Choosing a Fabric for Roman Shades

Roman shades are elegant and timeless. You can work them into nearly any decor, and they’re available in many color and fabric options. Once you’ve chosen the perfect color, how do you select the best fabric? Our designers at SunGard Window Fashions are sharing our best fabric choices and tips so you can create Roman shades you’ll love.

Fabulous Fabrics

When you pull a Roman shade up, the fabric bends into folds that form a stack at the top. Some fabrics are better suited to maintain the shape and structure of Roman shades than others. The ideal materials are tightly woven, medium-weight, and not stretchy.

• Linen: Linen is a lighter-weight fabric, but it’s perfect for Roman shades when tightly woven. Its durable, laid-back style gives homes a welcoming, lived-in vibe.
• Cotton: Another natural material, cotton is breathable like linen but doesn’t wrinkle as easily. Cotton has a refined look that can be styled to match formal and casual spaces.
• Cotton/Linen Blends: Fabrics made of cotton and linen blends are more sturdy and easier to maintain than either material on its own. Blends are the best of both worlds and a practical choice for many in-home applications.
• Silk/Faux Silk: Silk has a lustrous, high-end appearance, making it the ideal candidate for formal settings. Natural silk is incredibly delicate and can’t withstand intense heat, sunlight, or moisture. Faux silk offers the same aesthetic appeal but is much less fussy.
• Velvet: Velvet shades are plush and luxurious. The fabric practically demands to play a part in elegant, ornate areas of your home. It’s the heaviest fabric option and will function best on smaller windows.

Things to Consider

• Breathability: Breathable fabric allows air to circulate even when you close your Roman shades. It’s of particular importance in small rooms and humid spaces like bathrooms. Shades made of fabric that isn’t breathable will make a room feel stale and suffocating. Linen, cotton, and blends using these materials are the choices for maximum breathability. Remember that blends help to maintain the shade’s structure and will dry faster when exposed to moisture.
• The Room’s Aesthetic: You want your window treatments to blend well with your room, and the fabric will make a difference. Formal dining and sitting rooms look great with upscale materials, including silk and velvet.
• Frequency of Use: Heavier materials are harder to raise and lower, especially on larger windows. You may also want to avoid delicate fabric, like silk and faux silk, on windows that get lots of use, as silk requires more dressing and maintenance than a cotton or polyester shade.

Contact Us

Whether you want the clean aesthetic of Vignette® Modern Roman Shades, the refined look of Design Studio™ Roman Shades, or the highly curated fabrics from the Alustra® Woven Textures® Roman Shades collection, SunGard Window Fashions can help you design custom Roman shades for every window in your home. We’ve been a cornerstone of the community since 1973 and are your local go-to for Hunter Douglas window treatments, exterior awnings, and motorized window coverings. Call us today at (309) 663-6972 to schedule your in-home consultation. Our showroom is in Bloomington, IL, and we proudly serve all of Central Illinois.