Modern Roman Shades: Styles to Upgrade Your Space
Roman shades are a classic window treatment—and for many, they have a formal appeal. The modern versions of Roman shades look and work very differently from the corded shades many of us grew up with.
Today's modern Roman shades have tailored folds in unique textures and prints. They look great even when lowered and they fold into clean pleats when raised. They can also run on an automated schedule with smart home compatibility.
At SunGard Window Fashions, we carry modern Roman shade collections in our Bloomington and Peoria showrooms. Here's how they compare, and how to tell whether a Roman shade or a roller shade suits your windows better.
Comparing Roman Shades vs Roller Shades
A roller shade is a single continuous panel that winds around a tube housed in a headrail. Lowered, roller shades are flat and minimal. Raised, they nearly disappear. That simplicity is why roller shades work so well in kitchens, bathrooms, and kids' rooms.
A Roman shade gathers its fabric into horizontal folds as it rises. Those folds give the shade dimension even when it's fully down, so the shade becomes part of the room's design instead of just a way to manage light. Most Roman shades stack at the top of the window, so a band of folded fabric stays visible when they're open.
Both are soft fabric shades, and both come in fabrics ranging from sheer to room-darkening.
Hunter Douglas Roman Shade Styles
- Vignette® Roman Shades: A modern Hunter Douglas shade with no exposed rear cords, so the shade looks as clean from the street as it does from your sofa. The Rolling Style offers a 4" full fold with soft, cascading curves or a 6" flat fold with crisp, tailored lines. For more control, a Top-Down/Bottom-Up design lets you lower the shade from the top for privacy with daylight.
- Carole Fabrics® Roman Shades: Part of the partnership between Hunbter Douglas and Carole Fabrics™, we offer Roman shade with the customizability of custom drapery, Carole Fabrics includes thousands of fabric and color options, from quiet solids to bold patterns, in Flat smooth panels, Front Fold and Reverse Fold pleats, Hobbled soft loops of fabric, or Slouch and Soft Roman relaxed folds for a customizable look you can match to Carole Fabrics drapery.
- Alustra® Woven Textures® Roman Shades: Made from globally sourced, textured weaves, including designs from textile designer Lori Weitzner.
- Provenance® Woven Wood Shades: Crafted from natural woods, reeds, grasses, and bamboo, so each one has its own character. Configurations include a classic Roman, a Waterfall Roman whose folds cascade down the face of the shade, and a Recessed Roman. Weaves range from rustic and textured to lighter woven fabrics.
Cordless Lift and PowerView® Automation
Motorization is especially useful with Roman shades, which often cover wide picture windows, tall stairwell windows, or windows behind a sink or sofa. All four collections offer cordless operating systems, which gives you a cleaner look and safer windows in homes with kids or pets. For the most convenience, all four also work with PowerView® Automation.
With PowerView® Automation, you can raise and lower shades from the PowerView® app, the Pebble® remote, or your smart home assistant.
See Modern Roman Shades in Person
Visit our Bloomington or Peoria showroom locations to compare them side by side. SunGard Window Fashions has been family-owned in Central Illinois since 1973, and our team handles measuring, ordering, and installation for you. Schedule a consultation near Bloomington or Peoria, and we'll help you find the right Roman shade for every room.
