Woven wood shades are a staple of modern decorating for a reason - they are an affordable and chic way to gain privacy while maintaining filtered natural light. We also love them for their addition of texture into your space. Thinking about woven shades for your home? Here’s a deep dive into what we offer.
Materials Matter
All of our shades are made from sustainable 100% natural fibers. Here’s more about the the individual materials.
Ramie
Ramie is a highly durable and sustainable natural fiber derived from the Boehmeria nivea plant and a favorite of ours for woven shades. We love it for its silky and luxurious texture and its natural resistance to mildew and bacteria.
Our fan favorite Ramie Sheers that have a lightweight and diaphanous feel. They are semi-sheer which means they allow a ton of light in while open or closed while still adding privacy and light filtering for very sunny spaces.
Our Paper Ramie Shades combine Ramie with paper to create a unique texture and pattern. These shades offer more privacy coverage than the Ramie Sheer, but still allow a great amount of light into your room.
Bamboo
Bamboo is a classic sustainable material and a favorite in the woven woods industry. Bamboo is extremely fast growing, giving it a quick harvest and regrow cycle that is great for our planet.
Our bamboo shades are a classic matchstick style, meaning they are small rods of bamboo held together by woven threads. We love how the threads that bind the bamboo create a stripe pattern down the shades. This style adds a medium level of privacy coverage and light filtering - more than our Ramie sheers.
How We Style
Woven woods are a designer favorite for adding texture to a space - here are a few inspiration images that we love of woven wood shades done right:
How to Measure
Step 1: Determine Inside vs. Outside Mount
We recommend defaulting to inside mount if you have the space. This is especially true if you plan to layer your shades with drapes or if you have nice trim that you would like to highlight. Inside mounting requires about 3” of wood space in between your window and the face of the trim for a flush shade. If you don't have the space, opt for an outside mount.
You may also consider an outside mount if you have no trim, unsightly trim, or a window that is too low for your space. An outside mount shade that extends beyond the window can cover spots that you would like to hide and also make the window feel taller than it actually is.
If you prefer an outside mount check the projection of your trim to make sure that it is less than 2” so that it does not interfere with the function of your shade.
Step 2: Measure Width
For Inside Mount:
Start your window measurement on the inside frame in three spots: the top, middle, and bottom. Why three? Just in case your window is more narrow in one spot - with an inside mount you want your shade to fit perfectly inside the frame. Once you have the measurements, pick the narrowest width of the three to the ¼” - if you are in between round down. Write down your width and mark with a W to make sure you don’t confuse your measurements and save for ordering. You can provide the exact measurement of the shade when ordering - the factory will automatically deduct ⅛” off of the given length to make sure that the shade is a perfect fit.
For Outside Mount:
Take a look above your window and determine where you would like to hang your shade and how far beyond the window you would like it to sit. We recommend that your outside mount shade covers your trim. If your window does not have trim, we recommend adding 2” on either side of the window. Write down the width you've measured to the nearest ¼” and mark with a W to make sure you don’t confuse your measurements and save for ordering.
Step 3: Measure Height
For Inside Mount:
Measure the height from the center of the inside of the window from to the center of the sill. Write down the measurement to the nearest ¼” and mark with a H - if you are in between round up. The shade will be produced to exactly this measurement so that when the shade is closed it is perfectly flat.
For Outside Mount:
Measure the height from where you would like your shad to start to where you would like it to end when fully closed. Write down the measurement to the nearest ¼” and mark with a H. The shade will be produced to exactly this measurement so that when the shade is closed it is perfectly flat.
Step 4: Pick your Top Style
Our shades come in two top styles - valence or waterfall. This is a purely aesthetic choice and will not impact how your shades operate. For the waterfall style the lower and lift hardware is mounted behind the shade creating a clean line from the top of the shade to the bottom. The valance style on the other hand, has the lower and lift hardware mount in front of the shade with a valance in front to cover the hardware.
Pro tip: if you are planning to layer your woven wood shades with curtains, opt for a waterfall inside mount shade for a cleaner look.
Step 5: Order + Install
Take your notes and plug them into our online ordering system and add them to cart. No need to round down your measurements - our shades will be produced precisely to your specifications. Once your shades have been ordered you can expect them to arrive within 2 weeks.
To install follow the instructions included in the box with your shade.