Are Roman Blinds Suitable For A Bathroom?
Of the many types of traditional blinds that are fitted into a typical home, Roman blinds are amongst the most beautiful, most traditional and most versatile when used properly.
Every type of blind available on the market has its own use in your home, which maximises their benefits whilst minimising their potential weaknesses in various parts of your home.
A perfect illustration of this is using Roman blinds in a bathroom, which, depending on the design of your bathroom, bathroom window and blind itself, could be either fairly well-integrated or thoroughly unsuitable.
To find out where the answer lies for your home, it is important to explore Roman blinds as a concept, when you should consider them for your bathroom, why you may want to consider an alternative, and top tips for choosing the perfect blinds for your home.
What Are Roman Blinds?
Roman blinds are similar to roller blinds in that they use a mechanism to fold a piece of fabric before letting it down, but the difference between the two is in how they are put up and folded down.
Roman blinds tend to be thicker and are folded into multiple horizontal pleats which cascade from a housing in the top of your window to the bottom. The result looks similar to Venetian blinds if fabric was attached between each louvre.
This means that, unlike roller blinds, Roman blinds need to be carefully chosen and ideally made-to-measure, but the rewards for choosing wisely are immense.
Unlike roller blinds, which tend to lack dimension resting against a window, Roman blinds have pleats and a satisfying raising and lowering system that makes them as purposeful and aesthetically pleasing as curtains.
However, unlike many types of curtains, which can sometimes allow cracks of light into the room, Roman blinds allow for far more precise light control, which makes them perfect for a stylish living room.
Where Are Roman Blinds Most Commonly Used?
In general, Roman blinds are best used for stylish relaxation, so a living room, a bedroom or a study is often the best place to install them.
A bedroom often needs not only precise light control but also some folds, pleats and other flourishes in order to be as relaxing an environment as possible.
A living room often needs different levels of shade depending on how you are using them, but if you want the blackout effect of roller blinds to help your media room work at its best, Roman blinds are a cosy alternative to more straightforward roller blinds.
Similarly, a study or home office often needs to be designed in such a way to minimise the effects of glare, which makes Roman blinds an attractive alternative to shutters, blinds or curtains which can sometimes lack coverage or be otherwise distracting.
But can they be used everywhere?
Can You Use Roman Blinds In A Bathroom?
Ultimately, using Roman blinds in a bathroom will depend on the layout of the bathroom itself, how you use it, how you fit them and how moisture tends to linger in the air.
In general, as long as you can ensure that the blinds avoid contact with any water, they can sometimes be suitable, although you should still be careful with your choice of fabrics.
Roman blinds are a possibility if your bathroom layout suits their use, as may be the case in the following scenarios:
No Direct Water Contact
The windows of your bathroom should be as far away from any water source as possible, which typically means being located parallel to a bath or shower unit, and being perpendicular to a sink or toilet basin, which is also far enough away from the blind materials themselves.
Well Ventilated
Bathrooms vary so much in shape and size, but if you have a particularly effective extractor fan or high ceilings, they will tend to generate less moisture and avoid getting too humid, both of which can become a problem for fabric blinds.
Similarly, if you tend to leave the window open all the time, it allows air to circulate in a way that helps to reduce the level of moisture in the air.
You Do Not Use Your Bathroom Very Often
If you are fitting the blinds in a guest bathroom or spend a lot of time away from home, your Roman blinds may not be as affected by wear and humidity as they perhaps could be.
No Condensation
Similarly, if your windows are not overly affected by condensation or you can fit the blinds further forward in the window frame to reduce direct contact, you can prevent moisture transferring onto the blinds.
You Choose The Right Material
Certain blind materials are more suited to bathrooms than others, and there is a delicate balance between having the freedom to choose whichever made-to-measure materials you like for your blinds and ensuring that they are built to last.
You Regularly Redecorate Your Bathroom
If you are the type of homeowner who regularly redecorates your home every few years, the longevity issues caused by moisture will not ultimately affect your enjoyment of your bathroom at all.
Should You Fit Roman Blinds In Your Bathroom?
Ultimately, outside of a very small number of exceptions, most bathrooms are not suited towards Roman blinds and would be better suited by a set of hard-wearing, water-resistant roller blinds instead.
The problem is not just the potential for direct contact with water, something that becomes all but inevitable with a lot of bathrooms, but the humidity that is caused.
Humidity can be troublesome for natural textiles, as prolonged contact with water or water vapour can cause damp, mould and mildew, as well as potentially causing the colours to run depending on how they were made and how much water hits them.
As well as this, natural fibres shrink when they get wet, which over time can also lead to the blinds as a whole losing their shape.
It is difficult to predict when or if these issues will affect a particular bathroom; some Roman blinds work perfectly fine for years, whilst others will start to see the effects in a matter of weeks.
Ultimately, it is best to talk to the experts before fitting Roman blinds in your bathroom, as they are not always the best long-term option.