Top down bottom up roman shades are a stylish solution to letting in light but still keep your privacy. Learn how to make top down bottom up roman shades plus how to convert your existing roman shades.

Roman shades are terrific for light control, privacy, and insulation. Not to mention they look very stylish on your window.

The most common way you see roman shades is they are installed at the top of your window… and when the pull cords are pulled… the bottom of the roman shade pleats up to let light in… and to allow you to see out. This also allows people to see in!

What if you wanted a roman shade on your window… you wanted the light in… you wanted to see out… but you still wanted privacy?

That’s where the top down bottom up roman shade comes into play.

A top down bottom up roman shade is a roman shade that has 2 sets of lift cords. One set raises and lowers the bottom edge of the roman shade. And the other set of lift cords raises and lowers the top edge of the roman shade.

Here’s a perfect example of when you would use a top down bottom up roman shade. Say it’s a beautiful day outside. A perfect day to have the windows open. But the window you want open faces the street and you don’t want people to see in… but you still want light to shine in your room.

Raise the bottom of your roman shade a few inches to let the nice air in from the outside. Lower the top edge of the roman shade about a foot to let the sun in. And the rest of the roman shade provides privacy! Genius!

You can special order this style of Romans shade or you can make it yourself and save big bucks! In fact, you can even convert your existing roman shade into a top down bottom roman shade.

Let me explain how the installation would be so that you can have control raising and lowering either the bottom edge of your roman shade or the top edge of your roman shade.

You need 2 sets of roman shade hardware. So, if you are going to use a cord lock… you’ll need 2 cord locks. If you are planning on installing a roman shade bead chain clutch system, then you need 2 systems. If you plan on just using 2 cord cleats, then you need 2.

Basically, you need one set of lift cords and hardware to operate the top edge of the roman shade and the other set of lift cords and hardware to operate the bottom edge of your roman shade.

To operate

the bottom edge of your roman shade, you would install your roman shade normally. Nothing changes here. So, if you are installing a roman shade with a cord lock, you would still tie your lift cords to the bottom shade rings, thread the lift cords up through the rings and over to your cord lock.

Operating the top edge is the big difference. First, the top edge of your roman shade is no longer attached to the top dust board. You need to hem it neatly with a casing that will hold a sturdy rod. It can be a fiberglass rod, a steel rod… something strong that won’t bend in the center from the weight of the roman shade.

Install a second cord lock on the opposite side of the dust board. With new lift cords, tie a lift cor

d to each of the top rings. Thread the lift cords through the screw eyes and over to the second cord lock.

And that’s it!

If you already have a roman shade that you want to convert into a top down bottom up roman shade… simply detach the top edge from the dust board. Hem the top edge and insert a rod into the new top casing. And then install and thread the second set of lift cords for the top edge operation.

Click here to learn how to make roman shades with detailed step by step video tutorials and illustrated instructions.

 By Jennifer Thoden     Published: 12/6/200

More resources from Black Mini Blinds.com

 Roman Shades are a Versatile …

Roman shades are oblong shaped pieces of material that are designed to be lowered and raised in folds of equal size.

How To: Customize Roman Shades.

"Jennifer took simple, plain and inexpensive Roman shade

What is the Right Window Shade For Your Home?

Cascades are almost the same with Roman shades.

Window Treatments

Roman shades – made of fabric; hangs flat when closed; folds horizontally into pleats when raised.

Should you get roman shades or bamboo blinds?

 Consider fabric roman shades which are a very popular design trend.

Technorati Tags: buy mini blinds, custom mini blinds, discount mini blinds, pleated mini blinds, unique window coverings, window treatments blinds

Arched windows are becoming accepted accents for many modern homes. These small, semi-circle windows are commonly seen above doors to allow more natural sunlight to enter your home. Arched windows add an artistic touch to a home’s design and more and more new people are installing these rather than traditional, straight window frames, creating a massive interest for arched window blinds.

Blinds for arched windows are custom made to the different window sizes and will blend with most designs of window blinds. Just like all window blinds, those created for arched windows are available in heaps of styles, colors and sizes.

Types of Window Blinds for Arched Windows

– Pleated Arched Blinds are available in many colors, including soft neutrals as well as brilliant, modern blues, greens and reds. These blinds for arched windows are beautiful with a posh look.

– Wooden arched blinds offer a more permanent window treatment option for your arched windows. Wood blinds usually have individual slats that can be moved to redirect light and are more expensive than other types of blinds for arched windows.

– Cellular arched shades are greatly fashionable because of their fine look and ability to block direct sunlight without stopping all natural light. These window blinds are also available in many colors and sizes, complementing traditional cellular window blinds.

New types of blinds for arched windows are introduced each day to keep up with the growing number of homes using these modern window styles. Most window blind companies can provide custom fit arched blinds to suit any traditional window blind.

Advantages of Blinds for Arched Windows

Window treatments are an simple way to add a personal touch to your home or just to enhance your decorating theme. Window blinds not only add flair to your home’s interior, they are also somewhat functional.

Arched windows look wonderful in your home and allow additional light to enter the house without interfering with your privacy, but they can also cause unnecessary glares and additional heat in the summer. Covering your arched windows with custom fit window blinds will allow you to adjust the amount of light that shines in.

Many blinds for arched windows operate on a remote control to make it convenient to open and close the blinds, even if the arched window is installed several feet above the floor. With a remote, you can open your blinds to allow the morning’s first light to shine in and then simply press a button to close the blind when the heat of the afternoon sun warms the room.

Disadvantages of Blinds for Arched Windows

While blinds for arched windows are marvelous accents for your home and are very helpful for managing the light and temperature within your home, they can be difficult to clean. Most window blinds can be troublesome to keep free of dust and dirt, but those for arched windows are often located much higher so the task is even more tedious.

The other primary downfall of deciding to cover your arched windows with blinds is finding the right size for your window. Arched windows are many inconvenient sizes and these types of blinds are typically only offered at specialty shops or online. Some arched windows are not perfect arches and require a custom made blind.

How Much are Blinds for Arched Windows?

There are many different styles of blinds that are designed specifically for arched windows, so the price can differ a lot depending on the quality and materials, as well as the size of the blinds and the included features. Simple pleated and cellular arched window blinds can be found for as little as $60. More refined blinds for arched windows and wooden blinds can cost more than $200 each.

By John Roberts   Published: 12/7/2007    

Visit John Robert’s site WindowBlindsArchive.com for more free tips on choosing the right type of windows blinds for your house.

More resources from Black Mini Blinds.com

Arched Window Treatments Professional Articles
Arched Window Treatments,Professional Articles [...]

Arch Window Treatments for Half and Quarter Circle Windows

After all, these large (up to 10′ diameter) arch windows are intended to be an architectural focal point of the home.

Arched Window Treatment

Alina Belchikov asked: Though arched window treatment seems to be a challenging project, you still have plenty of options. What you will choose depends on your [...]

My Favorite Decorating Tip #11; The Arched …

Nothing is worse than an arched window treatment that cuts into the window or starts half way down and custom fitting treatments are very [...]

Arch Window Curtains and other Window Treatment Ideas
There are other arch window treatments other than curtains. Shades and blinds are also good window coverings to use.

Arched Window Shutter in Stratham, NH | Design tips and ideas for …

This horizontal louver shutter is the perfect complement to this arched palladian window in Stratham, NH. The louvers all operate including those within the. … Plantation Shutters [...]

Technorati Tags: arch window blinds, automatic window mini blinds, color mini b, custom window blinds, pleated mini blinds, pleated window blinds, remote control window blinds