The Case for Roman Shades: Why This Designer Window Treatment Is Worth Reconsidering

The elegance of Roman shades has long made them a designer staple, but for many homeowners, committing to the style can feel daunting given the precise measurements and long lead times required to bring the look to life.

The direct-to-consumer drapery brand TWOPAGES aims to reframe the category—not just in how they look, but how they’re specified, ordered, and installed—streamlining a traditionally showroom-driven process into a more accessible model. 

The brand’s origins are telling. Founder Ray Chen started TWOPAGES after running into the same friction that stumps many homeowners when it comes to drapery: opaque pricing, confusing customization menus, and steep markups. His solution was to strip the process down to its essentials, with a drapery company centered around made-to-measure craftsmanship, an intuitive ordering model, and clear pricing. More than 600,000 household transformations later, it’s clear he wasn’t the only one who was looking for personalized window solutions that are as simple to shop as they are to live with. 

With the intimidation factor (and designer price tag) removed, the classic Roman shades warrant a second look for your next window upgrade.

They’re made to fit

Rather than positioning customization as a premium upgrade, TWOPAGES treats made-to-order as the default. Their Roman shades can be configured across a range of fold styles and lift systems, with each piece tailored to the exact dimensions of the intended window. 

For instance, the stylishly slubby Liz linen or the rich mid-weight Jawara—two of TWOPAGES’ best-selling collections—are available in a wide range of colors, all customizable to suit your specific vision. The process offers the ability to calibrate light, privacy, and proportion, so the shades feel fully integrated into the architecture of a room.

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They’re not a monolith

The collection features 13 fold styles, 10 lift types, 18 curated collections, and more than 200 color options to be exact. Some designs are clean and structured with tailored folds, while others take a softer approach. Their Relaxed Roman shades, for example, feature a slight curve at the hem, diffusing light in a way that works especially well in bedrooms and living areas. Other designs highlight function, with motorized options or no-drill installations that prioritize ease, flexibility, and everyday use.

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They’re surprisingly pragmatic

Though they may look fussy, the innovations in Roman shades make them easy to adopt in your home. TWOPAGES’ aforementioned no-drill installation options sidestep one of the most persistent barriers to upgrading window treatments, particularly in rental spaces. Integrated, motorized shade options, meanwhile, operate almost invisibly (no wrestling with cords required).

For renters and anyone who would rather not commit to drilling into walls or window frames, TWOPAGES’ No-Drill Roman shades deserve a particular callout. The mounting system installs in minutes without tools, leaving walls and frames completely intact—a meaningful distinction for anyone living in apartments, dorms, or temporary spaces where security deposits loom large. These shades hold firmly in place for everyday use, but can be removed and repositioned just as easily without visual compromise. 

Beyond the product itself, TWOPAGES has developed an infrastructure designed to reduce pain points in the measuring and installation process. Custom window treatments often falter not because of design, but because of execution. TWOPAGES addresses this with a suite of guidance tools, from step-by-step tutorials to a Smart Measure app that walks users through the process visually. 

The measurement app starts users off on the right foot, with additional resources including installation instructions, design consultations, and the inspiration-filled Open Door series guiding them through to completion.

As traditional barriers recede, the style feels newly relevant: less formal, more flexible, and easier to consider as part of everyday design decisions.

Get inspired for your next project at twopagescurtains.com, or bring your own design to life with the TWOPAGES x Pattern Design Contest. Submit your work by June 5.