Inside Mount Roman Blinds Vs. Outside Mount Roman Blinds

 

 

Once you’ve picked a fabric and fold style that meets the decor language of your room, the next inevitable question that you face while shopping for roman blinds is ‘where to mount the roman blind - inside or outside the window recess?’ Fortunately, this is not a juncture where you have to stand and ponder for too long because this blog will help you make that choice.

The question is whether to mount your roman blind inside the window or outside it. And the answer to the question lies in deciphering which of these positions can meet your aesthetic mandate and functional requirements to the full. With a well-rounded exposition on the nuances and benefits of each mounting position, you can discern which one suits more for your settings. Let’s head into it -

Inside Mount or Outside Mount: Which is Best?

 

 

Apart from the choice of fabric, accessories and fold style, made-to-measure roman blinds offer one more level of customisation - that of the mounting position. Where you mount the shade is of immense consequence to maximising its functional capacities, and impacts other design decisions as well. Therefore, the decision on the mounting position has to be taken after keen consideration of what each option holds in store for you. Let’s have a quick review of each: 

Inside Mount Roman Blinds

 

In the inside mounting position, the roman shade is affixed to the ‘ceiling’ of the window recess so that it sits snugly inside the frame, covering the recess from end to end. When the shade is raised, it stacks with its neat folds on the top, dressing the window like a valance. The top portion of the window is occupied by the blind’s stack if it is mounted inside the window frame. 

This position is especially ideal in some situations, as listed below: 

ELABORATE TRIM: If your window has an ornate trim or crown moulding that deserves to be flaunted, mounting the blind inside the window makes sure that the entire trim is exposed all the time. The blind does not overlap the trim, and the window trim acts as a frame for the blind, accentuating its visual appeal. So, inside mounting enables both elements - the blind as well as the trim - to shine.

MINIMALIST HOME: When you want the most minimalistic and sleek approach to stay in line with the contemporary feel of your home, inside mounting is ideal as the roman blind commands no space other than the window itself. If you blend the fabric colour with that of the wall, it will sink into the architecture and go unnoticed in true minimalist fashion.

LAYERING WITH DRAPES: If you plan to ‘overtreat’ your blinds with curtains, keeping the roman blinds inside the frame allows both layers of window treatments their own space to operate so that they are not in friction.

BESPOKE APPEAL: Roman shades carry a custom look regardless of how they are mounted as they are perfect-fit treatments that are tailored to stringently fit the specific measurements of the window. However, when inside-mounted, the roman blind looks especially tailored and perceptibly bespoke because it sits snugly in the recess, evidently sewn to perfection for a specific window.

NURSERY & KIDS’ ROOMS: When you want the window shade to be inaccessible to your little ones, mounting the shade inside the frame is more promising.

KITCHENS & BATHROOMS: In kitchens, laundry rooms and bathrooms, the inside mounting position helps to keep the roman blind less vulnerable to accidental splashes.

WINDOWS WITH FURNITURE UNDERNEATH: When there is inbuilt window seating/storage space underneath the window-sill, as is often the case with bay windows, or if there is a piece of furniture like a study desk directly in front of the window, mounting the shade inside ensures that it won’t skim on the countertop or be hindered during its operation.

SMALL ROOMS: In a small room, an inside-mounted shade is a space-saver as it does not take any additional wall space but accommodates itself in the window itself.

Outside Mount Roman Blinds

 

In this position, the roman blind is mounted outside the window’s frame. It is either affixed to the wall above the window, or in some cases, to the ceiling of the room when the window is close to the ceiling. 

Since the blind is placed outside the window, it is not limited by the size of the window as it happens in the case of inside mounting. There is scope to extend the blind beyond the window frame, if so desired. 

When the blind is mounted outside, it is typically mounted a few centimetres above the window trim. This allows the shade to stack up on the wall above when it is folded up, not in front of the window. In this way, the window will be cleared fully when the blinds are folded up. Hence, the blind will not take away any space from the window for its stacking room as opposed to if it were mounted inside, blocking the upper portion of the window. 

In addition, since the blind is generously scaled - broader and longer than the window - it offers more coverage, and in turn, better light control, insulation and privacy.

This position is especially ideal in some situations, as listed below: 

SHALLOW WINDOW RECESS: The White Window’s roman blind hardware needs a minimum of 5cms of window depth to be installed. So, if your window recess is less than 5cms deep, the outside mounting position is ideal.

SMALL WINDOW: If your window is small, and you mount the shade inside, it will make the window even smaller, both visually and literally. Here, outside mounting is advantageous as you can free the window fully when the shade is folded up. For best results, the shade should be mounted about 20-30 cm above the window trim so that, when it is minimised, it will stack on the wall above the window, rather than in front of the window as would be the case with inside mounting. So, the window’s meagre capacity to bring in light and air will not be further compromised. In addition, if you extend the blind both horizontally and vertically, you can create an optical illusion of a larger window. So, an outside mounting shade enables you to make the most of a small window and masks its smallness when designed with the right proportions.

MINIMISE LIGHT LEAKS: If your roman shade is a standalone treatment in a bedroom or nursery, stitching it with larger proportions and mounting it outside the window will help to reduce the light bleed at the edges of the blinds.

INWARD-OPENING WINDOW PANES: If your window pane opens inward, mounting the shade inside the window will hinder the operation of the window. You will have to minimise the blind and then manually lift it away from the window when you want to open the pane. Whereas if you mount the blind outside and make room for it to stack on the wall above, you can open and close the window pane without any fuss.

WINDOW TRIM SITUATION: If your window trim is show-worthy and you want to flaunt it, inside mounting is ideal. But, if you’re not keen to show it for any reason, outside mounting the blind is better.

MULTI-LAYERING OF WINDOW SHADES: If you envision adding a honeycomb shade or any other shade beneath your roman blind, mounting the roman blind outside the window is ideal. Both layers can operate freely without interfering with each other when one is mounted inside and the other outside.

Inside Vs Outside Mounting Position: The Moment of Choice

 

Both - inside mounting and outside mounting - have attractive traits and offerings of their own. Neither is better than the other, but one may be slightly more beneficial to your decor than the other depending on certain factors. Our stylists recommend evaluating both choices based on certain parameters so that you can arrive at your decision quickly. Some of them are:

LEVEL OF LIGHT CONTROL: Both, for the inside-mounted and the outside-mounted blinds, you can expect a mild glow of light at the seams on a sunny day, but with the outside mounting position, you stand a better chance of minimising it by extending it sufficiently on all sides. Therefore, if you want a high level of light control, mounting the shade outside the window recess is the better option, provided that you also extend it generously on all sides. 

If you plan to ‘overtreat’ your inside-mounted roman shades with blackout drapes, the light leaks will be well-contained by the drapes anyway so that you will have no difficulty darkening the bedroom for sleep time. In such cases, this particular factor may not play a substantial role in your choice of mounting position for your roman blinds.

MULTI-LAYERED WINDOW TREATMENTS: If you plan to install multiple window treatments, it is better to decide upon the entire set-up before you decide on the mounting position of your roman blinds. If you mount the roman shade outside and then decide to ‘overtreat’ it with drapes, the drapes will have to be projected outward enough to accommodate the hardware of the shade behind it. This will end up looking bulky while the interior portion of the window goes as a wasted opportunity. On the contrary, if you later want to mount another perfect-fit treatment underneath the roman blind - such as cellular shades for example - mounting your roman blind inside will have negated the prospects altogether. 

The general rule is: If you plan to add drapes, mount your roman blind inside the window and if you plan to add other blinds/shades, mount your roman blinds outside the window. But based on the depth of the window and other factors, consider the viability of the entire set-up and on a window-to-window and room-to-room basis.

ARCHITECTURAL FEATURES: If you live in a period home where the window trims reveal the beautiful history of the building or an artful detail, inside-mounted shades do a splendid job of bringing them under the spotlight. Mounting the shades outside and covering those wonderful details would make a sad compromise. Similarly, if you live in a modern house that has typically contemporary-looking shallow windows with straight-lined trims, outside mounting the shades may provide more light control and sometimes be the only option if the windows are not deep enough.

SIZE OF WINDOW: If the window is too small, inside mounting can make it seem even smaller and cluttered, so outside mounting (with generous extensions and higher placement) is better. If the window is large, both positions can be considered.

SIZE OF ROOM: In a small room, maximising the available space is often the key goal. Here, inside-mounted shades can be the game changers as they provide all the functionality expected of window treatments without taking an extra inch from the room. 

In Closing

 

 

Depending on the parameters discussed above, you can decide whether mounting the roman shade outside or inside the window recess will be most beneficial for you. As you can guess by now, the answer to this question will vary from room to room and sometimes from window to window within the same room. There is no right or wrong, better or worse way of mounting a roman blind - the choice entirely hinges on the convenience of operation and the overall aesthetic appeal you are aiming for.

Whether you choose to mount the roman blind inside or outside the window, the hardware required is the same and the blinds will be delivered to your home in a ready-to-install condition, complete with the hardware. But, deciding on the mounting position before you venture to place the order is important because the measurement technique will vary based on the mounting position. So, consider both inside mounting and outside mounting positions for all the alluring points they offer and what they hold at stake before you decide which is right for you. We hope that this blog has made the job much easier for you to make your decision confidently and to shop your roman blinds online at The White Window.