What Are Roman Blinds?

Roman blinds are a popular alternative to curtains, and thanks to their practicality and good looks they are also a great way to add a personal touch to your home. This style of blinds is functional and easy to use, with the fabric lying flat over the window, forming into pleats at the bottom when you raise it up with a cord. Read on for tips to help you find modern Roman blinds to suit your taste and budget.

Patterned Roman Blinds fitted to a bedroom window

The history of Roman blinds

As the name suggests, Roman blinds have been around for a long time. Originally invented to keep the dust out of homes at the height of the Roman Empire, they began life as simple, flat window coverings. Since that time over 2,000 years ago, Roman blinds slowly evolved to become more elaborate and functional in design. So, the blinds you choose for your home today have a long and impressive heritage!

Types of Roman blinds

Roman blinds are such a simple and versatile design, they can be made with a wide variety of different fabrics, including cotton, polyester, linen and wool. Ideally, the fabric should be a mid-weight, not too lightweight (or the blind will be too floppy and won’t hold its shape).

There are some variations in the design of different Roman blind styles.

Here are the main types for you to choose from:

  • Stacked Roman blinds. These are so-named because when the cord is pulled, they create a ‘stack’ of identical pleats that are lined up on top of each other, hidden from view. This style is great for a clean, practical look.
  • Waterfall Roman blinds. This is a more elaborate alternative to stacked blinds. Instead of tucking away each pleat underneath the last, waterfall Roman blinds create a layered effect with the pleats cascading down.
  • Relaxed Roman blinds. These don’t fit straight across the window, but dip slightly in the centre – for a more ‘relaxed’ style.
Deep pink Roman Blind in a Child's bedroom

Benefits of Roman blinds

There are many good reasons to choose Roman blinds for your windows.

Benefits of Roman blinds include:

  • Easily adjustable, so you can change the amount of sunlight that comes into the room at different times of the day
  • Protection from draughts, keeping you more comfortable and making your home more more energy efficient – whether you want to keep the heat in or out
  • A great option to provide privacy from the outside world, as they fit closely to the window and can be closed all the way down
  • Durable and hardwearing – all you’ll need to do is regularly clean your Roman blinds to keep them at their best
  • Good looking, with a wide variety of different colours, patterns and styles available to complement your home decor
  • All Roman blinds from Allegro are child safe, offering peace of mind for you in your home

Get in touch

Add a personal touch to your home when you choose to come to Allegro Blinds. We supply and install the best window solutions suited to your all important styles, tastes and budgets.

To find out more about our range of fitted Roman blinds or to arrange a free home visit and quotation across St Albans, Watford, Harrow, Welwyn and Dunstable/Luton, please contact your local branch or send us an enquiry.