WITH their clean, sophisticated lines, Roman blinds are one of the most stylish ways to dress your window.

A Roman blind is a blind without any gathers, which forms soft pleats when raised and falls completely flat when lowered. It is attached to a wooden batten at the top and the pleats are kept in place by wooden dowels or slats that are sewn into casings on the lining.

A cording mechanism that comprises a series of eyelets in the underside of the batten works in conjunction with, and is attached to, the dowel rods or slats on the reverse of the blind enables the blind to be raised and lowered.

Getting started

Before you start, decide whether your blind will be fitted inside or on the outside of your window recess.

Never be tempted to make a very wide Roman blind. You will be on your way to disaster before you even start! It will almost certainly sag in the middle and not draw up and down properly.

As a guide, never make a blind more than 1.85m. Never attempt to make your first blind that is greater than one width of fabric.

If you have a very wide window and would like to use Roman blinds, consider making more than one and fit them side-by-side.

Measuring

Always use a steel tape measure and work in centimetres for accuracy.

When fitting into a recess, check any fitting constraints that may restrict the blind, such as air vents or window stays.

Are there any tiles at the lower part of the window?

There is no room for adjustment on a Roman blind.

Remember to measure at the top and bottom of the window. If there's a discrepancy, take the narrowest measurement into account.

Choose the right face fabric

With Roman blinds, it is particularly important that you choose the right type of fabric.

Select a closely-woven fabric that is fairly stiff. Any pattern must either be printed or woven at a true right angle to the edge.

Distorted patterns are a disaster as there is no room for adjustment on a Roman blind.

Stripes or small checks work really well. When picking a fabric that co-ordinates with the rest of the room scheme, try to pick a fabric pattern with the right scale for the window and the room setting.

A large pattern on a small Roman blind may look overpowering and the pattern is likely to lose its effect when the blind is drawn up.

Small patterns or plain fabrics often work the best.

If using silk, you must always interline your blind. This is a soft blanket layer that is stitched in between the face fabric and lining.

For details of a full House Doctor Service, contact the design team at Honeysuckle Interiors, Oakley, on 01256 780831 or visit the website honeysuckleinteriors.co.uk