The decor world entered a pact of perpetual obsession with sharp-edged geometric patterns when ancient wool weavers introduced tartans and plaids. Fanned by the leaning of modern aesthetics towards simple shapes, this fixation has recently blown up, and rustic plaids have assumed modern palettes and configurations to straddle with new decor styles. So, whether you live in a countryside cottage, a suburb townhouse or a metropolis condo, there’s assuredly a plaid that will sync with your decor style and settings. The White Window’s curated collection of custom checkered, gingham, and plaid roman shades will prove it to you. But before you begin the exploration, spend a few moments with our in-house stylists who’ve got some practical advice to aid your venture.
Enhancing your Home’s Visual Appeal with Check/ Plaid Roman Shades
Beauty curated from symmetry and simplicity is a timeless allure. Unlike floral motifs and the like, which rely on randomness and complexity, checks, tartans and plaids rest on geometry, precision and regularity. But their sharp edges gently lose their austerity to the softness of fabric, adding to the casual charm of the home.
Let’s head on to explore the potential of checkered/ gingham/ plaid roman shades for your home, but here’s a key tip from our experts to bear in mind when selecting the fold style for your roman shades.
PRO TIP: Even though checks, plaids, and their stripes may ‘appear’ to be straight, they sometimes have minor asymmetries from the printing and weaving processes. But while these small flaws could go unnoticed on an uninterrupted surface (such as that offered by a back-slatted flat fold roman shade), a minor wave or tilt in stripes becomes more conspicuous when observed against the surgical straight lines made by the visible front slats. That’s why, we recommend back-slatted flat fold shades or European/relaxed roman shades for checks and plaids. These fold styles allow for a seamless show of pattern on the front, hiding any minor discrepancies in the pattern flow, while offering all the other benefits of a chic roman shade.
And now, let’s scout some ideas for your home and draw inspiration from tried-and-true methods of adding check/ plaid/ gingham roman shades to a space with style.
Add Rustic Charm to a Traditional Home
From Scottish tartans and buffalo plaids to ginghams and houndstooth, traditional country homes and farmhouses are a feast of countrified motifs of every kind. Earthy hues crisscross over upholstery, throws, pillows and sundry making a plaid roman shade an obvious addition to carry forward the theme. Bearing cultural and historical significance, these checkered roman shades not only throwback to antiquity but also relate to the ruggedness and natural palettes of the rural environs. Since plaids and tartans were originally spun in dark-hued wool and flannel, the tendency to associate them with warmth and comfort is natural, making them effortless symbols of homeliness.
So, if you are living in an English cottage or have styled your home in a typical farmhouse’s raw and rustic fashion, a checkered roman shade will be a great addition to add warmth, pleasance and casual elegance. Look out for checkered/ plaid roman shades like our Earth Angels and Wood Vibe that feature earthy and muted tones such as brown, moss green, stone blue, gray, clay red, and the like.
Adorn a Man’s Den with Straight-Lined Elegance
While the plaid mania has waxed and waned both in fashion and home decor over the decades, two places where they have remained constants, not seasonals, are men’s wardrobes and men’s dens. It’s because most curvy patterns tend to look feminine, complex and adorned whereas checks, plaids, and tartans align with masculine preferences such as sturdiness, non-complex shapes and rigid structure. Moreover, since plaids and tartans were originally designed in dark earthy tones and have been historically associated with military attire and outdoor workwear, they immediately read masculine, sealing their permanent candidature for cavernous and moody men’s spaces.
Further, when wrapped on a roman shade, the perfect angles of the checkered fabric get even more accentuated on the squarish silhouettes and straight edges of the roman shades, making them default accessories for men’s room decor on all counts. If you’re in the middle of a man cave designing project, where you’re personalizing the room to the favored themes, hobbies and interests of the occupant, a dark plaid/ tartan/ checkered roman shade like our navy blue Britannica or the deep gray Knight Fossil is assuredly the best way to round off his masculine tastes and preferences.
Top Up the Simplicity of a Contemporary Pared-Back Setting
While contemporary homes designed on the values of modern minimalism generally shy away from patterns, they - nevertheless - easily warm up to a carefully picked check/ plaid/ tartan. A simplistic low-profile plaid roman shade is an ode to the pared-back beauty of a minimalist home’s flush fittings, straight-lined finishes, and restrained application of color and adornment.
The simplicity, symmetry and precision of a checked roman shade align with the squarish shapes of minimalist homes besides manifesting a refined visual appeal. Look out for checks like tattersall and windowpane plaids that employ thin stripes at larger intervals in neutralized palettes such as beige, white, gray and black to stay in line with the streamlined language of the overall decor and architecture. For example, consider a checkered roman shade like Snow Penguins that features low-profile checks in a sweeping neutral palette. Or, August Grass that introduces just a hint of color for some visual interest to tie in with the accent tones of the room.
Deck Up a Holiday Home
Plaids and Christmas holidays are so inseparable that when you think of one, the other comes to mind instantly. It’s because of the long association of this pattern with warm fabrics like wool and flannel in items such as throws, blankets and jackets that are out for use throughout winter. Besides, their palettes rhyme with the colors of Christmas and carry a nostalgic element owing to their Scottish origins evoking both a festive spirit and a joyful reminiscence of times past as families gather to celebrate and dine together.
So, if you want to renovate a holiday home or put a timeless aesthetic touch on your family room decor, a tartan/ checkered/ plaid roman shade is just what is needed as the final finishing touch. It will bind together all the scattered accents of the room - the greens of the Christmas pine, browns of the dried acorns and the reds of the woolen stockings. So, get the palette right - look out for colors which resonate with the traditional palette of Christmas. Like, Waveland tartan roman shades that bring orange and blue accents on a deep red to point to the festivity of Christmas.
Pair with Curvy Motifs
Plaids and checks are in the world of patterns what neutrals like white, black and beige are in the world of colors. They are timeless, versatile, adaptable to all settings and not overbearing to the eye. You can pair them with any member of the pattern family - stripes, modern geometric prints, abstract prints, animal prints, polka dots, florals, botanicals - in short, let’s say ‘all’. So, if the room already has patterns or if you envision bringing in more patterns, rest assured that your plaid roman shade is going to blend in effortlessly.
But, you bring out their very best when you counter their sharp-edged beauty and mathematical precision with the organic shapes and asymmetry of floral prints and the curviness of round-edged patterns. So, bring in curvy motifs and invest some thought in their palette and scale to make sure that the patterns complement and not compete. If the plaid is large-scaled, go for small-scaled florals, and if the plaid is attractively colored, let the florals be in neutrals.
Complete a Rustic Kitchen with Ginghams and Buffalo Plaids
Our sojourn in the world of plaids and checks cannot close without a special mention of ginghams and buffalo checks. They are the same pattern, in essence - vertical and horizontal stripes of equal width intersecting to make a checkerboard pattern. But they vary in scale - ginghams are minuscule and buffalo checks come in medium to large size dimensions.
These idyllic motifs, almost as old as the skill of weaving itself, were staples in old country kitchens, just like their porcelain plates, cast iron skillets and hand-hammered copper kettles. Therefore, those who want the same aesthetic flavor of a classic rural kitchen in their contemporary settings should be keen to deck the windows with made-to measure buffalo check/gingham roman shades that team up with their tea towels and table skirts. Olive green-white Royal Salad buffalo check roman shades and burnt orange-white Salenstein gingham roman shades are two examples from our collection. There are many more colorways available, so look out for those that align with your kitchen’s palette.
In Closing
Checks, ginghams, tartans and plaids are truly some of the most versatile patterns that promise to add unique personality and simple elegance to any space, provided that you make a wise choice of colors, details and configurations. From modern chic black-and-white checks and masculine-style dark plaids to country-style cotton ginghams and holiday-vibe tartans - you can find your heart’s desire in The White Window’s curated collection. So go on, explore, shop and enjoy!
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