Roman shades suit Middleton Hills' Prairie-style homes well. Just pick a fold and mount that keep the long, low lines. For most of these homes near Madison WI, a flat fold Roman shade in a natural fabric is the safest match. Mount it so the wood trim still shows. Keep a row of shades at one height. Pick a color that works with the trim as well as the paint.

Why do Middleton Hills homes look the way they do?

Because the neighborhood was planned that way from day one. The planning firm Duany Plater-Zyberk & Company laid it out. Marshall Erdman Associates developed it, the Congress for the New Urbanism notes. Its homes were meant to follow the Prairie, Arts and Crafts and bungalow traditions.

The style even has its own book. Its title is Middleton Hills: A Traditional Neighborhood Development: The Prairie, Arts and Crafts, and Bungalow Traditions. This catalogue of design work came out of a symposium called Designing for Middleton Hills. Its sponsors were Marshall Erdman & Associates and The Frank Lloyd Wright Initiative at UW-Milwaukee.

Builders worked under real rules too. A 2004 Professional Builder report said the community set limits on style and materials. The rules covered details like horizontal banding and window trim.

So the windows were part of the design from the start. The trim, the bands and the way windows line up are there on purpose, and a good window covering should work with all of it.

What are Roman shades?

A Roman shade is a single piece of fabric that folds up in soft, flat pleats as you raise it. When it's down, it covers the glass like a smooth panel. When it's up, the folds stack at the top of the window.

That's why they fit Prairie homes. A lowered Roman shade reads as one calm, horizontal block of fabric. Raised, the stack adds another horizontal band near the head trim. Both echo the long, low look these homes were built around.

They also come in many fabrics, from sheer linen looks to heavy weaves. That makes it easy to match the warm, natural feel of craftsman wood.

Flat fold or relaxed fold: which suits a Prairie-style window?

For most Prairie and craftsman rooms, flat fold wins. It has crisp, straight pleats and a level bottom edge. That straight line sits nicely against square wood trim.

How the main styles look on these homes:

Style	Look when lowered	Prairie and craftsman fit	Good spots
Flat Fold	Smooth panel, straight bottom	Strong, keeps lines clean	Living rooms, rows of windows
Plainfold	Very plain and smooth	Strong, very modern feel	Rooms with simple trim
Relaxed	Gentle curve at the bottom	Fair, softer and a bit casual	Bedrooms, a single accent window
Soft Fold (Hobbled)	Loops of fabric down the face	Weaker, adds a lot of softness	Dining rooms with a more classic style

A relaxed fold can still work. It looks best on one window by itself, like a bedroom or a reading spot. On a row of three or four windows, the curves can fight the straight lines of the trim.

Inside or outside mount on wide wood trim?

On these homes the trim is often part of the show, so look at the window frame before you decide.

Inside mount puts the shade inside the window opening. The full trim stays visible. It's the cleanest choice when the opening is deep enough for the shade to fit.

Outside mount puts the shade on the wall or the trim, above the window. It can cover light gaps better and make a window look taller. It also hides some trim. On stained wood that's a real loss.

Many people split the difference. They inside mount on the main floor, where trim matters most. Then they outside mount in bedrooms, where darker sleep matters more.

How do you handle a row of windows?

Line them up. Prairie homes often group windows side by side. If each shade sits at a different height, the whole wall looks busy.

Use the same fold style across the group.
Raise and lower them to the same height during the day. Hems that line up look calm from inside and out.
Think about one shade per window instead of one wide shade. The wood between the windows stays visible.
For high or hard-to-reach groups, a motorized Roman shade lets you move them all at once. Our post on smart shades and Madison's daylight hours explains how schedules work.

Should your Roman shades be lighter or darker than the walls?

In these homes, look at the trim first. The wood tone is usually the strongest color at the window.

Warm neutrals like oatmeal, flax and soft tan sit well next to oak and cherry. A fabric a step or two lighter than the wood lets the trim stand out. Darker fabrics can work too. Just watch out for dark on dark. A dark shade on dark trim can look like a hole in the wall in winter.

Think about the street side as well. Many Middleton Hills homes sit close to the street with short front yards. Front windows are easy to see from the sidewalk. A neutral lining gives every front window the same look from outside, even if each room has its own color. Once the lamps come on, the lining does privacy work too. Our post on what neighbors see through light-filtering fabric after dark shows the difference.

How should rooms near Pheasant Branch handle January light?

Middleton Hills sits near the Pheasant Branch Conservancy. The conservancy covers 682 acres. From its high ground you can see the Capitol and downtown Madison, says Dane County Parks. Rooms on the south side with open land in front get low winter sun with nothing in the way.

January is cold here. Madison's normal January high is 27°F and the low is 11.8°F, per the Wisconsin State Climatology Office. A lined Roman shade puts one more layer of fabric between the room and that cold glass. A room-darkening lining also cuts glare when the low sun comes in sideways.

On sunny days, raise the shade fully and let the sun warm the room. Lower it again at dusk.

Are Roman shades still in style?

Yes, and they look especially right in a Prairie home. They're soft and tailored, and they don't fight good woodwork. Ours come cordless or motorized, so a row of them stays tidy. Trends in color and fabric come and go. A plain flat fold in a natural fabric has stayed a steady match for craftsman rooms.

What is the downside of Roman blinds?

There are three to plan around.

The stack takes some glass. When raised, the folds sit at the top of the window. On a short window that can block part of the view. Mounting a bit higher helps.
They're fabric. They need gentle dusting or vacuuming, not a wet wipe. Kitchens and baths may suit a different product.
Light at the edges. An inside mount leaves a thin gap at each side. In a bedroom that needs to stay dark, an outside mount covers it.

Which Middleton Hills window should you start with?

Start with your main room and its best window. Look at the trim and the way the windows line up. Then pick a fold. You can see styles and fabrics on our Roman shades page. Want to see samples against your own wood? Our team can bring Roman shades to your Madison-area home so you can compare them in your real light. On install day the old blinds come down and leave with our crew, so all that's left is new fabric and your trim. Book your free consultation.

Kevin Sill is CFO and co-owner of the family-owned Budget Blinds franchises serving the greater Madison area.