Custom Roman Shades With Alva

Published on March 18, 2019

Ordering custom roman shades with Alva is easy, and the craftsmanship of their products is second to none. When we purchased this home, my husband and I struggled with the amount of square footage. It is the biggest house we have ever owned, and we like small one-stories. We know this is where we are supposed to be though, so we have pushed that objection aside and determined to make every room as cozy and useful as possible.Now that the girls' bathroom is checked off the list, we're moving on to the loft, and the first project we tackled was installing a custom roman shade from Alva (after painting the room Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee).The windows in this house aren't my favorite but under no circumstances are we spending a penny to change them. They are only a few years old and perfectly functional. I am, however, making them more beautiful by trimming out each window and adding beautiful window treatments, including this Belgian linen roman shade.I love roman shades! They add a soft sophistication to windows while still serving a purpose, and what could be better than pretty and practical in one product?

Ordering With Alva

When I partnered with Alva for this beautiful shade, the ordering process was so simple. I'm very comfortable with measuring for shades because of how many woven shades I've purchased from big box stores. But even if you've never measured for a roman shade, I can assure you, Alva makes it easy to measure correctly and place your order.

Roman Shade Mounting 

The first step in ordering roman shades is determining whether you'll mount the shade inside your window frame or outside. The most common placement is inside mount. 

Roman Shade Measurements

You'll need to measure in three different places across (as shown below) and top to bottom to ensure the most accurate fit. 

Roman Shade Fabric

Now for the fun part! Selecting which beautiful linen fabric you'll use.  Alva sends out free swatches so you can see how each color looks with the rest of your design elements. This is an important step in the process as fabrics look much different in person and in your home than they do online. If you are thinking about installing a roman shade from Alva, be sure you order your free swatches before you do anything else.

Roman Shade Operation

During the ordering process, you'll need to decide what type of operation you want the shade to be: corded, loop chain, cordless, or motorized (each option is a different price point).I selected corded because as much as I would love to have a motorized shade in our loft, I knew that the remote could easily get lost with kids using that space. I also did not choose the cordless option because we eventually plan to put a small sectional in here under that window. The thought of kids' hands touching the beautiful fabric combined with the idea of having to climb on the couch to raise the shade is what finally made me land on the corded option.For a roman shade cord, it really is beautiful and works so smoothly. I'm used to the big box store quality, so this was a treat and reminded me that you get what you pay for.Once you've done all that, it's time to begin ordering. From the time you place your order, it takes about two weeks to receive your shade, which is super quick for custom anything!

Custom Roman Shade Review

When I received my roman shade order from Alva, I was very impressed with the packaging. The quality of the shade was incredible too.  They included the hanging hardware in a little pouch at the end of the plastic wrap. There was no possibility of throwing away a little baggy of screws when you unpack everything. Smart!This hole for a screw to mount into the window frame made me so happy because it looks just as beautiful as the rest of the shade. I'm telling you, the quality is outstanding.Isn't the perfectly wrinkly linen just beautiful? And for someone who has been sewing since the age of 9, the two seams on the front of this shade just put me over the top. Sewing can be beautiful or it can be sloppy, and this craftsmanship is exactly as it should be...high quality, everything lined up, and beautiful on the front and back.Another thing I love is how flat this shade lays when pulled up. It's not bulky at all, which is perfect because I didn't want it to block out any light when it's open.All in all, I'm very pleased with both the quality of the roman shade and the ease with which I was able to order it. It came quick and was better than I expected. It also adds so much subtle beauty to our loft, and helps provide privacy without blocking out too much light.

Where We Started

These before photos prove that I can only go up from where we started.

Plans for the Loft

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We have taken a great first step in transforming this little loft space by painting it all white, trimming out the window, and installing the custom roman Alva shade.Do you have a loft?Do you love them or hate them?Let me know in the comments and go order your free swatches from Alva!