Custom Check / Gingham / Plaid Roman Shades & Window Blinds

For your Living Room, Bedroom, Kitchen & Beyond

Buffalo checks, gingham, and plaid never go out of fashion. If they step aside for a while, it is only to come back with renewed fervor. Buffalo checks, as the primeval of all, and gingham and plaid, which joined the course to add more visual variety, have together given the world enduring patterns of an impressive class and legacy. So if you’re looking to invite nostalgia and a bit of old-fashioned romance into your space, you’ll find our collection of gingham, plaid, and check roman shades to be a perfect fit.

Can’t differentiate between the three? Put simply by our stylists –

• Checks: Squares in two different colors placed in alternating positions, like a typical black-and-white checkerboard. Many credit its origin to a 19th-century Scottish man who traded buffalo check blankets on the frontiers of North America. History also attributes it to Pennsylvania-based Woolrich Woolen Mills for introducing the signature version in 1850.
• Gingham: Dyed cotton with overlapping stripes of color combined with white thread to create a distinctive crisscross pattern. Gingham traces its roots to the early 1600s in Dutch-colonized Malaysia. The name ‘gingham’ itself comes from the Malayan word ‘genggang’, typically meaning stripes.
• Plaid: Criss-crossed horizontal and vertical lines with varying widths, usually creating a grid of multiple colors. Plaid came with Scottish migrants who held it as a symbol of unity and resistance to tyranny, but on American shores, it took on a new life as an iconic fixture of the frontier home, the tradesman, and the minimalistic romanticist intellectual.

Traditionally, these patterns were considered to be men’s patterns – symmetrical, structural, and just a tad laconic – perfect for spaces meant for calm, focus, and order. No surprise, even now, we find that our check roman shades adorn a lot of masculine spaces, studies, home offices, and little boys’ bedrooms. But design them in soft hues, and you’ll find them donning a gender-neutral approach. So while our roman shades in soft-toned ‘Slow Green’ fabric are conversation starters in many modern white kitchens, our navy blue ‘Newspaper Ink’ is a perennial fave in dark, moody dens.

In summary, our collection brings you a wide range of plaid roman shades in various color combinations to suit any space and personal taste.

All said, any introduction to these checkered patterns would be incomplete without a nod to their ‘native’ home, the kitchen, of course. Full of ‘square’ geometry – backsplash mosaics, floor tiles, ovens, and toasters – kitchens allow checked and plaid roman shades to logically complete a kitchen’s composition. Where checked curtains might prove too traditional or full, roman shades, with their inherent minimalism, are a perfect fit for a modern-day farmhouse kitchen.

Dressing Your Windows with Buffalo Check/ Gingham/ Plaid Roman Shades 

Check and plaid roman shades are the omnilinguals of the design world. Their straightforward beauty complements almost all types of interiors—in country cottages, they bring vintage flair, in ornate traditional homes, they weave in heritage notes, and in modern streamlined spaces, they reinforce the theme of clean lines. No matter the setting, when opting for check roman shades, you know you are signing up for that homey feeling and timeless charm. That said, each plaid comes with a unique personality, and knowing which one works for your setting is important. Here are some useful tips from our expert stylists to decorate your home with gingham/plaid/ buffalo check roman shades.

MIND THE SCALE: Since roman shades have a flat frontage, patterns are showcased vividly, in their full energy. Make sure that their size looks proportionate to the size of the window and the room. Too small, and they may not attract attention; too big, and they may overwhelm the window.  A bold buffalo check, for example, would be advisable for a high-ceiling living room, while a small-scale plaid or delicate gingham would prove better suited for a counterheight window at a cozy breakfast nook.

SOLID BACKDROPS: Patterns sit strongest and proudest against neutral, monochromatic plain backdrops. Our eyes gravitate towards patterns effortlessly in such environs, while two patterns placed side by side vie for attention and make the room look cluttered. Patterns interspersed by solid elements – that’s the way to go. So, backdrop your plaid roman shades with plain walls, and they’ll steal the show.

VERSATILE DECOR-PIECE: With their peculiar ability to go with nearly any style and space, check and plaid roman shades bring that geometrically perfect, fuss-free elegance that never fails to impress. Whether you’re styling a mid-century modern living room or a contemporary-chic dining space. And when it comes to rustic design styles like farmhouse and country, the picture is certainly incomplete without the quintessential buffalo check and gingham roman shades.

PATTERN TRINITY: Checks prove their versatility best in the way they pair with other patterns effortlessly. Whether it’s the simple tattersall or the complex tartan, your plaid roman shades can blend effortlessly with any pattern mix. The trick, however, lies in juxtaposing the simple with the complicated—so, pair your checkered shades with rugs, pillows, and other soft furnishings that feature soft-edged patterns like florals and botanicals, and detailed prints like damask, toile, and paisley. For a thumb rule, avoid pairing more than three patterns together to keep the look refined, and never stray from the room’s color palette. This way, you can strike a balance between contrast and harmony, and maintain an uncluttered look across the room.

FOLD STYLE: Although all three fold styles offered at Spiffy Spools are fantastic in themselves, when it comes to check roman shades, the choice must be led by forethought. Not every fold style will be equally flattery for the checkered pattern. 

The scalloped bottom of relaxed roman shades, for example, offers an interesting contrast to the pattern’s crisp geometry. But, while its delicate curve complements a buffalo check shade in a casual country-style setting, it might look slightly out of place in a streamlined, minimalist home.

Both the flat fold styles, on the other hand, offer a boxy silhouette that speaks the same design language as the checks. But which one suits your chosen check depends on its scale. The front-slatted fold style features a ribbed frontage on which large-scale checks may get slightly distorted, while the back-slatted style offers a continuous frontage that allows the pattern an uninterrupted flow. Hence, we recommend the back-slatted style for large checks like buffalo plaids, whereas small and medium-scale checks like houndstooth and gingham can overcome the visual breaks effortlessly. 

Easily blendable with any decor style, buffalo checks, ginghams, and plaid roman shades are lovely design elements. In highly ornate settings, they provide a striking polarity of simplicity and intricacy. In minimalist spaces, they uphold the theme of clean lines and crisp geometry. So, shop roman shades in your favorite pattern and have an easy, breezy time finding the perfect window dressing for your lovely home.

Happy browsing!

CHECK CURTAINS | FLORAL ROMAN SHADES | DAMASK ROMAN BLINDS