Why do we call them Romans?

In the heyday of the Roman Colosseum, the crowds would sit through a day-long program of events in the open air. The sun gets hot up in the stands so long awnings were constructed that opened into the arena and offered some sun protection. The awnings were held out on poles that extended into the stands. This awning was called The Velarium. The Velarium was the Latin name given for the retractable, panelled, awning at the Roman Colosseum. Its purpose was to provide shade for the spectators who watched the gladiatorial games in the blistering sun and heat of Ancient Rome.

When they were not in use the shades pleated back on themselves, much like our modern Roman shades. The difference was that the original Roman shades hung horizontally out from the wall. Today’s Roman shades hang vertically in front of the window. Below are some historic representations of The Velarium. 

So now you know where Roman Shades come from. Maybe next time we will find out where Venetian Blinds originated. 

Today we can create many different styles of Roman and Balloon Shades. Also, we can use most types of fabrics, from sheers to upholstery fabrics. Size too is not an issue. Large shades can be operated by a clutch mechanism or can be motorized.

Below is a gallery of the styles we fabricate in our workroom. To view on our webpage, click here> 

For light control Roman Shades can be lined with a translucent or blackout lining. It is recommended that for the purpose of blackout, that the Soft-Fold Roman is specified because the folds of the shade will cover the pin-holes of light that are unavoidable when the needle passes through the blackout lining. Roman Shades are mounted on boards, so there are no hardware decisions to be made. However, some decisions can determine a certain size of the board depth. There are choices however in the lifting mechanisms.