The Laura Ashley Pussy Willow Embroidery range from Swift Direct Blinds is a made-to-measure roman blind offered in 3 colourways, starting from £29.65. It is part of Swift Direct Blinds' licensed Laura Ashley collection, putting the designer's embroidered Pussy Willow fabric onto a soft-pleating roman blind. The three colourways stay pale and calm: two soft greys and a gentle blush pink.
Who it suits
A roman blind folds into soft horizontal pleats as it raises and hangs as a flat fabric panel when down, which shows off an embroidered design like this one - the full pattern is on view with the blind lowered. That makes the range a good fit for living rooms and bedrooms, where the embroidery and the soft folds give a decorative, tailored look rather than a plain panel.
The three colourways are all light and understated, so the range suits schemes that want a hint of pattern and texture without a strong colour. The pale grounds keep the embroidery as the point of interest, which works well in a calm, restful room rather than a busy one. As a designer fabric on a fabric-led blind, romans are best kept to drier rooms: the pleats can trap moisture and an embroidered cloth is harder to wipe clean than a flat roller or a slatted blind, so a sitting room or bedroom suits it better than a kitchen or bathroom.
The colours
3 colours available
The palette is soft and pale across all three colourways. Grey is the larger group, with a steel grey and a seaspray tone, joined by a blush pink - so the range stays at the quieter, more decorative end of a colour scheme rather than offering any brights. Because this is one embroidered design carried across the colourways, the choice is about which pale ground best suits your room rather than a change of pattern. Embroidered cloth and pale colours both look different in daylight than on a screen, so it is worth ordering a sample of any colourway you are weighing up before committing to a full-sized blind.
Price by your dimensions
Enter your window size. We round up to the next standard size, which matches how the retailer actually quotes you.
The lowest price we have seen since we began checking (2 Jun).
The range sits at a higher entry point than a plain roller or an unbranded roman, which is to be expected of a licensed designer fabric on a made-to-measure blind. There is a single standard fitting, so the price reflects the size of window you are dressing rather than any choice of bracket or mechanism.
How it compares
All three colourways here are light-filtering rather than blackout, so they filter daylight and soften the view rather than blocking light - for a fully dark bedroom you would want a roman in a blackout-lined fabric instead. Against a plain roman or roller, this range trades a higher price for a recognised designer embroidery and a decorative finish. Against a venetian or vertical blind, it offers a soft, furnished look rather than tilt control. For a patterned, fabric-led blind in a living room or bedroom, the Pussy Willow Embroidery range fits the brief.
A note on care
Embroidered roman blinds reward a gentle approach. Dust the folds regularly with a soft brush or a vacuum on a low setting, ideally with the blind lowered flat so you can reach the whole panel, taking care around the raised embroidery. Spot-clean any marks with a barely damp cloth rather than soaking the fabric, and steer clear of harsh detergents that could mark the pale grounds or catch the stitching. Keep these blinds out of steamy rooms, and let the fabric dry fully before raising it back into its pleats.
The same Laura Ashley designs, at several retailers
Laura Ashley roman blinds are sold by more than one UK retailer, so the same designs turn up under each shop's own range. They differ in construction, colourway and fitting, so it pays to compare on more than price:
- Swift Direct Blinds this page from £17.47
- Terrys Fabrics from £18.00
- Blinds By Post from £21.10
- Blinds Direct from £28.82
Designs carried by more than one of these retailers include Alfriston, Animalia, Animalia Embroidered, Aria, Awning Stripe, Belvedere, Birtle, Burford Check, Burnham Woven and Burnsall Stripe.
Our full Laura Ashley blinds guide - every pattern and price →
These are the same designs rather than guaranteed identical blinds - one retailer may weave a jacquard where another prints the pattern, and colourways and fittings vary. Check the specific design, colour and fitting at each retailer before buying.