As the name suggests, Roman shades are believed to have originated in Rome. To protect people visiting the amphitheaters or stadiums from the hot Mediterranean sun, Roman shades were introduced. They were operated by a system of ropes and pulleys. These shades which originated centuries back in an ancient city have come a long way. They have been upgraded and reinvented to meet the requirements of modern-day cities and their popularity has grown over the years. When we talk about window treatments today, Roman shades are often the preferred and prescribed window dressing solution.
Roman shades are classy and traditional with everlasting style. They are extremely durable and versatile and blend beautifully with the décor of a house, contemporary or traditional. They have a flowing fabric style and you get to choose from a wide range of solid and patterned designs, colors and folds. Light and medium weight materials work best for Roman shades and it is best to avoid embellished, heavy or rigid fabric. The fall is better. They have both light filtering and room darkening options which makes them a perfect fit for any room.
While no doubt draperies add elegance and drama to your room, Roman shades impart a streamlined and neat look to your windows, stacking evenly and smoothly when raised. There are different pleat styles to choose from, namely, flat or classic, relaxed and butterfly. Whichever style you choose, they increase aesthetic appeal of a room and add softness to the décor. They use cord system for their operation.
This classic and basic version of Roman shades have been revamped, enhanced and customized to meet the growing modern-day demands. There are the Vignette Roman shades which come with both stacking and rolling options. In the rolling style, the fabric rolls completely and disappears into the head rail when raised. The stacking style gives an uncluttered look and have no cords exposed. The best thing about Roman shades is that they can be customized to suit your needs and taste.
Motorized Roman Shades
And now you can raise and lower your Roman shades with the help of a remote which have replaced the unruly cords. You have the option to choose from a battery operated hand-held remote and a wall mounted control. And one remote can be used for operating multiple Roman shades. These are the new age motorized Roman shades. No more pulling of cords to operate your shades. It is the perfect solution particularly for windows which are hard to reach and also helps to address child safety concerns that corded shades had. These are extremely convenient to use as a simple press of button is all that is needed to open or close your shades.
Integration of Roman Shades into Home Automation System
Motorization of shades gone to another level with home automation, now smart motorized roman shades are at your disposal. Many of the smart shade brands use Z-Wave or Zigbee motors for motorization which in turn uses Z-Wave/Zigbee communication protocol. This communication protocol is deployed by several smart home hubs and automated devices. This allows your motorized shades to be integrated effortlessly with the home automation system.
This means that your Roman shades no longer needs even a remote to operate it. An app on your smartphone or tablet is all that is required for their functionality. Better still, you can connect your voice-controlled home assistants like Amazon Echo and Google Home to send voice commands to your Roman shades. Isn’t it amazing?
No remote, no press of button or use of app. A simple voice message and make your Roman shades dance to your tune. Gone are the days when you had to run around the house or jump out of the bed to raise or lower the shades. They are accessible from anywhere in the house.
A simple voice command and your job is done:
“Alexa, can you lower the shades?”
Or
“Hey Google, open bedroom” shades.”
Your Google Assistant goes, “Sure, opening smart shades.”
You can even program your Roman shades and schedule their operation when you are not at home. For example, “Alexa, can you schedule shades to open at 7am?”
Change in functionality is the major change in how Roman shades operate today. They have become finer and classier. They are custom-made to look good in any home and with the smart home integration today, Roman shades have been a revelation. The richness and goodness of a shade that have been in market for so long because of their usability and versatility have been able to sustain themselves because of they could be modernized and increase their appeal for the tech-savvy generation. Roman shades have certainly traversed a long way from their days of origin into this technology-driven world. Get one for your beautiful windows and you won’t regret it for sure.