Arched Window Installation Techniques

There are many ways to cover these windows. One option would be to leave the top of the center arch open. But how do you mount a shade across the span of glass? You can make an inside-mount rectangular shade. Purchase a very "strong" piece of 1 x 2 board, such as oak, ash or maple (not pine). If your window expanse is less than 36", just the board will suffice. If not, you may want to reinforce the board using a flat metal strip that you nail or screw onto the back or top of the board. You mount the board to the sides of the window using angle irons

A second option is to cover the entire arched window with a shade. You can see a photograph of an Eyebrow window Roman shade made by Ann Wiles of Round Rock Texas. She and her husband Mike made a mounting board that exactly fit the arch and attached the pulleys to that board. Of course, if the window had been a true Palladian window, the shade could have been made much longer.

A third option is to make a rectangular shade and mount it at the top of the window, covering the arch. Francine Shacter of Milton, Florida used this approach with her kitchen window. You can see the arch on the centr window shadowing through the shade.


There are now many variations on this window type. The drawing below is one variety. You also could call the center upper window an Eyebrow window. You can see the set of pieced Roman shades that I made for a Show Home on these windows by clicking here.

These were vinyl-clad metal windows and we were concerned about drilling a lot of holes in the trim. Even though it looks like you could easily attach the headrail to the mullion that separates the upper curved window from the center picture window, we used angle-irons at the sides of the window that support the main weight of the shade. One sheet-metal screw holds the center of the shade in place.