Custom Striped Roman Shades & Window Blinds

For your Living Room, Bedroom, Kitchen & Beyond

From the classic ticking stripes of cottage kitchens to the cabana stripes of seaside resorts and awning stripes of European roadside cafes, stripes have long held a distinguished place in the decor world. Carrying on this immortal legacy, our striped roman shades come in varied colorways and personalities – from the elegant classic to the streamlined modern, and everything in between.

Although understated in essence, striped window blinds flex an impressively expansive design potential. They can be bold and dramatic or playful and dreamy – leaning on your vision, you can design them to stand out or relaxingly melt into the space. And if you’re dealing with a less architecturally blessed space – a small window, low ceiling, or a compact box room – striped roman shades step in as optical tricksters, lending height or width for a clever cover-up.

Indeed, striped roman shades are a design powerhouse; however, tapping into their full potential might need the mastery of an imaginative designer. Stylists at Spiffy Spools break down the essence of this all-versatile pattern and reveal the secrets of choosing your ideal striped roman shades. Read on for handy tips and inspiration:

VERTICAL VS. HORIZONTAL: Start by choosing the direction of your stripes. Going beyond taste and preference, consider whether you want to use your striped roman shades to pull off an optical trick of faking height or width for the room or the window.

–Vertical Stripes: Vertical striped roman shades are ideal for low-ceiling rooms to conjure a sense of height. The upward momentum of the stripes makes the eye gravitate towards the ceiling, which in turn makes the window and room look taller. If you wish to accentuate this illusory effect, outside-mount the vertical striped shades and position them a few inches above the window to pull the visual line further up. 

–Horizontal Stripes: Horizontal striped roman shades give just the opposite effect to vertical ones. Since they run parallel to the ground, they latch the vision onto the wall-to-wall breadth. With their ability to make the space look broader, they are a real salvation for narrow windows and cramped rooms, or even lanky walls and high ceilings.

SCALE YOUR STRIPES WISELY: It’s extremely important to get the proportion of your stripes right. A slight increase or decrease in the width of your stripes can make or break your room. So, when choosing striped roman shades for any room, consider how the stripes’ scale will contribute to the overall decor.

Stripes can go as wide as awning stripes to as narrow as pinstripes.  Since bold patterns stand out while faint ones fuse into the design, the width of the stripes should depend on the size of the room and the window. While candy and ticking striped roman shades may disappear in a large living room and fail to make a great impact, a bold cabana striped roman shade may feel extremely overwhelming in a small cabin.

Decide whether you want to curate a focal point or bring visual depth in a subtle way, and then decide the scale in relation to the proportions of the room and the window. Therefore, a small window often looks right, clothed in a pinstriped roman shade, while a large window would benefit from a wide regency striped blind. And, if you’re aiming for a compelling centrepiece to anchor the room, make no mistake, a wide striped roman shade is your best bet.

If stripes are a recurring pattern in the room, bring variety by opting for a curated mix of narrow and wide stripes. This will help break monotony and create a sumptuously layered beauty. 

CONSIDER COLOR & DEFINITION: Scale is not the only aspect that determines the visual impact of your striped roman shades. Another important element intertwined with the scaling is the color scheme and factors affecting tonal saturation. 

If you go for gentle, neutral colors with nominal contrasts, say beige and white, as in our ‘Trambone’, wide stripes lose their overbearing appeal. A high contrast combo, however, like ‘Sunset’s white and burnt orange, does not shed its drama and power as easily – despite being the same scale as Trambone.  

Also consider the definition of the silhouettes. With stark, straight contours, even narrow candy stripes will feel more bold. But, with faded or smudgy lines, like in our abstract stripes ‘For the Love of Blue’ and ‘Sea Holly’, the width of the stripes ‘feels’ quite toned down.

PAIR WITH SOLIDS AND OTHER PATTERNS: Hands down, striped patterns are the most versatile and universal of all. Their neutral bearing and timeless character help them complement a variety of patterns. They can blend with the sharp-edged checks as well as misty florals, traditional paisleys as well as modern abstract designs. But if you want stripes on stripes, the compatibility is surprisingly equally strong. Regardless of which patterns you choose to mix, remember to use the scaling technique so that neither swallows the other – two bold patterns in the same room will vie for attention. For example, pair bold awning striped roman shades with ditsies or slender pinstripes with buffalo checks, allowing both prints to complement each other harmoniously.

Striped roman shades have a distinct place in the world of window treatments. They accord a quiet luxury and blend effortlessly with any decor style. They feel familiar yet timeless, storied yet refreshingly modern. Whether you want them to bring a heritage touch or a contemporary refinement, striped roman shades can meet you there. We hope our stylists’ guide takes you all the way to your ideal piece of stripes. So scroll down, and let your search begin.

Happy browsing! 

STRIPED CURTAINS I GEOMETRIC ROMAN SHADES I CHECKRED ROMAN SHADES