Bay windows are an architectural delight that is the focal point in a living space, such as a breakfast nook or a dining room. As such a beautiful feature in your home, you definitely want to have these windows dressed in a way that accents their fine beauty. The best way to do this is to dress each window individually. Read on to find out how to make the most of these specialty windows.
Roman Shades for Romantic Appeal
Roman shades are beautiful and help showcase your bay windows well. Roman shades are made of any type of fabric you wish to use in a playful or bright pattern or a geometric print that is common in the Indianapolis area. The best styles of Roman shades for your bay windows will block out light when they are down and fold neatly into tidy stacks at the top of the window when open. You can choose from the flat style that appears flat when closed or a soft hobbled Roman shade with soft folds in it both when it’s raised and closed. Choose a thicker fabric for windows that get a lot of heat and sunlight in the summer or a more sheer fabric if your bay windows don’t get that much sunlight.
If you want a more casual appearance in your bay windows, you can consider woven wood shades with their beautiful materials of bamboo and grasses that are woven together.
Charming Cafe Style Shutters
Cafe-style shutters are charming window covering that is well suited for the style of bay windows. The shutters will cover only the bottom half of each of the three windows and leave the tops of them open. This idea works well to enable you to still see outside easily but block some of the light and heat. Most homeowners use this style for windows that face north or south and don’t get a lot of hot sunlight in the summer months. You can choose to have your cafe shutters stained to match the trim work on your bay windows and blend in, or you can choose to have them painted in any color you wish to match your color palette in the room.
Individual Curtains or Drapery Panels
Curtain ideas or drapery panel ideas for bay windows are to have one individual piece of fabric to cover each of the three windows separately. Curtains are usually more of sheer fabric, and drapery panels are generally made of heavier fabric to block more sunlight and heat. When you have your curtains or drapery panels open, you can secure the two on the outer edges of your bay windows with tiebacks in a coordinating pattern of the fabric so they don’t obstruct the view, and the center one will be pulled to either side of the center window and secured as well, so it looks similar to the outer panels.
Curtains or Drapery Panels Across the Bay Front
For this window treatment idea, you need a specialized custom drapery rod that follows the wall at the top of the bay windows as one piece. It will be one continuous drapery rod that mounts on the ends of your bay windows and to the wall above the windows between each pane of glass as well. There will be two curtains or drapery panels on the curved drapery rod so that when you open them, they open to the sides of the bay window, and the center pane of glass is not covered. This works best with tab top drapery panels or pocket curtains, so they slide easily on the curved portions of the drapery rod. It also gives you a chance to choose a beautiful drapery rod with gorgeous finales on the ends.
Using the same method of mounting for your window dressing, you can also opt to use sheer panels of a neutral, solid color next to the windows and then thicker drapery panels on the front of the sheer in a pattern to add interest to the window. This lets you let just filtered light in with the sheer panels closed, or it blocks all the light when both the sheers and the drapery panels are closed.
Add The Elegance of Shutters
Shutters are timeless and elegant in their beauty. Fitting a full shutter to each of the three windows in your bay will give you great lighting control and last for many years to come as well. Again, with shutters, you can choose to have them painted or stained in any color you wish. If you choose the tier-on-tier mounting method, you can open and close the top and bottom halves of each of the three window shutters independently of each other.
Coordinating a Window Nook
If your bay window is in a bedroom or living room, it may also have a reading nook or window seat that’s perfect for snuggling up with a good book to read. You can use a colorful patterned Roman shade in each of the three windows and then have custom throw pillows and a reading nook cushion on the seat, all made of the same fabric for a truly stunning appearance.
Enhance The Trim with Venetian Blinds
If your bay windows have beautiful trim work around them that is stained, then you certainly don’t want to cover up this architectural feature in your home. Consider Venetian blinds in each of the three windows to pair perfectly with their slats made of wood and stained to the same color as your window trim. You get great lighting control with Venetian blinds, too, because you can open or close them to any height, and you can tilt the slats to adjust your level of privacy as well.
Bay windows are a dream for designers to decorate and accent their beauty. At The Window Valet, we have highly experienced designers who can help you get the best appearance for your lovely bay windows and match your decor seamlessly. Contact us for a consultation to make your bay windows truly shine.
