How to Measure for Roman Shades

by Davina Ogilvie

Clean, streamlined and sophisticated, Roman shades offer polish and privacy for rooms of all sizes and styles. Once you’ve decided on this type of window treatment for your home, the next—and all-important—step is to measure correctly for them. For some, this can feel like an intimidating and confusing task; fortunately, measuring for your Roman shades is simple with the help of Wovn Home. 

Once you’ve selected the fabric and liner for your Roman shades, you’ll be taken through our Fit Finder, our virtual guide for properly measuring a window. If at any point you have questions regarding the selections or measurements, don't forget you can always contact us: We offer complimentary virtual design consultations to guide you through the entire process. 

Ahead, we break down everything you need to know about measuring for perfectly fitting Roman shades. Read on! 

Inside or outside mount?  

To begin, you’ll need to determine whether you’d like your shades mounted inside or outside of the window frame. At Wovn Home, our Roman shades can be tailored to accommodate either selection, which offer different but equally compelling benefits. 

Inside mounted Roman shades are perfect for a sleek, sophisticated look, as they’re relatively unobtrusive and do not occupy space beyond the window. Because of this, they’re ideal for smaller, cozier areas of your home, such as powder rooms or kitchens. Make no mistake, though: Inside mounted shades can also work in larger rooms, particularly if you have attractive window molding or trim that you’d like to highlight. Because of their streamlined nature, inside mounted Roman shades are also a great choice if you’d like to layer them under drapes to create the ultimate blackout nursery or bedroom. If you think an inside mount is the best fit for your space, first measure your window depth: You’ll need to ensure that it’s least 1 ¾” deep for proper installation. 

Outside mounted Roman shades provide more coverage than an inside mount, thus providing enhanced privacy and light blockage. If you’re hoping to really shade your room or conserve energy, outside Roman shades are a great choice—especially if you’re using a blackout liner. Additionally, outside mounted Roman shades can help windows and rooms appear larger, as they extend beyond the frame, and can also disguise uneven window sizes or not-so-attractive window trim. Practically speaking, outside mounted shades are also a good choice if you have shallow windows that cannot support an inside mount.  With outside mounted shades you also have the flexibility to install the shade 7-10”  above the window itself, so that when the shade is pulled all the way up, the shade does not block any light from coming through the window. We highly recommend doing  this if you want to make sure the room gets as much light as possible when the shade is up.

How to measure for an inside mount

Measuring for inside mounted shades is a very straightforward process. Here’s what you need to know.

• First, measure the width inside of the window opening, from its left edge to its right edge. Round down to the nearest ⅛”.

• Next, measure the height inside the window opening from the top edge to bottom edge. Round up to the nearest ⅛”. If you have a sill, measure to the ledge (the top of the sill).

• Ensure the opening where the shade will be mounted is at least 1 ¾” deep for proper installation.

Take note: Do not remove or add any allowances to your measurements! Once we receive your order, we will deduct a hair from the width of the hardware to ensure the shade can be properly installed and operate inside the window. 

How to measure for an outside mount

Opting to mount your Roman shades outside of the window? Follow these steps.

• Begin by measuring for width, going from the outermost edges of the window frame or window opening, from left to right and rounding to the nearest ⅛”. If the window does not have a decorative frame around it, add the additional amount you would like to cover beyond either edge of the window opening. To minimize any light leaking through the sides, the shade should overlap the window opening by at least 1 ½” on each side, so we recommend adding a total of at least 3 inches onto the entire window width.

• Next, measure for height from the top edge of the window frame  or opening, down to the ledge of the window sill and rounding to the nearest ⅛”.

• Finally, if your window does not have a decorative frame, add the amount of additional height above the top of your window opening where you will install the top of the shade. For this step, take note that most size shades will cover about 7-10 inches with fabric when drawn up. For this reason, we recommend installing the shade at least 7-10 inches above the window in order to not block any light when the shade is pulled up. Doing this will also give the appearance of a larger and taller window!

Ready to get started? Begin selecting your Roman shades, and reach out to us with any questions—hi@wovnhome.com!