Roman Blinds known as Roman shades are said by some historians to have made their appearance in Rome at the Coliseum in Rome during the Roman Empire. During the Roman Empire Roman Blinds took the form of damp clothes hanging over open-air windows and doorways to keep the dust and dirt out of the openings from entering the dwelling or public assembly place.

In its simplest form, Roman Blinds are made from some sort of sturdy woven fabric with mechanisms that allow for the cloth to be raised or lowered as desired. On the backside of the Roman Blind are cords, which are threaded through a series of rings that are evenly spaced at regular intervals along with horizontal battens. When pulling the cords the blinds are raised or lowered, like a very simple pulley. Roman blinds are flat when lowered but when raised depending on how they are made appear folded or pleated as apposed to roller shades. Roman Blinds are mounted on a board generally attached inside the window frame or on the wall above.

The different categories of Roman blinds are Flat, semi folded and fully folded. The semi folded and fully folded Roman blinds have two sewn in horizontal pleats creating the appearance of a permanent fold when raised.

Today Fabric Roman blinds are made with a single panel of fabric. A sting is run the entire length of the fabric so that when the cord is pulled it raises the shade in uniform fashion. There are quite a few how to books on the market to make Roman blinds your self.

In some cases depending on the fabric Roman Blinds can take the place of drapes in a window treatment, pulled all the way down to the floor. They can also be raised completely to expose the window. They can also be used as part of a window treatment along with curtains drapes or valances. Now days Roman Blinds can be custom made in a vast array of colors, styles and textures to suit any style of décor. Roman Blinds or shades are good for blocking out glare and noise. Bamboo Roman Blinds are good for Asian themed rooms. Roman blinds are a simple window fix to any room. They give the room a neat appearance. You can even use sheer fabric for a mood affect with Roman Blinds.

Basic cleaning of Roman blinds includes using a vacuum cleaner with an upholstery attachment to remove the dust. You can also use a feather duster. If there is a spot you can spot clean with Woolite but make sure that the material is spot cleaning friendly.