A beautifully dressed window can change the entire feeling of a nursery. It can soften a room, control the morning light, add warmth and texture, and help a room feel complete. But before the fabric, lining, or finish, comes the measurement.
When a window treatment is made to measure, a few millimetres can affect the final fit. A recess that is slightly narrower at the top than the bottom, a deep sill, a radiator beneath the window or a handle projecting into the recess can all change what will work. This becomes even more important in a nursery, where window treatments need to combine beautiful design with effective light control and safe installation.
If you are preparing to order made-to-measure curtains, blinds, shutters or another bespoke window treatment, here is how to approach the measurement process.
Before You Measure: Know What You Are Measuring For
The first question is not actually "How wide is my window?" It is: Where will the window treatment be fitted?
A blind or shutter may sit inside the window recess, while curtains will generally hang from a pole or track positioned outside the recess. Some blinds are also designed to sit outside the recess when greater coverage and light control are required. This difference changes which measurements you need. For an inside-mounted blind, for example, you are measuring the recess itself. For curtains, you will usually need the proposed pole or track width and the finished drop rather than simply the dimensions of the glass. For an outside-mounted blind, you need to establish the intended fixing position and the area you want the treatment to cover.
There is no single measurement that works for every window treatment, so identify the treatment and mounting position before taking your tape measure to the window.
What You Will Need
Keep the process simple. Have ready:
- A good-quality metal tape measure
- A pen and paper, or your phone for recording measurements
- A step ladder if the top of the window cannot be reached safely
- Someone to assist with wider or taller windows
- Your window treatment choice, if already decided
- A phone or camera for photographs
- A note of any unusual features around the window
For made-to-measure work, record measurements immediately. Do not rely on memory. Write down every measurement as you take it. And do not round measurements up or down yourself. If the manufacturer or designer needs to make an allowance, let them do so according to the treatment being made.
Step 1: Measure the Width at Three Points
If you are measuring inside a window recess, start with the width. Measure horizontally across the recess at the top (behind the sloped wall), the middle, and the bottom. You should record all three measurements because walls and recesses are not always perfectly straight. Do not take one measurement and assume the rest of the recess is identical.
What if the three widths are different? Do not try to 'correct' the difference. Record all three. A variation might simply reflect slightly uneven plasterwork. It could also indicate that the recess is out of square. The designer or manufacturer can then decide how the treatment should be made and whether an inside or outside fitting would produce the better result.
Step 2: Measure the Height at Three Points
Next, measure vertically. For an inside recess, take measurements from the top of the recess down to the relevant bottom point at the left, the centre, and the right. Again, record every measurement. A window recess can slope just as easily from top to bottom as it can vary from side to side. If the sill is not level, the three measurements will reveal it.
Step 3: Measure the Recess Depth
This measurement is particularly important for blinds and shutters. Measure straight across the recess from the front edge towards the windowpane. The depth tells your designer or supplier how much room there is for the blind or shutter to sit within the recess. A shallow recess may not provide enough space for the chosen mechanism. A deep recess may give you several options. This is also where obstructions become important.
Look for Anything That Could Interfere With the Treatment
Before deciding that your measurements are complete, look carefully at the whole window. Ask yourself: Does anything project into the recess? Look for: window handles, locks and catches, opening mechanisms, trickle vents, window hinges, deep sills, radiators, existing curtain poles or tracks, alarm sensors, electrical sockets, heating controls, wall lights, furniture, decorative mouldings, architraves, skirting boards, and pipes or other fittings.
A handle may be insignificant when you are looking at the window as a whole but become a problem when an inside-mounted blind needs to pass over it. The same applies to a radiator. A curtain that falls directly over a radiator will behave differently from one that stops above it, while the position of a radiator can also influence where a blind or shutter can be installed. Take photographs of anything unusual rather than trying to describe it from memory.
Measuring Sloping or Unusually Shaped Windows
Some windows are straightforward rectangles. Others are not. You may be working with sloping ceilings, angled recesses, arched windows, bay windows, corner windows, dormer windows, deep reveals, period mouldings, windows with unusual sills, or multiple windows within one architectural opening. Do not try to force an unusual window into a standard measurement formula. Take clear photographs from several angles and record the basic dimensions you can safely obtain. Then speak to your window treatment designer.
For particularly complex windows, professional measuring is the better option because the installation method, hardware, and final design need to be understood alongside the measurements.
Take Photographs Before You Send Your Measurements
This is a small step that can make a significant difference. We ask clients to provide two or three clear photographs, including one straight-on photograph showing the entire window and at least one side view capturing the outward-sloping wall above it. The photographs help the team recommend appropriate hardware and styling.
Generally, we recommend photographing:
- The entire window straight-on.
- The window from each side where possible.
- The recess depth.
- The surrounding wall and architecture.
- Any handles, radiators, or other obstructions.
- The floor or sill area if the treatment will extend below the window.
Photographs give context that numbers cannot. A measurement might tell a designer that a recess is 150mm deep. A photograph can show that a radiator occupies part of that space.
Do You Need to Measure Your Windows More Than Once?
For a made-to-measure nursery window treatment, rechecking your measurements is a very sensible precaution. Measure each dimension once, record it, then go back and repeat the process. If your second measurement differs from the first, measure again until you understand why.
This is particularly important when working with a large window, an older property, or a recess where the walls are visibly uneven. General measuring guidance recommends checking measurements twice before ordering. The aim is to establish an accurate picture of the window.
When Should You Leave Measuring to a Professional?
There are plenty of straightforward windows that a homeowner can measure successfully. But there are also situations where professional measuring is the better choice. Consider arranging a site visit if:
- The window is unusually shaped.
- The recess is visibly uneven.
- The window is very large or difficult to access.
- You are unsure whether to fit inside or outside the recess.
- There are several obstructions.
- The window treatment is particularly heavy.
- You are ordering multiple coordinated treatments.
- You are working with expensive bespoke fabrics.
- The installation involves specialist hardware.
- You are designing a nursery where several window treatments need to work together.
- You simply do not want to take responsibility for the measurements.
The Baby Cot Shop offers a professional measuring service for clients who would prefer us to visit the property, measure the window, and help ensure the treatment discussed is suitable for the space. For a bespoke nursery project, this can remove one more source of uncertainty from the process.
Remember Nursery Safety When Planning Window Treatments
Measurement is only one part of getting nursery window treatments right. Safety needs to be part of the decision from the beginning. The UK's Office for Product Safety and Standards warns that blind cords and loops can pose a strangulation risk to young children. New blinds with looped cords must have child safety devices installed at manufacture or supplied with the blind. The guidance also advises keeping furniture such as cots and beds away from blinds and their cords. The Baby Cot Shop recommends cordless or motorised options for nursery installations.
This is one reason why window treatment selection should happen alongside nursery planning rather than at the very end. The position of the cot, the height of the window, the operation of the treatment, and the fixing method all need to work together.
A window treatment has to fit the window, but a beautiful nursery treatment also has to fit the room. The fabric needs to work with the furniture. The lining needs to provide the right level of light control. The hardware needs to suit the architecture. The proportions need to complement the room rather than overwhelm it. And in a nursery, every decision needs to be made with safety in mind. This is why made-to-measure window treatments are so useful for carefully designed nurseries. They allow the treatment to respond to the actual architecture of the room rather than asking the room to accommodate a standard size.
At The Baby Cot Shop, we work with families to create bespoke curtains, blinds, and other window treatments as part of a wider nursery scheme. Our design service can incorporate window treatments alongside furniture, wallpaper, lighting, colour, and finishing details, with physical samples sent to clients before decisions are confirmed. And if you would rather leave the tape measure where it is, we can arrange a professional site visit to take care of the measurements for you. Because when you are investing in made-to-measure window treatment, getting that measurement right is a small detail that makes a significantly positive difference.