Bedrooms ask two things of a window treatment: keep the world out at night, and let the morning in on your schedule. Plantation shutters do both with a tilt of the louvers — and bedroom windows are usually the simplest in the house to measure. Here's how to run the pass so every window matches a stocked size on the first try.
Why bedroom windows measure fast
In most homes the bedroom windows were installed as a set — same rough openings, same trim, same everything. That means your first window teaches you the pattern and the rest go quickly. The trap is assuming they're identical: measure each one fully, because a single window that's a half-inch off will not take the same RS size as its twins. Repeats speed you up; they don't excuse you from the tape.
The measuring pass, step by step
Work room by room with a steel tape measure — never a cloth tape, never your phone. Measure the window opening itself, not the trim around it:
- Width in three spots — top, middle, bottom of the opening. Keep the smallest.
- Height in three spots — left, middle, right. Keep the smallest.
- Depth — at least 1-3/4 inches of clear frame depth for the 3-inch flat Z-frame
- Squareness — if the three widths disagree by more than a little, the opening is out of square; the smallest measurement still rules
- Obstructions — cranks, locks, and alarm sensors that eat into the depth
- Write it all down — window name, width, height, depth, one line per window
The full technique, with the seven mistakes that ruin most DIY orders, is in our measuring guide. Furniture is the usual bedroom obstacle — pull the dresser away from the wall before you start rather than leaning over it with the tape.
Match each window to a stocked RS size
These are factory-built standard sizes, not custom-manufactured to your opening. Each RS size covers a range of widths and heights — find the size whose width range and height range both contain your smallest measurements. When bedroom windows repeat, you'll often order the same RS size two or three times, which makes the order sheet pleasantly boring.
Browse the 44 stocked sizes and match from there. Every size shows its square footage and estimated price at $18.98/sq. ft. — the same math the order sheet uses.
Install notes for bedrooms
Bedrooms are the ideal first install: the windows are manageable sizes, the frames are usually square, and repeat sizes mean your second window goes up much faster than your first. Mount the 3-inch flat Z-frame level and plumb, hang the panels on the factory-fitted white hinges, and check that the recessed magnets catch cleanly.
Then enjoy the part that sold you on shutters: tilt the 3.5-inch louvers for soft morning light without the glare, use the 50/50 split control to open the top half while the bottom stays closed, and close everything flat at night for full privacy. No cords, no rods, nothing hanging — the hidden gear tilt keeps kids' rooms safe by design.
Batch the whole room — or the whole house — into one order and a single flat $200 delivery covers it. Most shutters delivered in as little as 48 hours.
Bedroom measuring questions, answered
Closing the 3.5-inch louvers fully makes the room dark and completely private — dark enough for most sleepers. It's honest to say it's not lab-grade blackout: a little light can edge in around the frame. If you need true zero-light, layer blackout treatments behind the shutters; for everyone else, closed louvers do the job.