Blinds made of fabric that pleat up as they are raised and fall out as they are lowered.. Meanwhile sit above, or at the top of, the window.
* They can be made in almost any fabric and lined, interlined or unlined. The edges need to be hemmed, bound or finished in some manner.
* Roman blinds work in contemporary homes as well as in period rooms, on their own where an uncluttered style is preferred, or as part of a more elaborate window dressing.
* Formal Roman blinds incorporate a rod system that holds the pleats in shape; informal blinds have less or no rods and the effect is softer, more casual; they can even be ruched when the pleats are small and the fabric soft and lightweight.
* The mechanism can be fitted close against a window or outside so that the blind covers the whole of the window opening;
* Roman blinds often sit behind curtains, to be used independently or alongside them, to create super draught proofed and darkened windows. Lower them during the daytime to filter light, or at night when there is a radiator below; add curtains later and use alone in the summer when thick curtains may not be needed.