Hand-Made Roman Blinds - self-stack or waterfall?

Self-Stack or Waterfall? Inside or outside the Recess?

There are several points to consider when deciding whether to have your bespoke Roman Blind made with self-stacking folds or waterfall folds (sometimes referred to as cascade) and whether to put your blind inside or outside the window recess.

The first thing to think about is light. How much natural light is there in the room and how much of that comes through the window in question during the day. If preserving as much of that light as possible is important, then fitting the blind outside the recess is likely to be the preferred option. This is because a typical blind will hang down around 25 centimetres when fully raised and so fitting it outside the recess allows the blind to be fitted higher up, thus preserving more of the natural light. The choice between self-stack or waterfall also has an impact on light. If the blind is inside the recess, then a self-stack will help maintain light more so than using a waterfall.

The photograph above shows two typical medium size Roman Blinds hung side by side to demonstrate the difference between the two methods.

The style of the windows, the age of the property, ceiling height etc, etc, as well as the amount of natural light, will all affect the decision as to the best option for inside or outside the recess.

The main advantage of fitting your Blind outside the recess, in addition to maintaining light, is seeing more of the fabric when the blind is raised. We often fit blinds with the top about 10-12 centimetres above the recess. Making the top slightly longer, ie the folds in the same place but the top perhaps 15-20 centimetres above the recess, will show off even more of your lovely fabric. This of course depends on the style of the window. We would be happy to advise if you send a photograph, or we can discuss it if visiting to measure and quote.