Purple is the colour of depth and a little luxury, and a Roman blind gives it a soft, dressed finish. Where a roller lays purple flat and a venetian breaks it into slats, a Roman gathers its fabric into folds, so a heather or mulberry reads as rich soft furnishing - especially in a textured fabric. This guide is for anyone who has settled on purple and on a Roman, and now wants to know which shade, which fabric and which retailer. It spans a textured plain, a patterned designer range and a velvet, drawn from three different UK retailers.
What purple brings to a room
Purple carries depth and a sense of the considered. A soft lilac or heather is gentle and calming, suited to a bedroom; a mid mauve carries more colour; a deep aubergine, plum or mulberry is rich and enclosing, almost a jewel tone. A Roman flatters the deeper purples especially well, since the folds give a saturated shade real depth - and a faux-suede or velvet fabric in purple reads genuinely luxurious. Purple shifts under light, so test a sample against your aspect; a north-facing room can pull a lilac towards grey or blue.
What to look for
- Fabric: purple Romans range from matte cottons to faux-suede and velvet; a textured fabric lifts the colour and reads more considered than a flat plain.
- Pattern or plain: a patterned purple (a floral, a trellis) makes the window a feature; a plain or textured purple makes it a calm, rich backdrop.
- Blackout vs light-filtering: a Roman's standard lining filters light; for a bedroom, look for a blackout lining, usually an upgrade on the same blind.
- Chain side and safety: most retailers let you choose the side; in a child's room, pick a cord-safe option in line with UK requirements.
- Recess vs face-fix and stacking: a face-fix gives a tighter light seal; a Roman stacks a band of fabric at the top when raised, a little deeper when lined.
How we chose
Three routes into a purple Roman, each from a different retailer and a different fabric: a textured faux-suede plain, a patterned designer range, and a soft velvet for a richer finish.
Our picks
Florence Faux Suede Roman Blinds
at 247 Blinds
A faux-suede Roman in dusky purple from 247 Blinds.
Laura Ashley Roman Blinds
at Blinds By Post
Laura Ashley violet and mulberry designs from Blinds By Post.
Omni Soft Velvet Roman Blinds
at Unbeatable Blinds
A soft-velvet heather Roman from Unbeatable Blinds for a richer finish.
Pick details
Florence Faux Suede Roman Blinds
at 247 Blinds
A faux-suede Roman in dusky purple from 247 Blinds.
For a purple Roman that looks considered without a print, the Florence Faux Suede at 247 Blinds is our textured-plain pick. The faux-suede fabric lifts the colour above a flat plain - a soft matte nap that catches the light and reads more deliberate - in a dusky purple that suits a calm bedroom or living room. At a low-to-mid entry price it is the sensible choice when you want texture and a rich purple without a pattern.
Laura Ashley Roman Blinds
at Blinds By Post
Laura Ashley violet and mulberry designs from Blinds By Post.
When the purple is meant to be the feature, the Laura Ashley Roman range at Blinds By Post is our pick for pattern. Its violet and mulberry designs draw on the Laura Ashley archive, putting the rich shade into a print - the colour with the interest of a pattern. It sits at a mid entry price, earning it through the licensed designs and the soft fold a Roman gives them. The same range is stocked at Swift Direct Blinds, so you can compare fit and price against a second retailer.
Omni Soft Velvet Roman Blinds
at Unbeatable Blinds
A soft-velvet heather Roman from Unbeatable Blinds for a richer finish.
For the richest finish, the Omni Soft Velvet at Unbeatable Blinds is our velvet pick. Velvet and purple are a natural pairing - the pile gives the heather shade depth and a quiet luxury that suits a dressed bedroom or a sitting room. It carries a low-to-mid entry price for a velvet Roman, and Unbeatable Blinds is the third retailer here to compare. Use it where the purple should feel plush and considered rather than plain.
What we didn't include
We have kept this guide to purple, and to a textured plain, a pattern and a velvet. Other colours have their own guides. We have not treated blackout as a separate pick: a blackout lining is an order option on the fabric you choose, so for a bedroom ask about it on whichever purple you prefer and pair it with a face-fix fit.