The Laura Ashley Roman Blind at Swift Direct Blinds brings a set of recognisable heritage prints to a made-to-measure fabric blind, with 27 colourways available from £17.47. Where most roman blind ranges lean towards plains and weaves, this one leads with pattern - botanical motifs, animal prints, and illustrated florals that carry the brand's characteristic mood.
Who it suits
Roman blinds suit living rooms and bedrooms better than any other blind type: the pleated fabric folds give them a softness and weight that rollers can't match, and they work well with curtains if you want a layered look. This range in particular - all printed fabric with a relatively decorative character - leans towards rooms where the blind is a style statement rather than a utility fixture. A sitting room, a guest bedroom, or a study with character are the natural homes for a Rosemore or Picardie print.
Kitchens and bathrooms are a poor fit. The fabric construction is unsuited to the grease and moisture those rooms produce, and the detailed prints would be wasted. For bathrooms you need a PVC roller or a moisture-tolerant venetian.
The opacity of these blinds is not stated in the per-range information, so confirm with Swift Direct Blinds before ordering if you need blackout or dimout performance. Roman blinds can be supplied with lined or unlined fabric; lining adds opacity and improves the hang, but whether lining is included or optional here is something to clarify with the retailer.
The colours
27 colours available
The range groups into three print families: Rosemore, Picardie, and Animalia. Rosemore appears in three colourways - Rosemore Midnight, Rosemore Natural, and Rosemore Sage - which gives you a sense of how the same print shifts in feel between a dark blue ground, a neutral, and a cool green. Picardie runs in two colourways: Picardie Sage and Picardie Gold. Animalia Midnight is the sole representative of its print, a darker option that suits rooms where you want more contrast at the window.
The palette overall sits on the cooler and more muted end. Midnight (navy or deep blue ground) anchors two of the six prints; Sage appears twice across two different motifs; Natural and Gold offer warmer alternatives. There are no stark whites or neutrals in this selection - these are committed prints, not background fabrics.
Price by your dimensions
Enter your window size. We round up to the next standard size, which matches how the retailer actually quotes you.
With a starting price from £17.47, this is an accessible entry point for a branded roman blind. Made-to-measure roman blinds from specialist retailers typically cost more as sizes increase, particularly once drop climbs, so check the full price against your window dimensions before committing.
How it compares
Within roman blinds, the main alternative to a printed range is a plain or textured fabric. Plain romans give more flexibility as rooms change - if you redecorate or move house the blind is more likely to work in a new context. A printed blind with a strong character, like these Laura Ashley designs, is a longer commitment.
If your priority is light control over style, it is worth considering whether a roman blind is the right type at all. Roman blinds stack at the top when raised, which reduces the usable glass area. A roller blind in a blackout or dimout fabric - fitted inside the recess - gives cleaner light control and a smaller stack. The printed roman works best when the decorative contribution is the point, not an afterthought.
A note on care
Vacuum the fabric with a brush attachment to remove dust, and spot-clean marks with a damp cloth and mild soap. Avoid soaking the fabric or leaving it wet. If the blind is removable for washing, check the retailer's care label; most polyester-based roman fabrics are not machine washable.
Likely the same fabric, at other retailers
Laura Ashley roman blinds are sold under the same name by more than one UK retailer, and the price scales identically across window sizes - a strong sign it is the same fabric from the same supplier:
- Swift Direct Blinds this page from £17.47
- Blinds By Post from £20.57
We match these on the shared name and an identical price curve, not an independent inspection, so treat it as likely the same fabric rather than confirmed - and check the specification and colour at each retailer before buying.