All About Ready-Made Roman Shades
THE POPLAR COTTAGE
We installed roman shades at the Poplar Cottage last week and suddenly this drawn-out renovation project is feeling like a home. Window coverings are something we get asked about a lot, and ready-made roman shades are high on our list of favorites. They’re beautiful, functional, easy to install, and that perfect mix of simplicity and cozy. Today we’re sharing everything we’ve learned over the years about measuring for, ordering, and installing ready-made roman shades. Let’s get into it…
shades (in oatmeal), windows, color: BM Swiss Coffee, jeans, sweatshirt
These shades were selected by me and kindly gifted by Pottery Barn. I’ve actually purchased this exact same style before multiple times for the Farmhouse and previous homes, and have always been happy with them. The quality is there and they hold up really well to a ton of use.
I like to say that roman shades are easy. Easy to order. Easy to install. Easy to use. Easy on the eye. But there are a few factors that go into getting the perfect roman shade for your space. Read on for all the details…
Inside Mount vs Outside Mount
The first thing to consider is how you plan to hang your roman shade - inside or outside the window. Most ready-made roman shades come with the ability to be hung either way, but you’ll need to order different dimensions depending which you’re planning.
Inside mount are placed inside the window and attached vertically into the top of the window. Outside mount are surface mounted and attached horizontally into the face of the trim or wall. Here’s when we consider each…
Consider inside mount…
In a bedroom or space you want extreme darkness
When you want a clean and more custom look
You don’t want to cover or screw into the face of beautiful architectural trim
In a tight passageway or space don’t want the shade to project forward from the window
Consider outside mount…
When you have small windows or any time you want to maximize daylight and the view (notice in the image above how much more of the window you see in the outside mount)
For doorways and casement windows
Anytime you want to make your window look bigger and taller
When your windows aren’t square (to determine square, measure the window diagonally both ways - if measurements are significantly different, your window isn’t square)
Personally I use both inside and outside mount, but we went with outside mount for the Poplar Cottage because of the small windows. Natural light is everything!
How to order roman shades
Here are the details that go into ordering roman shades…
Measuring for Roman Shades
After selecting inside mount or outside mount, you’re ready to measure for your shades. Here’s how to do it…
For inside mount:
Horizontally - measure the width of the window twice (or better, 3 times!) and choose the smallest number. Leave yourself some wiggle room by ordering a curtain that is at least 1/4” smaller than your smallest horizontal measurement. Note that with ready-made shades you’re limited to widths available so you may need to pick a dimensions even narrower, but don’t go too narrow or you risk allowing light in when shades are drawn.
Vertically - measure twice (or better, 3 times!) and choose the longest number, as a minimum.
Diagonally - remember that inside mount roman shades will not work well in windows that aren’t square. To determine this, measure the window diagonally both ways - if measurements are significantly different, your window isn’t square and you should opt for outside mount.
For outside mount:
Horizontally - measure the width of the window and then measure from outside of trim to outside of trim. Your curtain width should be between these numbers (or they could be wider if that’s the look you’re going for). Note that we like shades to be at least 2” wider than the window to allow for better coverage when shade is drawn and it also makes the window look bigger.
Vertically - measure from top of trim (or where you plan to place the top of curtain (see ‘shade height’ note below) to the bottom of the window, and use that number as a minimum. Roman shades can be longer than your window and still function great - the extra length will allow for flexibility when hanging.
Black Out vs Light Filtering
Black out roman shades have a thick lining and will block most of the light when closed. We use this option in bedrooms and also on drafty old windows when we want to keep the chill out. And if you really want to block the light, consider Inside mount since they sit closer to the window and allow less light in.
For the Poplar Cottage, I selected light filtering, since I didn’t need or want full blackout in this room. These shades look so pretty with a little light gently filtering through them!
Cordless
Most ready-made romances shades have moved to cordless for safety, but you can still find corded ones. Personally, I gravitate towards cordless roman shades when young kids are in the house and definitely by beds and in nurseries and small kids’ bedrooms.
Material
Roman shades come in all types of materials but we like to stick to natural fibers as much as possible - linen, cotton, bamboo, and blends thereof. Personally I avoid anything with a sheen
Style
There are many roman shade styles out there, but here are a few of the classic styles you may find.
Shade height
For an outside mount, consider hanging the curtain relatively high to allow for more daylight when the shade is open. Shades take up significant space even when open (ours are 13 inches tall when open) and the higher you hang them, the more window will show. Hanging curtains high will also help bring your eye up and make the room feel taller and the window feel bigger.
For the Poplar Cottage, I opted to hang these roman shades at the top of the window trim since we couldn’t go any higher with the curved ceilings on the west side of the room. Note that if your window has trim like our’s, the operation of the roman shade may not allow to you to mount the shade at a shallower depth than the window trim, so consider mounting to the trim or get creative with a furring strip on the wall above.
Where to buy
Ready-made shades come in a variety of styles, quality, and price point. I recommend checking reviews and customer photos to assess quality when possible. And one benefit of ready-made is that most shades should be returnable. Here are a few stores to check out…
how to install roman shades
Install is really quite simple for roman shades and can be done with one person, although all DIY projects are always better with a partner ;) Most ready-made roman shades come with brackets, screws, and easy-to-follow instructions. Depending where your shades come from, you may have slightly different brackets or locations where the brackets should sit, but this is a general install.
Most roman shades will require these tools to install
Tools and Materials
Roman shades with brackets and screws (we used these)
Pencil
Tape Measure
Level (optional - we decided to match trim and ignore level)
Drill or screwdriver with Philips head to match screws
Drill with 1/8” bit (or whatever size your screws require)
Install
Most roman shades will be installed similar to our Pottery Barn roman shades. Here’s how it’s done…
Measure width of curtain and width of window. Mark the center of your window at the top of where you’d like your curtain to sit and then measure out to each end, making a mark 1/4” from each end (note that dimension may differ with different brackets, so check the instructions that came with your shade!).
Hold up bracket at measurement and make a mark at each screw hole. Drill out for screw holes. Install bracket with provided screws.
Slip roman shade into brackets, centered between the two. Attach shade to brackets with small screws.
And that’s it!
These roman shades are operated with a handle on the inside lining, which you can pull down to close and then give a gentle tug to to send the curtain back up.
That’s everything we know about ready-made roman shades! Please, let us know if you’ve had good luck with any ready-made roman shades!
Next up…furniture in this space!
