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Layering Roman Shades with Curtains
Image by My Texas House
Nothing can add a sense of security, comfort, and opulence to a room as a soft window treatment. And layering – combining two sets of treatments on a window – only doubles this good thing. Besides improving flexibility with privacy and light control functions, layering adds visual depth to the room. Among various chic combinations, layering roman shades with curtains is perhaps the coziest one since both are fabric treatments. If you want to beautify your windows with this technique and are looking for some guidance, this blog can greatly help you.
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Key Benefits of Layering Roman Shades with Curtains
Image by Ruger Design
Both homeowners and interior designers alike opt for layering roman shades with curtains for aesthetic reasons, among many other benefits. The most popular combination is sheer roman shades in the back and opaque drapery in the front, though clients experiment with different arrangements depending on their aesthetic vision and functional priorities. And why not, good reasons abound.
Versatility: Interior designers love to offer their clients multiple options to meet a requirement whenever possible. Having roman shades that open upward and curtains that open sideward, and the ability to combine a layer of sheer roman shades at the back with a set of opaque curtains in front enables clients to have more alternatives for light control settings.
Doubly ensured privacy: Opaque window treatments guard privacy like no other. But here’s the downside of a single-layered, opaque window treatment. With a single layer of opaque curtains or roman shades – you can either only have all the privacy or all the light at any given time. Therefore, adding a second layer that is sheer or semi-sheer is worth the deal. The sheer layer allows you to maintain privacy without having to sacrifice the lovely daylight. And you can simply draw the second, opaque layer when you need room darkening and extra privacy.
Softening and comforting: The modern minimalistic trend of keeping bare full-height windows shows off the architectural finesse and the intense landscaping. But this is neither everyone’s taste nor the most practical solution for every home; the hardy concrete begs for softening elements. And roman shades combined with the curvy ripples of drapes are just the thing a modern home needs to soften straight lines and hard corners.
More light control: Although inside mounted roman shades that are in close proximity to the window are in a better position to resist heat, the mild light leaks from the edges can be annoying for some. The drapes on the front, blackout or ordinary, help immensely to contain them and also offer more effective room-darkening for night hustlers and kids for daytime naps.
High insulation: In places that face extreme weather conditions, the duty to debar the elements must not be burdened on a single layered window treatment. The proximity of roman shades to the window helps it to combat heat at its entry point, and drapes – with all the extra fabric that rich pleating demands – are also well-armored to combat harsh climates. The duo, when together become terrific insulators than when left to themselves.
READ MORE: WHAT ARE ROMAN SHADES: A COMPLETE GUIDE
How to Get There
Image by Shelley Morris Interiors
You must be convinced now that double layering is not so much about maximalism as about greater flexibility and more choices. And yet, they also need to meet the expectations of the visual sensibilities. So, if you’ve navigated to the surface and know for sure that you want to layer your roman shades with curtains, it’s time to show you the two ways to get there:
- Allow both shades and drapes to share the functionality equally. This option is for those who are looking for multiple options for light control and privacy assurance. Both cover the entire window’s span and can be opened and closed fully with ease as well as work efficiently to provide privacy and light control.
- Keep one for function, and the other for largely decorative purposes. If you want your shades to fulfill an ornamental purpose, you can choose between faux roman shades and relaxed shades. Faux shades cover almost a fourth of the window and work like valances. Relaxed shades cover the entire window and look great with scalloped bottoms but need some help to form the folds when drawn up, making them better candidates for windows that don’t need to be operated frequently, and where shades act primarily as a decorative element. Similarly, drapes can be used for decorative purposes, only to frame the window on the sides. Stationary narrow drapes can be installed on side mount rods to bracket the window. They cannot be opened further but do help to contain the light leaks from the edges of the roman shades.
Depending on the level of light control and privacy requirements, you can choose one of the two alternatives. Whichever one of the two is your choice, here are some great styling tips to help your window treatment blend with the overall decor as well as fulfill the functional aspect most efficiently.
Pair Two Solids
Image by Cuff Studio
Design both the roman shade and the curtain in solid-colored fabrics. You can either pick the dominating and accent hue of your decor or choose hues that either complement or contrast each other while adhering to the general color palette. An important matter to consider is which color you wish to be seen all the time. Curtains are visible even when they are closed but shades go out of sight when drawn up.
Since both surfaces are plain, they will fare better to the senses with some trims on the lead edges to add an element of visual interest and tactility. Choose from among solid, textured, and patterned ribbon trims, casual and playful pom pom trims, and formal and intricately woven gimps, fringes, braids, and tassels.
READ MORE: SOLID COLOR CURTAINS FOR A SOLID LOOK TO YOUR WINDOWS!
Pair Solids and Patterns
Image by Caitlin Moran Interiors
Double layering presents an opportunity to introduce patterns to the room décor. But it is advisable to avoid keeping both layers in patterns because they will be uneasy to the eye. If however, one is very subtle, you might succeed in pulling off a good look, but the safer option is to pair patterns with solids. So, depending on whether you like to see the pattern or the solid all the time, you can choose whether your shade or your drapery should be dressed in patterns.
Let the pattern accents either match the color of the roman shade or of the wall. It is not necessary to make a perfect match; even if they just belong to the same color family, the result will be awesome. If you want the window treatment to stand out as a whole, tie up the solids and accents in perfect coordination with each other keeping stark contrast with the wall color. If you want a lesser impact, let the solid color match without distinction with the wall, and the pattern can accent them.
SHOP NOW: CUSTOM PATTERNED / PRINTED ROMAN SHADES FROM SPIFFY SPOOLS
Pair Sheers and Opaque Fabrics
Image by Kate Marker Interiors
The ability to switch between a full-lit room and a totally darkened one without compromising privacy can only be made possible by layering. The sheer layer blurs the inside view for outsiders but keeps the outside view still accessible from the inside. The second layer in a blackout or ordinary fabric ensures privacy during the night. You can either choose to go with opaque shades and sheer curtains or sheer shades with opaque curtains.
If you opt for sheer shades in the front-slatted style the slats will be visible, but most clients count that as a special character of the shade. If you’re sure that your shade will be left closed most of the time and you like to see a gracefully arching bottom for the shade, the relaxed style is the right pick.
If you opt for sheer drapes and want them drawn all the time, choose heading styles like rod pockets or back tabs that stay tight. If you want to operate them often, choose any style that hangs on rings/clips that guarantee ease of movement.
SHOP NOW: CUSTOM BLACKOUT ROMAN SHADES FROM SPIFFY SPOOLS
In Closing
Despite the wows that double-layered window treatments get, deeper consideration is advised in certain situations:
- Small windows and narrow spaces may not be ideal for such an extensive window treatment as they can easily overwhelm a small area.
- Windows that have no free wall space under them don’t look great with both shades and curtains standing at sill-length. The drapes should ideally be placed quite higher than the window and fall up to the floor for an aesthetically pleasing configuration.
- Windows that have no space on the sides will end up accommodating the stacking room of drapes, blocking that much of the ingress for light and air.
- When layering roman shades with curtains, the shade is placed in an inset position and the curtain mounted on the wall. But with shallow windows that are not deep enough to mount the shade, the only option is to mount it outside. So, if you want to add drapes as a second layer, the outward projection will be more.
Barring these very exceptional cases which might need a bit of tweaking or a different window solution, roman shades layered with curtains are a great place to be in.
In order to fully enjoy your stay at home, it is important that your window treatments be not just aesthetically pleasing but also fully efficient in meeting your specific needs. This blog endeavored to give you a complete bird’s-eye view of the topic of layering roman shades with curtains. Following this guide, you’ll definitely achieve the goal, and the collections at Spiffy Spools which promise variety and quality are sure to satisfy your deepest design aspirations. So, make up your mind on the layering aspect and shop for roman shades and curtains for your home today.
