Roman Shades in Brookfield WI: Elm Grove Colonials by Room

Roman shades suit Elm Grove's Colonial and Cape Cod homes because they bring soft fabric and clean folds to traditional rooms. Pick a crisp flat fold for formal front rooms. Use a lined shade in bedrooms and on cold winter glass. If you're shopping for Roman shades in Brookfield WI this January, start with the rooms you use after dark. The sun sets before 5 p.m. most of the month.

The rest of this post walks the house one room at a time.

Which homes in Elm Grove are we talking about?

Lots of them. The village's own comprehensive plan sorted its single-family homes by style in 2006. Of the 1,944 single-family houses counted, 566 were Colonials and 335 were Cape Cods (Village of Elm Grove comprehensive plan, housing chapter). The plan's age table counts 174 houses built in the 1930s. Another 157 went up in the 1940s.

That fits the village's story. In the 1920s and 1930s the car let Milwaukee workers move out to Elm Grove, says the Encyclopedia of Milwaukee. The Wisconsin Historical Society's statewide inventory lists brick and limestone English Revival houses on Juneau Boulevard and Circle Drive. They were built between 1928 and 1941. A brick Colonial Revival from 1938 sits on Kurtis Drive (Wisconsin Historical Society property record).

These houses share a few traits. Windows tend to come in pairs or rows. Trim is often painted and worth showing off. Cape Cods add small dormer windows upstairs.

What are Roman shades, and which folds can you pick?

A Roman shade is one fabric panel that folds into neat layers as you raise it. Lowered, it lies flat or hangs in soft loops across the glass. Unlike a blind, there are no slats. Unlike drapery, it sits right at the window.

Our Roman shades page lists five fold styles:

• Flat Fold. Clean, even pleats with a tailored look.
• Plainfold. Even simpler, with a sleek and minimal face.
• Soft Fold (Hobbled). Loops of fabric stay folded even when lowered. It's the most classic look.
• Relaxed. The bottom edge dips in a soft curve. It sits between modern and traditional.
• Knife Pleat. Crisp, structured pleats that hold their shape.

You can choose anything from sheer fabric to opaque. Adding a lining brings more privacy or a darker room.

Which Roman shade fits the front living room?

Start with the front room, since it sets the tone for the house. Many Colonials have a symmetrical front with matching windows on each side of the door. Matching shades keep that order.

A flat fold or knife pleat in a solid fabric looks tidy from the street. It also lets your trim do the talking. An inside mount tucks the shade inside the frame. That shows off the molding around a nice old window.

January light is short in this room. The U.S. Naval Observatory puts mid-January sunrise at 7:21 a.m. on the 15th. Sunset that day is 4:43 p.m. Most evenings, the shades come down before dinner. A light-filtering lining blurs the room once the lamps are on. It still lets in a soft glow by day.

What works in the dining room?

The dining room is where Roman shades can dress up a bit. Rooms like these in older Colonials often have one or two windows and a chandelier. A soft fold or relaxed shade adds softness without taking over the wall.

Pair it with side panels if you want a more formal frame. The Roman shade does the daily work. The panels add height and color. Our post on three drapery and shade pairings for established homes covers that look in more depth.

If your trim is painted white, try a fabric a shade or two darker than the walls. It will read as a choice, not an accident.

How should Roman shades work in the kitchen?

Keep it simple and easy to reach. The window over the sink is the one most people struggle with. You have to lean over the counter to raise it.

Our Roman shades come cordless, which helps here. A motorized lift, also on our Roman page, means no leaning at all. Pick a fabric that can handle kitchen life, since a small pattern hides a splash better than a pale solid.

Think about the fold too. A flat fold stacks neatly at the top. That keeps the view and the light over the sink as open as possible.

How deep does a window need to be for a Roman shade?

It depends on the fold, the fabric and the lining. Our product page doesn't list one number for every style, so we measure the depth at your consultation. Thick, lined fabrics need more room than light ones.

This matters most in Cape Cod dormers. Those small upstairs windows can sit in shallow frames. If the frame can't hold the folds, put the shade on the wall above it instead. That outside mount also covers the gaps at the sides. Small dormers and angled windows like these are everyday work for our team.

For an inside mount, a frame gets checked in six spots. Width is read at the top, middle and bottom. The narrowest of the three is used. Height is read at both side edges and in the center. The longest of those is used. Windows in a house this age are rarely perfectly square.

What do Cape Cod bedrooms upstairs need?

Cape Cod bedrooms often sit under sloped ceilings with a dormer or two. The rooms are cozy. They can also get cold near the glass on a January night.

A lined shade adds another layer of fabric over that cold glass. For sleep, ask about a room-darkening lining, which also helps on bright snowy mornings.

Kids' rooms are easy on that front. With no dangling cords on either the cordless or the motorized version, both suit a home with kids and pets.

What about French doors to a den or sunroom?

Some older Elm Grove homes have French doors into a den, a porch or a sunroom. Roman shades can go right on the doors. Our product page notes that hold downs can keep the bottom of the shade steady when the door swings.

Pick a light fabric here. A heavy shade on a door feels bulky. A flat fold in a linen look keeps it slim.

What are the downsides of Roman shades?

They're lovely, but they aren't right for every window. Weigh these four points first:

These points mostly guide where Roman shades go and how they mount. A steamy bathroom may be better with something else. Put them in the living room, dining room and bedrooms, where the air stays dry and the fabric can show.

Where should an Elm Grove homeowner begin?

Begin with the room where you spend your evenings. In January, that's often the front living room or the den. Get that room right, then carry the same fabric color through the main floor.

Still deciding between styles across the whole house? Our letter on updating a dated Brookfield room without a remodel shows how to plan one look for a whole floor.

We can bring Roman shade fabrics and fold samples to your windows. You'll see them next to your own trim, in your own winter light. Our home page has more on Roman shades in Brookfield WI and Elm Grove. When you're ready, book your free consultation.

Kevin Sill is CFO and co-owner of the family-owned Budget Blinds franchises serving Brookfield and Elm Grove.