Roman Shades - a Window to Ancient History

While it's unlikely that Adam and Eve wandered Eden naming the animals based on their physical attributes, some things really are named for their function.  Take the charmingly simple Roman shade. In the heyday of the Roman Colosseum, the crowds would sit through a day-long program of events in the open air.  As any Chicago bleacher bum can tell you, 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.  When they were not in use the shades pleated back on themselves, much like our modern Romans.  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. Roman shades, regardless of their place in history, still offer excellent sun protection, privacy and unlimited design options.  Romans can provide the finishing touch in rooms from casual to traditional to cutting edge contemporary.