Choosing Custom Roman Shades – What You Need to Know

I have spent a small fortune on my custom Roman shades in the living room. My Roman shades were custom-made for me by my local Calico Corners.

I got three custom Roman shades in a creamy white fabric with a soft pink trim and also chose blackout lining for mine. I originally had no intention of getting any motorization for my shades.

Motorization ended up the neccessity to make them usable. More on that in this blog post.

This is a blog post detailing what you need to consider and the decisions you must make when spending money on custom, designer Roman shades.

Also, I got my Roman shades motorized about a year later. An in-depth discussion of that is in this blog post.

Where To Shop For Roman Shades

If you decide you want custom Roman shades for your home, you have several options, but you need to know what exactly you are looking for. Do you want plain? Or want patterned fabric? Do you want to trim? Outside mount, inside mount? Lining? So let’s dig into it.

You have about three options when buying Roman shades.

1. Roman Shades From Online Sources With Limited Options

This is probably the cheapest and quickest option. There are many online sources like Blinds.com that have a very straightforward ordering form where you have to enter dimensions, choose fabric, and hit purchase.

Your options are limited to what they offer as there are no patterned fabrics and pretty trims, but if it doesn’t matter to you, then you are fine.

Pros

• Cheapest
• Quickest
• You can get them motorized and automated from the manufacturer.

Cons

• You have to measure accurately. That can be scary!
• Limited fabric choices and no pretty trims
• Generic Look

In this blog post, we are going to focus on the following two options.

2. Semi-Custom Shades From A Local Source

I went with this option, as said earlier. I went to my local Calico Fabric store. Calico has fabrics and trims, and they also have knowledgeable sales associates who will help you pick the fabric and trim and put a design scheme together.

Calico has hundreds of curated fabrics and trims to choose from. This was immensely helpful for me because I don’t need 10,000 options, and I also need some guidance.

Calico has local craftsman connections, so your shades will be made locally. That also means that they can send a professional to measure. I paid a small fee that was credited towards the purchase.

It is worth it to pay a pro to measure. There is no free redo if you make a mistake.

Pros

• Design and color help for the custom shades
• Also, help with a cohesive design scheme for other upholstered goods in the room.
• In-person measure option by a pro for accuracy
• Talking to a person gives you confidence and helps make you feel at ease about your choices.

Cons

• Limited to their in-store fabric and trim choices
• Long lead times because these are custom-made by human hands.
• You are paying Calico’s mark-up that you wouldn’t have had you gone to the same local artisan directly.
• Overall, it’s pricey. I spent over $5500 for three of them. Yes!

3. 100% Custom Roman Shades With Designer Fabric

If you are a bit design savvy, you know, and want designer fabrics and trim from sources upscale such as Schumacher or Thibaut or others, this is the best option for you.

You can find a local mom-and-pop shop. They might have fabric choices, or they can order from you.

If you buy everything online like you do, then there are many vendors out there that can custom-craft your Roman shades for you.

I have heard good things about Lynn Chalk, who is on Etsy. I adore her Instagram page.

More than likely, you will need to take your own measurements and send your own fabric and trim.

Lynn says that she can also order the designer fabric at a nice discount for your curtains, so that’s good.

Pros

• Unlimited options
• Beautiful designer fabrics & a very upscale look
• One-on-one guidance from a pro

Cons

• Not for amateur shoppers. You have to know what you want.
• The sky is the limit when it comes to the cost because designer fabrics can be $$$$$
• Long lead times

Choosing The Lining For Your Roman Shades

This decision needs a little bit of thought, and I wish I had someone to help me because, as I said, this is an expensive endeavor.

Light Filtering Lining

This is my personal opinion. This lining is a good option for you IF –

• You don’t want complete privacy, and you would prefer light filtering through
• Privacy is not a requirement for congregating spaces, so it’s a perfect choice for a living room or a family room.
• You are not worried about the sun baking your house and raising your cooling bill in summer. Light = Heat
• If you plan to hang out in the room while the shades are down, you definitely need light coming through unless you like caves.

In short, it’s a great choice for most people.

Blackout Lining

I chose blackout lining for my custom shades even though it’s a living space, and privacy is not an issue at all.

I think these are the reasons you would want to choose a blackout lining

• If it’s a bedroom and you need the darkness for better sleep & you need privacy
• Your house has the sun beating down through the windows, and your AC is working non-stop in summer.
• You need to protect your furnishings and rugs, etc., from the sun fading them.
• If it’s a living space and you are not home (at work) all day, AND you want to keep the house cool while you are not home. Blackout lining will turn the room into a cave, but who cares if nobody’s home?

For reasons two & three, I chose blackout lining. We also have a beautiful view of the Mighty Mississippi River from our windows. We would never close the blinds while we are home, and privacy is not an issue as we have no neighbors nearby.

When we are not home, I would like to minimize sun damage and blackout shades to block most of the light. I thought long and hard about my own choices, and it took me a while to appreciate my own choices.

Inside vs. Outside Mount

You will see Roman shades installed above the window trim. That’s outside mount. This style will cover the entire window, including the top and side frames.

The inside mount is exactly as it says. The shade is perfectly inside the frame.

This is also a matter of personal preference and whatever look you like. I like the inside mount.

Outside Mount Is A Great Choice IF

• Smallish windows, and you want to make them look bigger than they actually are – it’s a designer trick.
• You don’t plan to use heavy fabric and trim and make them extra weighty and hard to operate (more on that later)
• If your fabric is of contrasting color to the casing color – my opinion.
• You have 3″ or more space above the window to accommodate the outside mount.

Inside Mount Is The Best Option IF

• You have large windows – Mine are 74″ long and 74″ tall. I don’t need my windows to look any larger than what they are.
• You chose a heavy fabric and lining with heavy trim. Smaller size = less weight. This will make opening and closing easier.
• If your fabric and window casing are of similar color, you won’t see a harsh line between the two.
• You can’t have an outside mount if you don’t have a minimum of 3″ space above the window. I barely had 3″, so I chose not to risk it.

Choosing Your Pulley Style

You have the option of a cord or continuous beaded loop chain to operate your Roman shades. Both have their pros and cons.

Cord Pulley

I have seen this type of pulley more often on casual-looking window coverings. I am not a fan of this cord look because I think the hanging cord looks a little sloppy.

Also, the pulley cord never seems to pull the shade in a straight line, which adds to the sloppy look.

The cord pulley is much easier to use and likely ideal if you plan to open and close your Roman shades every day.

Continuous Beaded Loop Chain

This is a much more discreet look, as the chain hides nicely in the gap between the window and the shade itself.

The beaded loop pulls the shade at the level—no lopsided shades on the window.

A beaded chain is very hard to operate, especially if you plan to open and close your blinds daily. It is time-consuming to the point of being onerous.

If you are getting Roman shades for a formal space, then you should probably go for this.

All Decisions Made – Shades Installed

Okay, so I chose my fabric, my trim, and a simple corner design. I chose blackout lining. It took several months for them to be made and delivered.

This was 2021, so everything was taking forever. I opted for them (the window covering company) to install them. It took less than 10 minutes. It seemed very simple.

My Experience Of Having Roman Shades

I have had my Roman shades for over two years now, and here are my thoughts about them. Of course, these are my very biased opinions, so take it with a grain of salt.

They Look Beautiful

I love the look of Roman shades. probably because I follow a lot of designers who design amazingly pretty Roman shades. I love the pleating stacked look and how all the prettiness is at the top for you to see at all times.

The Look Is Less Formal Than Curtains

I love the look of them because, to me, curtains can look formal or a bit old lady, but Roman shades don’t. Also, I had a fireplace next to my window, so curtains would’ve been a fire hazard.

Best Choice For Bathrooms & Small Spaces

Roman shades are a great choice for a small bathroom (where privacy is not an issue) where you don’t want curtains hanging next to the toilet (gross) or hanging next to a fireplace (like in my case)

They Are Either Hard To Operate Or Sloppy Looking

There I said it! Roman shades with continuous beaded loop-style pulleys are very difficult to operate. They are not the best choice if you plan to raise and lower them daily.

If you choose the cord pulley, you will get a crooked shade when you open it. That can drive someone CRAZY. I know that if I have to sit down and look at crooked shades, I will lose my mind.

Final Thoughts

Roman shade with beaded loop chain are the chicest looking window treatments money can buy. I absolutely adore mine.

The custom, designer, expensive Roman shades without any motorized open and close mechanism are NOT the best choice if you intend to operate them every day.