Our made to measure shades offer a luxurious alternative to shades, ideal for smaller spaces or to block out particularly persistent light in those extremely sunny spots.
Delivered straight to your door, our Roman shades are crafted with care and designed to be user-friendly, so it’s a straightforward process when it comes to fitting them to your windows.
Before you begin, remember where you took your measurements from for your made to measure Roman shades, as this will determine whether it sits inside or outside the window reveal.
Whether you’re new to shades or replacing well-loved old ones, here’s everything you need to know about how to fit a Roman shade. Our guide covers instructions for both sidewinder and corded mechanism shades, so pay close attention to the instructions below.
How to Fit a Roman Shade Toolkit
- Screws and wall plugs
- Screwdriver
- Drill
- Hammer
- Tape measure
- Scissors
- Pencil
- Eraser
- Step ladder
Step one: Placement
Before fixing anything into the wall, check where your Roman shade is going to sit, either inside or outside the window reveal. This positioning will be based on the measurements you used for your made to measure shade.
Check that your shade, brackets and headrail are not in the way of any window handles too, as once it’s secured into place it could obstruct these handles.
Step two: Remove the brackets
For shades with a sidewinder mechanism, start by removing the brackets from the headrail and make a note of how they clip in and out as this will help for later.
The brackets will need to be positioned at least 1.2 inches in from the ends of the headrail. Hold the headrail up to the wall and mark out where you would like the brackets to sit on the window frame.
For corded shades, detach the shade from the wooden batten by peeling it from the Velcro fastening - allowing the shade to hang by the strings in the meantime. This allows you to see the positioning for the batten more clearly.
Step three: Secure the brackets
Position the brackets at least 1.2 inches in from the ends of the headrail. Hold each up to the required positioning on the wall/reveal top and mark the screw positions. Ensure that all brackets are level and carefully aligned before drilling and plugging holes. Then fix the brackets. Before you drill into the wall, check that your brackets are level and then you can screw them into place. The top of the headrail needs to sit roughly 0.2 inches below the top bracket.
For corded shades with a wooden batten, hold up the wooden batten to the required positioning on the wall/reveal top and mark the appropriate screw positions on the wall and on the batten. Ensure that the batten is level and carefully aligned before drilling and plugging holes. Then fix to the wall/reveal top.
Step four: Attach the roman shade
Peel the Roman shade away from the velcro so it’s hanging by the strings. Before you clip the headrail into place, make sure the velcro is facing towards you so the Roman shade hangs the right way round. Now clip one end, then the other of the headrail into place.
If your shade has a corded mechanism with a wooden batten, you can follow the same process by re-attaching the top of the Roman shade to the batten aligning the Velcro strips.
Step five: Finishing touches
If you have a corded shade, fix the cleat to the wall in vertical alignment with the weighted strings. To comply with safety law, the cleat should be installed at least 59 inches from the floor. For larger shades, in order to accommodate the excess cord, a second cleat may be installed above the first cleat.
Need to tweak the shade strings? First, let the shade down to the closed position. For shades with a sidewinder mechanism, adjust the toggles so the strings are just beginning to take the weight of the shade. Raise the shade using the mechanism, check the hem is straight and adjust further if necessary.
For shades with a corded mechanism, with the cord weight threaded over the strings but not knotted, and holding the strings between thumb and forefinger, raise the shade using the side cords. Check the hem is straight and adjust until the shade hem is straight, then take up the slack on any intermediate strings. Now knot the cords together at a suitable height for reaching when the shade is closed. Check the operation of the shade before cutting off excess string.adjust the outside strings first, while the others remain slacker, then adjust the intermediate strings.
Expert tip: It’s common for there to be creases in the shade initially, so unwind it completely and let the fabric relax a little. The creases will soon drop out.
Our team is always on-hand to help with your home designs, whether it’s discussing our made to measure shades or ordering a sample of your chosen shade fabric.
If you’ve fitted your made to measure Roman shade, be sure to tag us on Instagram using @wmorrisandco, as we always love to see our heritage designs hanging proudly in your home!
