When to Use Outside Mount Shades in Your Home

When choosing shades or blinds for your windows, there are many design options to consider. In addition to choosing a style and material, you will need to choose where your shades will hang: with an inside mount or an outside mount. Inside mount shades are mounted within the window frame, and require a minimum depth for proper installation. This type of mount works well if you want to keep decorative trim uncovered, you have deep windows such as bay windows, or you prefer a low profile for your treatments that does not protrude out from the wall.

Outside mount shades can be mounted at varying widths and heights above and outside the window frame on the wall depending upon the look desired. Shades mounted in this manner sit farther away from the window glass, and could therefore work as a solution for windows with cranks or handles.

Keep reading to find out more benefits of outside mount shades and home décor situations where they can be used.

Make Windows Appear Taller and Wider

An outside mount shades gives you the ultimate flexibility to control how wide and how tall the window treatment is, regardless of how small or off-center your window may be. If you have short windows that sit far away from the ceiling, for example, you could use an outside mount shade hung high to give the appearance of a larger window. If natural light is a priority, the stack of your shades or blinds could sit completely on the wall when raised, leaving the whole window exposed to maximize sunlight.

These shades are also very useful for camouflaging uneven windows. Order the shades in the same size and mount them at equal distances from other walls or surfaces (like fireplaces, French doors, bed headboard, etc.), creating the illusion of symmetry in the space.

Create a Better Blackout

For bedrooms, media rooms, and even offices, light blockage can be an important function for window treatments. Outside mount shades provide better blockage from light seepage around the edge of the window, because inside mount shades by nature need to be slightly smaller than the windowpanes. For a complete result, it is best to layer drapery with a blackout lining over shades and add a cornice to the top of the window. But if your design calls for a shade-only look, consider an outside mount for complete window coverage.

Build a Layered Look

Many designers recommend layered window treatments to give a rich, luxurious look to a room. One combination of layered treatments involve inside mount Roller Shades, in either blackout or light filtering material, layered under Roman Shades. These layers offer options for light control for different times of day. In the home office shown above, the Roller Shade can be lowered for glare reduction while still providing natural light, or the outside mount Roman Shade can be lowered for more privacy or darkness.

The Shade Store’s fast lead times and carefully curated material collections make us your one-stop-shop for high quality window treatments. If you’re an interior designer, sign up for a Trade Account with The Shade Store today to enjoy exclusive discounts and services.

Post written by The Shade Store.