What Are Balloon Shades?

Balloon shades are very similar to roman shades in design and function. Both provide substantial privacy and light control, but unlike a roller shade, they offer a decorative flare that enhances the appearance of your room. Like curtains and drapes, balloon shades offer varying degrees of privacy depending on the type and weight of material used. There are blackout balloon shades just as there are blackout roman shades, or the shades can be made slightly translucent to allow natural sunlight to penetrate the room at all hours of the day. So what separates a roman shade and a balloon shade? Roman shades achieve their decorative appeal by folding underneath themselves as they are drawn up. This creates a cascading effect that makes it seem like the shade is flowing out of the top of the window. Balloon shades use a similar drawing mechanism, however they fold vertically over themselves which causes the fabric to “balloon” or scallop out from the window creating a wonderful three dimensional appearance.

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Benefits Of Balloon Shades

Like any window treatment, the purpose of balloon shades is to pull together the design of the room. Balloon shades offer an extremely good value, and are certainly available in an array of colors and patterns. What makes them so unique is the fact that when drawn, the balloon shape that is created is made up of multiple layers and potentially different colors which completely transforms a room. The benefits of balloon shades are not limited to their aesthetics, however. They are also very easy to install and maintain due to their simple design and function. Unlike roman shades which are designed to hide underneath themselves when drawn, balloon shades accent the frame of the window, particularly the top, allowing fresh air and light to pass freely through the bottom.

Installing Balloon Shades

Installing a balloon shade takes the same patience and skill as most other blinds with the exception that there are special “rings” that can be inserted into the drape to enhance the swag or balloon shape of the drape. Mounting balloon shades to the window requires finding a solid surface to fasten the brackets to whether it be the window trim itself, or a stud in the wall directly adjacent to the trim. Most shades have the option of mounting to the inside of the window frame which creates a sleek look, and the mounting brackets are hidden by the shade.

Finding the right balloon shades can make the difference between a boring and dated look, to a contemporary and cozy interior design.