Every shade order asks you one question that stops people cold: inside or outside mount? Here is how we answer it on calls, in the order we actually ask.
Inside mount, if your window can take it
Mounted inside the frame, a shade looks built with the house — clean reveal, no hardware showing, trim on display. You need about 2″ of flat depth at the top of the frame. Kitchens and baths love this look: an inside-mounted Flat Roman over the sink reads like architecture, not decoration.
Outside mount, when function wins
Mounted on the wall above the frame, the shade overlaps the opening on every side. Choose it when the frame is shallow, the window is out of square in an older home, or the room needs real darkness — the overlap is what kills the light halo around a blackout Eclipse Roller. It also makes a small window read taller: mount high, let the hem cover the trim.
The three measurements that decide it
Depth first: less than 2″ of flat depth means outside mount, decision over. Then width at three heights — if the numbers disagree by more than ¼″, the window is out of square and outside mount will hide it. Then height. Our configurator walks all three, and our measuring guide shows each with photos.
Still torn? A free consultation takes fifteen minutes and settles it.
