Why Swansea Homeowners Choose Us
A roman shade starts with the fabric, and that is where Window Works starts too. We have made roman shades in Swansea, MA since 1988, and because drapery is our specialty, the showroom holds a broad fabric range to choose from. You pick the cloth first, then the fold, then we measure the window and make the shade to fit it.
The houses around town suit soft folds well. Ocean Grove and Gardners Neck cottages near Mount Hope Bay want something that softens hard afternoon light. Farmhouses in Hortonville have traditional sash that a tailored fabric shade complements. Ranches along the Route 6 corridor often need warmth and pattern in rooms with plain, broad windows.
- Flat, hobbled and relaxed fold roman shades
- Made from the fabrics in our showroom range
- Measured in your home and installed by our own team
The Folds We Make
Flat fold
Crisp, even pleats that stack neatly when raised and lie flat when lowered. Tailored and modern, and the best fold for showing off a printed fabric.
Hobbled fold
Soft, rounded folds that cascade down the full length of the shade, even when it is lowered. Full, traditional and generous with fabric.
Relaxed fold
A flat shade with a gentle curve at the bottom edge, like a smile. Casual and easy, and well suited to cottages.
Drapes and curtains
Our specialty. Side drapes in a matching or contrasting fabric frame a roman shade beautifully.
Woven wood shades
Prefer a natural weave to a fabric? Woven wood shades fold in much the same way.
Cellular shades
For the coldest rooms, a honeycomb shade holds in more heat than a single layer of fabric.
Choosing Roman Shades in Swansea, MA
Choosing roman shades in Swansea, MA is mostly about the fabric and the fold, and then about how the shade will live in the room. We bring samples to your home when we measure, and the full range is in the showroom if you want to see the colours in daylight.
Starting with the fabric
Fabric decides how a roman shade looks and how it behaves. A crisp cotton or linen holds a sharp flat fold. A softer, heavier cloth drapes into fuller hobbled folds. Texture shows best on a plain fold; a bold print shows best on a flat one, where the pattern is not broken up. If you are also having drapes, pillows or a duvet cover made, the shade can be cut from a fabric that ties to them, so the whole room hangs together.
Lining
Every roman shade can be lined, and the lining changes how it works. A light lining protects the face fabric from the sun and gives the folds more body. A room-darkening lining keeps a bedroom dim. An unlined shade in a light linen lets soft daylight glow through the fabric, which can be lovely in a kitchen or a breakfast nook. We will talk through the lining for each room, because the same fabric can look quite different with different backing.
Bay-facing cottages
The rooms in Ocean Grove and Gardners Neck that look out over Mount Hope Bay get strong afternoon sun. A lined roman shade softens it without shutting out the room completely. Lowered partway, the folds hang above the view, so you still see the water while the top of the window is shaded. A lining also protects the face fabric from fading, which matters in a sunny room.
Short windows high on the wall
Many older cottages have short, wide windows set close to the ceiling. A roman shade stacks into its folds when raised, so on a short window we look carefully at the stack height. A flat fold stacks most neatly; a relaxed fold sits softly at the top. Mounted on the wall just above the frame, the shade can be raised clear of the glass, so the window keeps its light. This is a case where measuring in the home makes all the difference.
Ready to Get Started? Book Your Free Quote
Call the Swansea store for a free quote, or come and see the samples in person.
Hortonville farmhouses
The taller, traditional windows in Hortonville farmhouses suit roman shades especially well. A flat fold in a linen or a small check sits neatly inside an original frame and lets the trim show. A hobbled fold in a richer fabric brings warmth to a dining room or a parlour. Where a farmhouse has a run of windows in one room, we match the stack heights so every shade sits at the same line when raised.
Route 6 ranches
The post-war ranches along Route 6 often have one wide picture window. A single roman shade across a very wide window becomes heavy to lift, so we often split it into two or three shades that sit side by side and raise separately. In the bedrooms, a lined roman shade in a soft colour adds the warmth and pattern that a plain ranch window can lack. For the slider at the back, a vertical blind is usually the more practical choice.
Which Fold Suits Which Room
There is no fixed rule, but some pairings come up again and again.
- Kitchens and breakfast nooks: a flat fold in a light cotton or linen, often unlined, so the morning light glows through. It stays out of the way above a sink or a counter.
- Living rooms: a flat fold for a clean look, or a relaxed fold for something softer. A lined shade here protects the fabric and the furniture from the sun.
- Dining rooms: a hobbled fold in a richer fabric gives the room a sense of occasion, and pairs well with side drapes.
- Bedrooms: any fold, with a room-darkening lining. A relaxed fold in a soft colour suits a guest room or a child’s room.
- Bathrooms: a flat fold in a fabric that copes with some humidity, mounted where it will not be splashed.
Roman shades with drapes and valances
A roman shade is complete on its own, but it also sits well inside side drapes. The shade handles light and privacy; the drapes add height, colour and a softer frame. In a formal room, the shade might be a plain linen and the drapes the patterned fabric, or the other way round. Because both come from our showroom fabric range, we can make sure the colours and weights suit each other before anything is cut. A shaped valance above a shade is another option for a window that needs a finished top.
Mounting and Controls
An inside mount places the shade within the window frame, which gives a neat, tailored look and keeps the trim on show. It needs enough frame depth for the headrail and for the folds to stack without catching on a crank handle or a lock. An outside mount sits on the wall or trim above the window, covers the frame and lets the raised shade clear the glass completely. It is often the better choice for short windows, shallow frames and bedrooms that need to be darker.
Roman shades can be cordless, lifted and lowered by hand from the bottom of the shade, which keeps cords out of reach and suits most windows. For tall windows or ones behind furniture, motorised shades raise and lower from a remote or a wall switch.
How Your Order Runs
We stay in contact with you from the first question until every shade is hanging. A typical order for roman shades runs like this.
- You call or use the form, tell us which rooms you are thinking about, and book a free quote.
- A specialist comes to measure every window in your home, checking frame depth, stack height and anything in the way.
- You choose the fabric, the fold and the lining, with samples at home or in the showroom.
- You receive a quote, window by window.
- Your shades are made to the measurements taken in your home.
- Our team installs them, checks that each one raises evenly and folds cleanly, and shows you how they work.
Across the SouthCoast and the East Bay
Swansea is home, but we measure and install roman shades in 25 towns across the SouthCoast of Massachusetts and the Rhode Island East Bay. Each town has its own page about its own houses, such as roman shades in Somerset. Every town we cover is listed on this page.
Caring for roman shades
A soft brush or a vacuum on low keeps the fabric dust free. Small marks can usually be blotted with a damp cloth; test somewhere hidden first. Most shades should be cleaned by a professional rather than washed, because washing can shrink the fabric and spoil the folds. We will tell you what suits the fabric you choose.
What Sets Window Works Apart
Window Works is a family business, founded in Swansea in 1988 and now in its second generation. In over 37 years of making roman shades in Swansea, MA and across the SouthCoast and the East Bay, fabric has always been at the centre of what the store does.
- Drapery and fabric specialists, not just shade fitters
- A showroom fabric range to see and handle in daylight
- Measuring in your home and installation by our own team
- Warranties offered on the products we sell
- In constant contact with you until the job is done
Our window treatments page covers everything else we make, from blinds and shutters to custom fabric decor.
Roman Shade Questions
What is the difference between flat, hobbled and relaxed folds?
A flat fold has crisp, even pleats that lie flat when lowered. A hobbled fold has soft folds down the full length of the shade. A relaxed fold is flat with a gentle curve at the bottom edge.
Can I choose my own fabric?
You choose from the fabric range in our showroom, and we can bring samples to your home when we measure.
Can a roman shade darken a bedroom?
Yes, with a room-darkening lining and an outside mount. We will suggest the best setup for the window.
Can the shade match my drapes or pillows?
Yes. Because we also make drapes, pillows and duvet covers, the shade can be cut from a fabric that ties to the rest of the room.
Do roman shades suit short windows?
They can. We check the stack height and often mount the shade just above the frame, so it raises clear of the glass.
How do I get a quote?
Quotes are free. Use the call button or the form on this page and tell us which rooms you have in mind.
Book Your Free Quote
Use the call button to book a free quote for roman shades in Swansea, MA, arrange measuring in your home or ask about installation, or send the form and we will be in touch. To see the fabrics in person, come into the Swansea showroom; the contact page has the directions. Window Works holds a 5.0 rating on Google.