One of my favorite projects for my One Room Challenge was my DIY Roman Shades. The Roman shades turned out incredible and I love how much interest they add in my backyard cottage. Custom Fabric Roman shades can be very expensive and since I’ve made roman shades in the past for my son’s bedroom and my kitchen, I knew this was a project I wanted to tackle again. I’ve gotten so many requests on how to make Roman Shades. Seriously I think this is one of my most requested DIY projects, like ever!! I’m so excited to share this DIY project that requires no sewing. just attention to detail. The process can feel very tedious, but it's so worth it! When it comes to selecting fabric for Roman Shades, I love how you can do muted or bold with a pattern, its the next layer to dressing your window.

I just love how the Roman Shades look on the corner windows in the Cottage Studio, so beautiful! They just add the perfect polish to the windows.

Roman is a timeless classic, look great in so many spaces: kitchens, bathrooms, living rooms, the list goes on and on. For this project, I recommend using drapery weight fabric, too thin fabric and then Roman Shade can look cheap.

Quick Tip on Measuring Window for an Inside Mount - Measure your window in three sections: top, middle, and bottom - use the smallest measurement of the three! When measuring for an outside mount, typically add 2-3 inches to the width of the window on each side! The larger windows in the cottage, where hard to find in-stock sizes, so I ended up only being able to add one each on either side but made it work!
FUN FACT: I used to sell custom window treatments & readymade window treatments when I was younger at a Department store…..so I know a lot about windows, draperies, etc.

The trick to making this DIY Roman Shades is using a basic ready-made cordless roman shades; the basic roman shade becomes your lining for the Roman Shade. Using the fabric of your choice, you’re going to cover the existing roman shade. For my cottage studio, I used the Arlo Cordless Light Filtering Roman Shades. The existing fabric on the roman shade is polyester, perfect to make into a lining. I was surprised by the quality of the shades, they lift and close with ease. For the small windows and low ceilings in the cottage studio, I opted to hang the shades outside the windows. The Arlo Roman Shades are the Plain Classic Pleated Shades, which made them easy to work work.

Cordless Roman Shades

These roman shades are a great weight and perfect for this project

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This project is easiest to do with the help of a friend! I’m so thankful my girlfriend came over to help me. Without her help, this project would not be possible!

Roman Shade Supplies

Basic Ready-Made White Cordless Roman Shade
Mini Hot Glue Gun & Glue Sticks
Iron-on Hem Tape
Iron
Fabric Scissors
Ruler or Fabric Ruler Tape
Pining Needles

How Much Fabric You Need

Most Ready-Made Roman Shades come in in two lengths, 60 inches or 72 inches long. The shades I ordered were 60 inches long. For each Roman Shade, I used 70 inches of fabric, which is almost two yards of fabric. The additional ten inches is for the valance and all the seam allowances on the top and bottom of the shades.

* If you buy the Arlo Roman Shades, please note the shade is attached on the header of the shade with velcro, and the valance is also attached to the shade, it’s an easy workaround.

Because I was using patterned fabric and making four Roman Shades and wanted them identical, I had to make sure I started with the exact same pattern on each shade and made sure the pattern on all the valances matched perfectly and tied into the Roman Shade to look continuous.

* Using drapery weight fabric is key to making the Roman Shades turn out beautifully since the existing roman shade turns into a liner.

Step by Step Process

When using a patterned fabric: geometric, floral, stripes to recover the existing roman blind, think about the placement of the pattern on the shade. For floral patterns think about how each fold will fall visually. Geometric and stripe fabrics, you want to make sure the fabric is lined up perfectly on the header of the Roman Shade so the fabric stays straight.

Before beginning, make sure you iron your fabric to make sure it’s nice and smooth
For the width of the fabric, add at least two inches of fabric and then cut. If you Roman Shade is 24 inches wide, add two inches = 26. One inch each on either side will be for the seam allowance, fold over the fabric one inch, iron the seam and then iron the hem tape inside the seam
Open the Roman Shade all the way, since the shade is cordless and using tension to open and close, I put books on top of the shade to keep the shade open! Sounds crazy but it worked.

ONE // Now that your pattern is lined up [and ironed] on the Roman shade at the top of the fabric, fold over one inch. This will be your seam allowance on the top. Iron the one-inch seam and iron the gem tape inside the seam. * Make sure all hems are straight!

Now pin the fabric to the top of the Roman Shade, this is how the fabric will look on your roman shade. Also confirm the width over your fabric is an exact match you the existing Roman Shade.

TWO // Flip of the Roman Shade Valance and in small sections place a bead of glue on the very top of the Roman Shade header and attach your fabric to the shade

Below we are gluing the fabric to the header of the roman shade, working in small sections

Here’s a closeup of how the top of your Roman Shade should look as you apply the glue and press down. Again work in small sections as you glue.

THREE // For the next several steps, your work in sections on the Roman Shades. Pin the of the fabric to the Roman Shade. On each seam, you're going to glue the fabric down, gluing the fabric to the seam creates the beautiful Roman Shade folds.

* We also used straight pins and pinned slighted above the fabric before gluing the fabric on the seam to keep everything straight.

Repeat until you at the very end, give yourself a two-inch seam allowance and cut the remaining fabric. This fabric you will use to cover the valance. Fold-over the one inch, iron, and then place the hem tape inside and iron close.

Fold the fabric at the bottom of the Roman Shade, fold another inch and glue the Roman Shade down. This will create a nice finished look.

we worked in small sections, gluing the fabric to the seams…don’t over-glue you don’t want the glue to show through.
we did not glue the sides of the fabric to the roman shades, only the seams.

DIY Roman Shade Valance

If your using the Arlo Roman Shades, then you notice the valance it’s attached the roman shade and the Roman Shade is Velcro onto the blind header.

If your using a pattern make sure the pattern for the valance is perfectly aligned

For the top of the Roman Shade fold-over the fabric one inch, iron and then place the hem tape inside and iron again. Glue the top of the hemmed fabric on the top of the valance. Next fold over a one-inch seam, hem and then fold over underneath the valance, fold another inch glue. In the picture below, I’m working on the valance.

LOVE THIS PROJECT, PIN IT

I hope you love this how-to project and you’ll soon be making your own DIY Roman Shades for your home. Please let me know if you have any questions about this project! I’d be happy to answer.

I’d love to hear from you, what window in your home is getting new Roman Shades?

Hello! I’m so excited today is reveal day and I can’t wait to show you around my One Room Challenge backyard cottage studio! My goal Eight Weeks ago, was to reclaim my creative space and transform it into a sun-lit creative hub. Oooh boy, this round of One Room Challenge has been a challenge, between COVID closing everything down, working FT, School & Childcare closures, juggling all the things in addition to a New Civil Rights Movement kicking off, they have been a lot of emotions behind the scenes.

BUT FIRST, a little about me. If this is your first time here, welcome to my blog! My name is Katrina. I live in Sacramento, California, in a small charming 1950's ranch house with my husband and our two sons and chocolate lab Oliver. I'm a lover or small old houses; old homes have that built-in charm. I consider my style California Modern Casual, I love a mix of clean lines, paired with classic elements and a dash of mid-century vibe is a must in every room I design. On my blog, I share design ideas for small home dwellers, sharing how to maximize small spaces, along with DIY Projects and Design Inspiration inside and out.

One Room Challenge, Backyard Cottage Studio

Working my the backyard cottage has been a great creative outlet. Small spaces are my jam and this space has so many challenges that I had to workaround. The cottage is roughly 10x12 the size of a small bedroom and has so many features working against it, including low pitched ceilings, a center door opening into space, an old dated style skylight that gave off blinding white opaque light.

Before kicking off Week One of the One Room Challenge, I decided to give myself a blank slate to design and boxed everything up and place it into storage. I’m so glad I did this, it allowed me to see the space with fresh eyes.

Please check out the my One Room Challenge from the beginning: Week One, Week Two, Week Three, Week Four, Week Five & Six, Week Seven

Over the past 8 weeks, I’ve been in project mode, replacing the old skylight, replacing the old lumpy flooring, installing quarter round, laying a stone landing entry step, installing new lights inside and out and refreshing the cottage interior and exterior with paint and flowers and did I mentioned new sod? We installed new sod in our backyard while tackling our One Room Challenge to give our backyard cottage a beautiful backdrop.

I want to pause really quick and thank Linda, the founder of One Room Challenge, and Organizing all the amazing sponsors to help make my vision of my backyard cottage come to life. Linda, thank you so much for asking me to be part of this round of One Room Challenge, I was so nervous to say yes and I’m so glad I did! Breathing new life into my backyard cottage has been a dream come true and I love how everything turned out!! Another big thank you to the Media Partner: Better Homes & Gardens. Here’s a quick reminder of where I started. I also want to thank my rockstar husband, Hasani for helping me tackle all the not so fun projects in my studio and laying over 900sq of sod to give me a pretty lawn and backdrop for my cottage studio, LOVE YOU!

Cottage Studio Exterior Before

As you can see, everything before was very overgrown. One of the front windows of the cottage was completely covered in bushes and vines and the yard was in terrible shape. The stone pathway was randomly placed in the yard and was also overgrown.

Cottage Studio Interior Before

The cottage felt super dark and dreary, the vinly flooring was a hot mess and and lumpy

My Cottage Studio, After

I’m so excited to welcome you inside, but I first want to share a few updated pictures of the exterior. Outside the cottage, I trimmed back all the overgrown hedges, and white potato vine and began training the vine to climb under the eves. Eventually, I’d love for the vines to fill out the roofline; I just love the look of vines grown on the side of houses. To give the door a fresh look, I painted the door Baritone, by Glidden its such a beautiful, by the second coat of paint on the door I was in love. The turquoise blue door looks so cute on the exterior and by happy accident, it coordinates with the interior.

The new door hardware is from Emtek and its incredible, its substantial. For the door hardware, I selected the Transitional Hertigage Monolithic in the Satin Brass Finish, the inside lever is L-Squared Faucted. The hardware is incredible inside and out. I love how customizable the Emtek door hardware is, you can select the finish, and inside opening; either lever or knob. So many options! I love how amazing the door color and new hardware play off each other. I filled the existing window boxes with a mixture of flowers and added a simple hanging basket (sprayed paint black) outside the front door. I really wanted to update the light fixture above the door entry, and this little space on the pitched roofline is so tricky! I found the perfect exterior light at The Home Depot, the Westminster Outdoor Lantern and glass shade looks so good above the doorway.

SOURCES: Exterior Cottage Color // Pier by Behr, Door Color // Baritone by Glidden, Door Hardware // Transitional Hertigage Monolithic in the Satin Brass Finish Hanging Planter // Southern Patio Basket Window Boxes // Metal Window Box Planters

Welcome to my new creative hub!! My goal was to create a sunlit cottage, with mid-century vibes, natural elements, and a beautiful tone on tone colors. When you now walk into the cottage studio, you are greeted with beautiful Pergo Outlast+ flooring in Marigold Oak, form The Home Depot. The flooring helped elevate and ground the space, making this small 12x10 space feel much larger. I wanted the walls and low ceiling to recede and create a beautiful backdrop, the walls are paint Swiss Coffee by Behr and the trim is also Swiss Coffee in Gloss. A sofa was an absolute must for my cottage! Yes, sofas work perfectly in small spaces, it’s all about nailing the scale of the sofa to fit your space. The sofa is everything!! It was love at first sight when I came across the Monroe Sofa from APT2B, I wanted to add a punch of color in the space and I’m so so happy I went for it and selected the Navy fabric for the sofa. I’m in love with the Mid-Century vibes of the sofa, from the bench seat to the leggy profile I love it all. Most of all I love how the back of the sofa perfectly hits the bottom of the window, not blocking any light and making the sidewalls of the cottage feel taller. APT2B knows how to make a comfortable stylish sofa and make the sofa ordering process fun and stress-free! Having samples sent directly to my home helps take the guesswork out of buying such an important piece online.

Sources: Artwork: Lisbon Portugal , Gold Side Table

I love how much the view inside the cottage has changed! The view got a massive upgrade with the VELUX no leak Solar Powered “fresh air” Skylight. The skylights open and close with a remote or APP on your phone, allowing you to let fresh air in and trust me it’s amazing, not to worry the skylights come with a screen that doesn’t obscure the view. Looking out my skylight is like looking out a standard window, the view is crystal clear, I can now see the beautiful sky and let the fresh air inside. I’ll share more details about the VELUX skylights and installation process and much more in an upcoming blog post.

Another beautiful update you see when you walk into the cottage is the stunning semi-flush Alyssa light fixture in aged brass from Hudson Valley Lighting, I’ve had a crush on this light fixture for ages and I love how amazing it looks in the cottage. The beautiful brass floral stems on the light, just wow me, and the size of the light bulbs are incredible. When the lights are on at night time, they give off a beautiful vintage glow

I just love this view of the corner windows, they now work so perfectly together! The fully functional DIY Roman Shades make this corner of the cottage feel extra special. The fabric to make the Roman Shades is from Tosho Stripe Pewter, Tosho Stripe Pewter. The fabric is even better in person, I have a DIY Roman Shade Tutorial coming to the blog soon.

DIY Roman Shades Tutorial is now live on the blog!

I painted the inside of the door, Downtown Grey by Behr. When it comes to small spaces, I love decorating tone on tone color, I found the perfect rug for the cottage at The Home Depot, the LaScala Rug 6x9 has all the beautiful shades of blue and looks amazing in here. I wanted the rug to fill the space but ran into a few clearance issues from the front door, the rug had to be shifted over to fit the room better, but thankfully it works. I love how plush the room is underfoot and all the pattern it brings into the cottage it pairs so perfectly with the flooring!

On the sofa, I wanted vibrant pillows, that would look amazing on the sofa and bring in texture and color. I found the most beautiful fabric for my sofa at Calico Corners, these pillows were a labor of love. I just love the pattern mix, from left to right: Magitha Indigo, Back of Pillow, Studio Velvet Midnight Enele 5 Pacific, and Klimit Gilding / Midnight

I love how my desk area turned! I love working in natural light and placed my desk under the window to give myself a view. Outside the window, I planted dahlias, saliva. One day I dream of seeing beautiful flowers right outside my window.

I love Mid Century modern style and found the perfect desk at Scandinavian Designs. I’m in love with the Bolig Desk, the style is amazing, I love the capped feet all the drawer space and beautiful wood tones. It feels like it was meant for my cottage. I found the perfect desk chair at World Market, the Zarah Petite Natural chair is actually a dining chair and works perfectly as either. Online they’re sold as a pair and I was able to buy one in-store. Again, look at how good the rug is!!! I shopped my home and found the perfect spot for this Navy Lamp, I love how it complements the space. I’m a secret lamp hoarder, I’ve realized over the years, one can never have too many lamps.

When it comes to looking for storage for a small office, think outside the box. I found on the perfect dining room sideboard at Scandinavian Designs for my cottage. In my cottage, Eptri Sideboard turns into a credenza and offers plenty of hidden storage with adjustable shelves inside. The top of the credenza gives me plenty of room on top to hold all the things. I love a layered mix when it comes to styling. Keeping with the Mid Century design style, I love so much, the Eptri just feels so so good in the cottage, I love the two-tone mix of natural wood plus white cabinet doors. all the Music is a must for me when I’m working the Harmony Radio from Overstock.com is perfect, I can listen to the radio or use the Bluetooth on my phone to access my playlist. Even in small spaces, I think having a variety of lights in a room helps to layer in lighting, I added a Retro Mid Century Table Lamp also from Overstock.com on my credenza.

I hope you enjoyed my Cottage Studio tour! The space feels so incredible and I love stepping inside. full confession, I’m not yet fully moved into my cottage and a few items meant for the space are still on the way! More blog posts will be coming soon, including my DIY Roman Shade Tutorial, VELUX Skylight blog-post and sharing all the details on how I’m keeping this small office nice and tidy.

HUGE SHOUT OUT

The real MVP’s of the One Room Challenge are my Design Collaboration partners for believing in me and being so supportive and making everything come together. big Thank you to my photographer Christina Best for knocking the pictures out of the park and getting everything back to me in a record time of for the reveal! Christina is amazing and has a lot of experience working with bloggers and knows what it takes to ‘get that shot’

Huge thank you to my ORC Design Collaboration Partners: APT2B, Calico Corners, Emtek Hardware, Handy Products, Hudson Valley Lighting, VELUX, Overstock.com Scandinavian Designs, and The Home Depot

PLEASE CHECK OUT MY FELLOW ONE ROOM CHALLENGE FEATURED DESIGNERS BELOW. You Won’t want to miss their reveals!

A Glass of Bovino | Beginning in the Middle | Beth Diana Smith | Clark + Aldine | Coco & Jack

Deeply Southern Home| Design Maze | Dwell by Cheryl | Erika Ward | Home Made by Carmona

Veneer Designs| Rambling Renovators | Renovation Husbands | Studio Plumb | Media BH&G

I Wanna Hear from You, What Do You Think??

I’d love to hear your thoughts!! What do you think our my Cottage Studio One Room Challenge, do you love it as much as I do?? Sound off below! And let me know if you have any questions.