I've gotten Smith and Noble's top-down shades (although cellular - which you don't want - rather than roller). And they are indeed very nice. When I wanted a similar effect for a couple windows I wouldn't be adjusting very often, and I didn't want to pay another $150 a shade, I ended trying a DIY solution. I took two Ikea pleated shades of the same width, removed the pleated shade from one of them, and connected its raising/lowering bar to the top of the raising/lowering bar of the other shade. That other shade operates normally, while the "taken-apart" shade serves to raise/lower the top of the other shade. This approach might work for you. You could connect a "regular" roller shade upside down in the window, and connect the raising/lowering hardware from a $10 pleated shade (with the shade part removed) at the top of the window. Then fasten the ends of the pleated shade's strings to the stiff "bottom" bar (now the "top") of your roller shade. The pleated shade's mechanism will then be able to raise/lower your roller shade.

Does anybody know if IKEA still sells pleated shades?

I was curious paige, or anyone else, if this ever got resolved.

I am also looking for simple roller shade that you can install at the bottom, with a central chord that pulls up via a pulley at the top. I remember having these at my high school growing up but am having the hardest time finding them. Everyone at home depot, lowes and 3day blinds looks at me like im crazy.

I just want the privacy a bottom up shade gives, but no expense (or extensive detail) of roman or cellular shades. Any help would be appreciated. Thx!

I too remember these from days gone by and wonder if there is existing harware to convert roll down to a roll up. I actually did a crude conversion when I was in college that worked ok but was not so pretty. I just installed the roller shade at the bottom of the window affixed a cord at center around the wooden pull inside the end of the shade, then ran it up through a pulley at the top of the window. The cord just ran straight back down the center and I secured it there under the sill on a cord wrap. If anyone knows of something more professional please let us know.

Mechoshade makes the product you are looking for. They're more "contract" and therefore pretty pricey. But, they do look very professional and are nicely made.

www.mechoshade.com

20 years past i purchased the necessary hardware to hang the blinds this way. there is a locking pulley thingy that you screw to the top of the window frame. i have about 10 of them and found this question while googling for the proper name of this hardware. i'm posting them on craigslist, free stuff, bernal heights. they're yours if you contact me. hardware stores don't seem to carry them anymore, and i still have no idea what the proper name is.

so I finally found the pulleys!! These should allow you to convert any roller shade into a bottom up shade. The pulleys lock, so you dont have to tie the chord to the side. I knew I wasn't crazy!

Very helpful small shop in the castro, on market and 14th.

Art Shade Shop
698 14th St
San Francisco, CA 94114
(415) 431-5074

For more information on top down bottom up shades click the link for a thorough description of the product. All of the vendors listed in the ordering blinds online section of BlindFINDER.com carry these shades.

Good luck finding your shades.

BlindFINDER.com
"All you could ever want to know about window treatments"

A custom shade shop will do this roller shade that is mounted at the bottom of you window. The bar at the end of the shade will be of wood (slid into a pocket)which has an eye hook on it. Then at the jambs of the window there will be some hooks, say at the mid point of the window and maybe higher or lower depending on your preference. The eye hook will slide over the jamb hook at what ever heights you desire. This is not a cheap solution, because of the custom shade shops involvement. About $250.00 a window. But, no unsightly pulleys. And the shop will modify the roller mechanism so that there is constant "retraction" to keep the shade tight.

UPDATE
I have just completed a project where I took a roller shade and mounted just as descried in the previous post. I will post pictures if desired. It was easy, looks amazing (like the $250.00 ones, except the shade is not of a high quality fabric), and was CHEAP! about $9 a window.

Oh, yes, please. Let's have some pictures. $9 per window sounds perfect.

beingred,
where did you purchase your cheap roller shades? any specs would be helpful, thanks. heading to art shade today!

go to www.bottomupblinds.co.uk. They are an English company that only do this type of blind. They will also export around the world!

sorry for link goto http://www.bottomupblinds.co.uk

http://www.pdwindowfashions.com sells these bottom-up shades
Last I checked they don't list them on their website but if you call them they can certainly help you out.
I bought 4 for my office at $200 bucks a piece for nice looking 36x48 shades with all the right mechanisms, tensions and hardware. The company is out of los angeles and they sent me 5 large fabric samples for $10 bucks a piece, which I had credited to my order when i returned the samples.
http://www.bottomupblinds.co.uk also has the shades, they are out of England but ship to the US.

If anyone's still looking for these, try bottomupblinds.org

I would love to see photos from "beingred" of the bottom up shades installed and directions for the $9.00 cost!