The White Window today!