Buying guide

How to Measure for Curtains and Roman Blinds

Learn how to measure curtains and Roman blinds: choose the fitting point, check width and drop, then use our guides before ordering made-to-measure curtains or Roman blinds.

British Made Interiors21 July 2026

Measure curtains from the pole, track or intended fitting point, and measure Roman blinds after choosing inside- or outside-recess; record width and drop in several places, check common errors, then use our guides before ordering made-to-measure.

If you are ordering made-to-measure for a sitting room, bedroom or bay window, the safest order is simple: decide where the finished treatment will sit, measure from that point, then check your notes against the right support guide before you buy.

Key Takeaways

Choose the fitting position before you measure. Curtains and Roman blinds do not use the same reference point.
For curtains, measure from the pole, track, rail or planned fitting point, not from the glass or visible window opening.
For Roman blinds, decide whether the blind will sit inside or outside the recess before recording width and drop.
Check uneven windows in more than one place, use one unit, and do not round figures.
When your notes are ready, compare them with our curtain or Roman blind measuring guide, then choose the made-to-measure curtain or Roman blind option that fits your room.

Situation	Best choice	Main trade-off	What to check next
Treatment not chosen.	Decide treatment and fitting point first.	Early figures may not be useful.	Mark the pole, track, rail, recess or wall position.
Measuring curtains.	Use the pole, track, rail or intended curtain position.	Heading and fitting style still matter.	Check our curtain measuring guides.
Measuring Roman blinds.	Choose inside- or outside-recess first.	Inside looks neat; outside can improve coverage.	Label each measurement by fit.
Window or fitting is uneven.	Record width and drop more than once.	Small differences matter.	Keep original figures; avoid rounding.

What Should You Decide Before You Measure Curtains or Roman Blinds?

Measure correctly by choosing the treatment and fitting position first. Curtains use the pole, track, rail or intended position; Roman blinds use the chosen inside- or outside-recess position. Existing curtain hardware is only a safe reference if the finished curtains will hang there.

This matters because made-to-measure items are made for the position you give. House Beautiful UK advises measuring curtains from the rail or pole, not from the window, and notes that the drop also depends on the pole or track position.^[1] Homes & Gardens gives similar advice: decide on the pole or track first, then measure after it is installed because curtain width is based on that fitting point.^[2]

For Roman blinds, the first choice is not the fabric. It is fit. Ideal Home, with help from Loom & Last, tells homeowners to choose inside the recess, outside the recess, or the architrave before measuring.^[3] If the window is awkward, this early decision can save you from ordering a blind that is accurate on paper but wrong in the room.

Made-to-measure is a long-term purchase: Ideal Home quotes Margaret Larson as saying made-to-measure curtains are designed to last at least 10 years^[4]. That is a vendor-style expert claim rather than a study, but it explains why careful measuring matters.

How Do You Measure Curtains Without Using the Wrong Reference Point?

For curtains, measure from the pole, track, rail or intended fitting position rather than the glass, frame or visible opening. If your pole is already right, it can be your width reference; if you plan to move it, measure from the intended new position. Voyage Maison warns against making assumptions before the pole or track is installed, especially for bay windows.^[5]

Width is not fabric fullness. Blinds.com says custom curtains and drapes may use 200–300% fullness^[6], while Homes & Gardens says 1.5 times^[2] pole width gives some fullness but not much. Treat these as general guides, not order figures.

Record the pole or track width clearly, then check the curtain type. Pencil pleat, deep pleat, wave, eyelet and other headings can change what you need to confirm. If you are still choosing the look, our guide to curtain styles can help.

Use this overview to avoid the wrong reference point, then use our curtain measuring guides before moving to our made-to-measure curtains.

Should Your Roman Blind Sit Inside or Outside the Recess?

Roman blinds should be measured according to the intended fit. Inside-recess blinds need enough clearance to move cleanly; outside-recess blinds can improve coverage and balance where the recess is unsuitable. Label measurements as inside-recess or outside-recess before ordering.

An inside-recess Roman blind sits within the window opening. It can look tidy, but handles, tiles, uneven plaster or a shallow recess can stop it moving cleanly. An outside-recess blind sits over the wall area around the window, giving more coverage and a stronger framed look.

Voyage Maison separates recess fit from exact fit before ordering and gives different measuring advice for each.^[7] Morris & Co. also tells made-to-measure Roman blind buyers to decide whether the blind will sit inside or outside the reveal before measuring.^[8] That is the key rule: the fit choice comes first; the figures come second.

Outside-recess may suit a bedroom where light gaps will bother you; inside-recess may suit a tiled kitchen with clear space. If you are choosing blind finishes after measuring, read our standard or cascade Roman blinds guide.

Our made-to-measure Roman blinds are pattern matched from the top as standard, so blinds of different sizes in the same order all start in the same place^[9]. Clear notes matter when several windows share one fabric.

Measuring and ordering support compared
Criterion	British Made Interiors	Graham Sanderson Interiors	Curtains and Blinds 4 Homes
Measuring support for curtains and Roman blinds	Dedicated curtain measuring guides, with made-to-measure Roman blinds available when you are ready to order.	How To Measure page for curtains and Roman blinds, including pole, track and recess guidance.	Curtain guidance says to measure the existing track or pole and exclude finials.
Made-to-measure curtain and Roman blind options	Made-to-measure curtains and Roman blinds.	Bespoke soft furnishings and Roman blinds.	Online made-to-measure curtains and Roman blinds.
Manufacturing basis	Manufactures curtains, blinds and soft furnishings in its modern bespoke factory.	British-made, handcrafted in Yorkshire soft furnishings.	Most made-to-measure blinds and curtains made in its West Yorkshire factory.
Published made-to-measure Roman blind lead time	Roman blinds: 20 working days standard; 10-working-day priority option.	Normally 5-7 weeks; 6-8 weeks in busier periods.	Made-to-measure curtains and Roman blinds: 7-10 working days unless stated.

How Do You Record Width and Drop So the Numbers Can Be Trusted?

Measure width and drop from the correct fitting point, write them separately, and check more than one place where the window or recess may be uneven. Use consistent units and avoid rounding.

Write the room, window, treatment, fitting choice, width and drop as separate notes. “Bedroom left window, Roman blind, outside recess, width, drop” is safer than two numbers on a scrap of paper.

Uneven openings are common in older homes. Livingetc reports advice from Davina Ogilvie of Wovn Home to measure width across the top, middle and bottom, and height at left, centre and right for bespoke blinds.^[10] Voyage Maison similarly says width and height should be taken 3 times^[7] across the window.

Use one unit from start to finish. DotcomBlinds warns that rounding a made-to-measure blind measurement from 1247mm up to 1250mm^[11] can seem harmless but create a fit problem. Exact notes are better than tidy notes.

British Made Interiors manufactures curtains, blinds and soft furnishings in its own bespoke factory, direct from the manufacturer. The workroom still depends on clear measurements and style choices.

Which Measuring Mistakes Should You Check Before You Order?

Before ordering, check the fitting point, Roman blind recess choice, uneven openings, width, drop and any rounded figures.

Run this final check before you rely on your notes:

Final measuring checks before you order
Check	Why it matters	Safer check before ordering
Wrong reference point	Curtains measured from the window opening may not cover or finish as expected.	Confirm the pole, track, rail or planned fitting point.
Recess not labelled	A Roman blind can be correct for one fitting choice and wrong for another.	Write inside-recess or outside-recess beside every blind measurement.
Width and drop swapped	Two correct numbers in the wrong order are still an ordering risk.	Label each number before moving to the next window.
Rounded or copied figures	Made-to-measure relies on the exact dimensions supplied.	Keep the original figure and remeasure any window you are unsure about.

Length is a common curtain error. Livingetc says the wrong length can look odd and affect light blocking, and quotes Amy Wilson of 247 Curtains recommending made-to-measure for the right proportions.^[12] If a number makes you pause, check the measuring support rather than hoping it is close enough.

What Should You Do After Taking Your Measurements?

After taking measurements, compare your notes with the relevant curtain or Roman blind measuring guide, then choose the made-to-measure curtain or Roman blind option that suits your window. Confirm fabric samples, heading choice or Roman blind style before finalising the order where needed.

If you are ordering curtains, check the heading and fitting notes first. Our made-to-measure curtains page explains that pencil pleat, deep pleat and wave curtains require hooks, while other curtain types may come ready to hang or not require hooks^[13]. It also says we pattern match all curtains starting from the top, so different sized curtains in one order start in the same place^[13].

If you are ordering Roman blinds, check whether the blind is inside or outside the recess, and confirm the bracket details. Our made-to-measure Roman blinds come with high-quality tracks and universal brackets for face or ceiling fixing^[9]. For exact measuring steps, use our Roman blind measuring guides.

Then move from measurement into design choices. Order fabric samples if you are unsure how a print, weave or colour will sit in the room. If lining is the next question, read our guide to sateen, blackout and thermal linings.

In a Trustpilot review, Paschal described ordering a blind from British Made Interiors, getting the measurements slightly wrong, and finding the team helpful in resolving the issue.^[14] Treat that as one buyer's experience, not a reason to guess: the safer step is still to check your notes before you order.

British Made Interiors is family owned, and our curtains and Roman blinds are made-to-measure in the UK. We advise professional dry cleaning rather than home washing, so choose fabric, lining and room use with long-term care in mind.

FAQs About Measuring for Curtains and Roman Blinds

Do you measure differently when ordering curtains and Roman blinds for the same room?

Yes. Curtains and Roman blinds in the same room still use their own fitting points: curtains from the pole, track, rail or planned curtain position, and Roman blinds from the chosen recess position. Keep each set of notes separate.

Do curtain heading style, Roman blind style, or other product choices affect what you should check before measuring?

Yes. Curtain heading affects the hanging setup, Roman blind style and recess choice affect the fitting assumption, and fabric or style may need confirming before order.