Shades & Blinds for Shallow Windows

A shallow window frame is one of the most common reasons a new shade does not fit the way you pictured. Replacement windows, older homes with thin trim, and modern frames set close to the wall can leave only an inch or two between the glass and the room. The shade then has to sit proud of the frame, foul a crank or handle, or move to the wall outside. Everything here is made to your measurements and shipped direct to you.

Which shades and blinds suit a shallow frame

Woven wood shades are the best documented fit for a shallow window, because their depth requirements are written into our spec book. They need just 1 5/8 inches of frame depth to mount inside. Ordered cordless, the headrail is only 1 5/8 inches deep and the shade sits flush with 2 1/8 inches of depth. Clutch loop and motorized versions use a 2 inch headrail and sit flush at 2 5/8 inches. A light filtering liner (about 70 percent) or blackout liner (100 percent) adds privacy. One caution: a movable liner deepens the headrail to about 3 1/8 inches, so on a shallow frame choose an attached liner instead.

Zebra and roman shades can be built on our smaller squared cassette, which measures 2 15/16 inches square. Zebra gives you alternating sheer and solid bands for privacy with daylight, and roman gives soft folds.

Roller shades in light filtering and blackout fabric are built on our standard squared cassette, which measures 3 1/2 inches square. On a frame shallower than that, part of the cassette will sit forward of the frame or you can mount the roller outside. A standard roll hangs the fabric close to the glass, while a reverse roll brings it off the front of the tube to clear a deep sill, a handle or a crank.

How much depth each shade needs

Measure the depth of the frame from the glass, or from any handle or crank that sticks out, to the front edge of the frame. Woven wood needs 1 5/8 inches minimum, 2 1/8 inches to sit flush on cordless, 2 5/8 inches flush on clutch or motor, and 3 3/4 inches flush for a cordless twin with a movable liner. The woven wood bracket itself is 1 3/8 inches high by 1 3/4 inches wide, with 1/2 inch of clearance for the fabric. The smaller cassette for zebra and roman is 2 15/16 inches, the standard roller cassette 3 1/2 inches, and the large cassette used on drops over 100 inches is 4 3/16 inches.

If the frame is shallower than the shade needs, an outside mount solves it. Add about 3 7/8 inches to the width and height so the shade overlaps the opening and closes the light gap. On woven wood, the valance scales with shade height, 6 inches up to 59 inches tall, 8 inches up to 86 5/8 inches and 12 inches above that, and valance returns are available on request at no charge. Returns wrap the sides of an outside-mounted shade so the headrail does not show from across the room.

Measuring and installing it yourself

For an inside mount, measure the width at the top, middle and bottom and use the smallest figure rounded down to the nearest 1/8 inch. Give us exact measurements, since the factory takes 1/4 inch off the width on woven wood to clear the frame.

Roller, zebra and roman shades install with a cassette bracket and a 6 mm drill bit, with screw holes marked at 1.1 inch spacing and two types of anchor in the box for drywall or masonry. Each bracket has four pre-drilled holes and two screws on opposite sides are enough on a sound surface. Hook the valance groove onto the bracket latch, press back until it clicks, and confirm both the top and rear have locked.

On a room of matching windows with shallow frames, decide on inside or outside mount once and apply it everywhere. A mix on one wall is what the eye catches first.