Ventilation Grill Design and Roshandan Ideas

12 designs Doors, verandahs and vents Updated 9 Oct 2026

A ventilation grill design looks like a small detail on the drawing, but it decides whether a bathroom smells damp, a kitchen holds smoke or a closed room feels stuffy. In Indian homes the small opening above a door or high on a wall is called a roshandan, and it has kept rooms fresh for generations.

This page shows 12 ideas in four groups: roshandan above doors, bathroom ventilators with louvres, kitchen ventilation grills, and wooden and decorative vents. Each photo gives the material, pattern and a fitting tip for your fabricator.

A vent opening is also a way in for thieves and monkeys, so it needs a proper grill just like a window. For door grills, see safety door grill design.

Roshandan Design Above Doors

A roshandan over a door lets air move between rooms even when the door is shut. A good door ventilation design matches the door frame and the room grills.

Roshandan grill design with a sunburst pattern over a wooden bedroom door — A half round roshandan with sunburst bars sits over a teak door. It brings light into a dark passage and keeps air moving at night.
*Material*MS 10 mm square bar
*Style*Half round sunburst
*Suits*Bedroom doors
**Fabricator’s tip** Fit clear glass behind the grill on a hinged frame so the roshandan can be shut in winter.

Main door ventilation design with a steel line grill transom above the door — A long transom above the main door with steel lines adds light to the entrance. It matches a modern door with metal strips.
*Material*SS 304, 20 mm sq tube
*Style*Horizontal transom
*Suits*Main doors
**Fabricator’s tip** Use toughened glass behind the steel lines and seal the top edge so rain cannot run in.

Door with ventilation design showing a laser cut jali grill panel in the top — The top panel of the door itself is a laser cut jali. Good for a store room or linen cupboard area where air must flow all day.
*Material*MS 2 mm laser cut
*Style*Jali door panel
*Suits*Store rooms
**Fabricator’s tip** Weld the jali sheet into a flat strip frame first, then fix the frame into the door shutter.

Bathroom Window Grill Design and Louvre Ventilators

Bathrooms need air but also privacy. Glass louvres with a grill outside are the standard answer, and a small exhaust fan helps on humid days.

Bathroom window grill design in stainless steel over frosted glass louvres — Frosted louvres tilt open for air while blocking the view. A steel grill outside never rusts in the damp.
*Material*SS 304, 16 mm pipe
*Style*Vertical pipes
*Suits*Bathrooms
**Fabricator’s tip** Keep the grill 50 mm off the wall so the louvre blades can open fully without hitting it.

Grill ventilator design with exhaust fan slot and louvres in a white bathroom — The ventilator is split: one side holds the exhaust fan, the other has louvres. One grill covers both from outside.
*Material*MS 20 x 3 mm flat
*Style*Box grid
*Suits*Closed bathrooms
**Fabricator’s tip** Ask the electrician for the fan size before making the grill so the opening fits exactly.

Ventilation panel with fixed aluminium louvres and iron grill on a utility wall — Fixed metal louvres stay open all the time and keep rain out. Good for a toilet or utility room on the outer wall.
*Material*Aluminium louvre, MS
*Style*Fixed louvres
*Suits*Toilets and utility
**Fabricator’s tip** Angle the louvres down toward the outside and add bird mesh behind to stop nests.

Kitchen Ventilation Grill Design

A kitchen ventilation grill must let out smoke and heat. Use steel or galvanised iron, as cooking fumes rust plain MS quickly.

Kitchen ventilation grill in galvanised iron high on the wall above the stove — A high vent above the cooking area lets hot air escape on its own. GI holds up well to steam and grease.
*Material*GI 3/4 inch pipe
*Style*Vertical pipes
*Suits*Kitchens
**Fabricator’s tip** Wash grease off the grill every few months with warm soap water so dust does not stick.

Air ventilation grill plate for a kitchen chimney duct on an outside wall — The chimney duct ends in a round vent with a steel grill and flap. It keeps birds and rain out of the duct.
*Material*SS 304 plate
*Style*Round vent with flap
*Suits*Chimney kitchens
**Fabricator’s tip** Fit the vent slightly sloping outward so condensed grease and rain drip away from the wall.

Ventilation iron grill design in a diamond pattern on an exposed brick kitchen wall — A diamond iron grill in a high opening on an exposed brick wall. It suits a rustic kitchen or a farmhouse.
*Material*MS 10 mm square bar
*Style*Diamond grid
*Suits*Farmhouse kitchens
**Fabricator’s tip** Prime with zinc chromate and use heat resistant paint if the vent is near the stove.

Wooden Ventilator Window Design and Decorative Vent Grills

A wooden ventilator window can be opened and shut, unlike a fixed vent. Small decorative vent grills add a pattern to a plain wall.

Wooden ventilator window design with a top hung shutter and iron grill — A small teak shutter hinged at the top opens outward like a flap. It lets air in even during light rain.
*Material*Teak, MS 10 mm bar
*Style*Top hung shutter
*Suits*Bedrooms and stores
**Fabricator’s tip** Fit a stay arm so the shutter holds open at any angle and does not bang in the wind.

Decorative vent grill with a round flower pattern on a stair wall — Round vents with a flower grill bring light and air to a stairwell. A row of three looks better than one.
*Material*MS 20 x 3 mm flat
*Style*Round flower
*Suits*Stairwells
**Fabricator’s tip** Make all round vents from one template so the petals line up across the row.

Black ventilation grill in a long slim strip on a modern living room wall — A long, slim black vent strip near the ceiling looks like a design line. It pulls out warm air from a living room.
*Material*MS 25 x 25 mm tube
*Style*Linear slots
*Suits*Modern living rooms
**Fabricator’s tip** Back the strip with fine mesh and a sloped sill outside so rain and insects stay out.

How to Choose a Ventilation Grill Design

Bathroom: high ventilator, frosted louvres, SS or GI grill. Place it on an outside wall away from the bedroom window.
Kitchen: high vent above the stove side plus an exhaust fan. Avoid painted MS near steam.
Bedroom: roshandan over the door or a high wooden ventilator for cross air at night.
Stairwell: round or strip vents at the top to let hot air out.

Place	Typical opening	Grill
Bathroom	2 x 1.5 feet	SS pipe or GI
Kitchen	3 x 1.5 feet	GI or SS
Over a door	Door width x 1 foot	MS bar or SS tube
Stair wall	1 foot round	MS flat strip

Fitting and Care of Vent Grills

Set holdfasts into the brickwork while building, or drill anchor fasteners into a plastered wall later. Every vent should have bird mesh or insect mesh, since pigeons love these openings. Grind welds smooth and use red oxide or zinc primer on MS. Clean dust and webs from the grill every month; a dirty vent moves half the air. Match the vent grill to your window grills, shown on window grill design, and pick a shade from grill colour design.

Grill design questions

What is a roshandan design?

A roshandan is a small opening high on a wall or above a door that lets air and light in. It is usually fitted with an iron or steel grill and sometimes glass or louvres behind.

Which bathroom window grill design is best?

A stainless steel or GI grill over frosted glass louvres is best. It gives air and privacy and does not rust in damp. Keep the opening high on the wall.

Do I need a grill on a kitchen ventilation opening?

Yes. Even a small vent can let in monkeys, birds or thieves. Use a GI or SS kitchen ventilation grill with mesh behind it.

Can a main door have a ventilation design?

Yes. A transom above the main door with a steel or iron grill and toughened glass adds light to the entrance. A door ventilation grill design with glass keeps dust and rain out.

Is a wooden ventilator window better than a fixed vent?

A wooden ventilator window can be closed in cold or rain, which a fixed vent cannot. It needs oiling once a year. Fixed metal louvres need less care but always stay open.