Lighting and Window Treatments, Roman Shades
Roman shades are often called fabric shades. This is because they are a beautiful combination of great fabrics and a shade which will open and close with ease. This makes them very practical. They have a great use like regular blinds, but also have the elegant and beautiful look of fabric draperies.
By having the ability to open and close, these window treatments allow you to control the amount of light which is let into the room. The amount of light in a room and the sources from which it is coming can be used as a great enhancement to the room if done right. If done wrong, your room will simply look to dark or too bright. It is not very hard to get this right though, so don’t fret. The great thing about these roman shades is that they are so versatile that you can experiment with the amount of light in a room.
There are two things which effect how much light is let into the room, one is how far open the shades are. Obviously, if your window treatments roman shades are open you will get more light into the room. If the shades are closed, less light will be let in. This allows you to more precisely control your lighting any time of the day.
The second attribute which will effect your lighting is the fabric which the roman shade is made from. If it is made from a sheer fabric, you will get more light in your room, if you pick a thicker fabric you will have less light. This can be controlled further by adding a darkening liner. Remember while you are shopping for fabric for roman shades that a liner is a possibility. This means if you need a darker shade, but absolutely fall in love with something very sheer, that you can still purchase it. Many times a room may necessitate a sheer shade but also need less light, especially if artificial sources of light are part of your design (a grand chandelier for example, or candle light).
All the while your thought should be this- do I want natural light or artificial light in my room? If the room is used at night, you will obviously need artificial light in addition to your natural light. Some rooms are only used in the daytime and therefore may only need natural light. Usually natural light is your best option unless, as stated earlier, an artificial source of light is part of your overall design. Lamps, chandeliers, candelabra, and other sources of light can very well be your main design element in a room.
Using window treatments roman shades as an additional design element in your room can add so much to it. You simply need to remember that roman shades will possibly darken the room.
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