Roman Shade Hazard Warning
Hi and welcome to the new Curtain Call Blog! I'll be posting at least once a week with home decor current news and other items I hope you will find interesting. Feel free to comment or email me any questions you may have regarding home interior design.
Today, I want to bring a safety issue to your attention. This was just recently published in one of my trade magazines and I think it's a critically important issue to talk about: cords on Roman Shades. While we all know about the "breakaway tassels" or multiple cords you see on all blinds or shades manufactured today, roman shades still have a strangulation hazard associated with them that not too many people are aware of.
A little background: roman shades are usually hand crafted in a drapery workroom. Behind the shade, facing the window, is usually where the cords are strung through grommets, at intervals. Spacing depends on the width of the shade, but all have at least 2 sets of strings that pull the shade up from the bottom when the shade is raised. The hazard exists when children or pets get tangled in the cords in the back, between the grommets. There have been 2 documented deaths because of this.
At this time there is no other way to make roman shades, you need the cords to pull the fabric up. Prehaps we could construct shades with an additional lining over the cords, but it would be bulky and unattractive from the exterior. The best thing, in spite of their popularity, would be to not use this treatment in rooms where children or pets can be left unattended. Alternately, there are hard blind shades that could substitute, with a "mock" roman shade valance over the top to simulate the custom look.
I hope you found this interesting, next time I'll talk about the new color trends for the fall! Color, (think paint!) is the easiest and least expensive way to update a room, and I'll be presenting a couple of palettes for you to look at! Thanks again!
Bev Hawkinson, Associate IIDA
Interior Designer, Owner of Curtain Call
1curtaincall@sbcglobal.net
760.471.8484
Today, I want to bring a safety issue to your attention. This was just recently published in one of my trade magazines and I think it's a critically important issue to talk about: cords on Roman Shades. While we all know about the "breakaway tassels" or multiple cords you see on all blinds or shades manufactured today, roman shades still have a strangulation hazard associated with them that not too many people are aware of.
A little background: roman shades are usually hand crafted in a drapery workroom. Behind the shade, facing the window, is usually where the cords are strung through grommets, at intervals. Spacing depends on the width of the shade, but all have at least 2 sets of strings that pull the shade up from the bottom when the shade is raised. The hazard exists when children or pets get tangled in the cords in the back, between the grommets. There have been 2 documented deaths because of this.
At this time there is no other way to make roman shades, you need the cords to pull the fabric up. Prehaps we could construct shades with an additional lining over the cords, but it would be bulky and unattractive from the exterior. The best thing, in spite of their popularity, would be to not use this treatment in rooms where children or pets can be left unattended. Alternately, there are hard blind shades that could substitute, with a "mock" roman shade valance over the top to simulate the custom look.
I hope you found this interesting, next time I'll talk about the new color trends for the fall! Color, (think paint!) is the easiest and least expensive way to update a room, and I'll be presenting a couple of palettes for you to look at! Thanks again!
Bev Hawkinson, Associate IIDA
Interior Designer, Owner of Curtain Call
1curtaincall@sbcglobal.net
760.471.8484
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