Decorating
Bay Window Dressings That Will Knock Your Socks Off
Rarely standard in size or shape, bay windows are tricky to dress, but, done well, they can be a room’s star attraction
Whether square or canted, tall and imposing or short and sweet, bay windows can be a room’s crowning glory – if they’re dressed in a way that shows off and enhances their curves, angles and proportions. But don’t stop there: the way you furnish the area around your window comes as part of this design challenge, too.
Build in a seating area
A low-slung bay – and a square one in particular – is a perfect excuse for a window seat. But while ideal for making the most of a view, or for using space cleverly in a small room to create extra seating, it does make dressing the window more of a challenge.
The key to success? Keep the window dressing itself simple – shutters or, if you’re not overlooked, plain roller blinds will do the trick.
A low-slung bay – and a square one in particular – is a perfect excuse for a window seat. But while ideal for making the most of a view, or for using space cleverly in a small room to create extra seating, it does make dressing the window more of a challenge.
The key to success? Keep the window dressing itself simple – shutters or, if you’re not overlooked, plain roller blinds will do the trick.
Frost for privacy
If your room lacks natural daylight – or you simply prefer a minimalist look – leaving a bay window undressed is not only an attractive solution, but a money-saving one, too. However, if you’re overlooked – and since most bays are at the front of a property, it’s likely – you’ll need a privacy fix.
Frosted film is a great idea and can be made to fit your panes exactly. Choose one with a design that echoes your décor.
Simple ideas for brightening a dark bedroom
If your room lacks natural daylight – or you simply prefer a minimalist look – leaving a bay window undressed is not only an attractive solution, but a money-saving one, too. However, if you’re overlooked – and since most bays are at the front of a property, it’s likely – you’ll need a privacy fix.
Frosted film is a great idea and can be made to fit your panes exactly. Choose one with a design that echoes your décor.
Simple ideas for brightening a dark bedroom
Exaggerate proportions
Want your room to feel wider than it is? Dress your bay window with Roman or roller blinds in a fabric that has wide, horizontal stripes and you’ll create a neat visual trick.
You can perform a similar illusion to make the ceiling seem higher – and your window taller – by hanging a fabric in a vertical stripe.
Choose light-coloured material to reflect daylight into the room to further exaggerate the space.
Want your room to feel wider than it is? Dress your bay window with Roman or roller blinds in a fabric that has wide, horizontal stripes and you’ll create a neat visual trick.
You can perform a similar illusion to make the ceiling seem higher – and your window taller – by hanging a fabric in a vertical stripe.
Choose light-coloured material to reflect daylight into the room to further exaggerate the space.
Cater for storage space
If a window seat is in the offing, and your room is a busy one – perhaps a kitchen-diner or family living room – why not have storage built in under the window?
A lift-up lid hidden beneath the seat cushions will be the simplest (and cheapest) to construct, but if you’ll be accessing the contents daily, drawers and front-opening cupboards like these will be more practical.
If a window seat is in the offing, and your room is a busy one – perhaps a kitchen-diner or family living room – why not have storage built in under the window?
A lift-up lid hidden beneath the seat cushions will be the simplest (and cheapest) to construct, but if you’ll be accessing the contents daily, drawers and front-opening cupboards like these will be more practical.
Go for a tailored look
Aiming to create an elegant space? Design your window dressing as you would an outfit, with all elements conceived to coordinate with each other. Here, the curtains match the seat cushion, while the pelmet hides the messy lines of the curtain tops.
Meanwhile, crisp white roller blinds can provide privacy without the curtains even needing to be drawn.
Aiming to create an elegant space? Design your window dressing as you would an outfit, with all elements conceived to coordinate with each other. Here, the curtains match the seat cushion, while the pelmet hides the messy lines of the curtain tops.
Meanwhile, crisp white roller blinds can provide privacy without the curtains even needing to be drawn.
Show off the view
The secret to dressing bay – and in fact all – windows well with curtains is to ensure the fabric doesn’t sit over more than a sliver of the glass when open. Not sweeping them right back limits daylight, makes the window look narrower and blocks your view.
Have a pole or track custom-made so you can pull your curtains right back against the wall – it’ll be well worth the investment.
The secret to dressing bay – and in fact all – windows well with curtains is to ensure the fabric doesn’t sit over more than a sliver of the glass when open. Not sweeping them right back limits daylight, makes the window look narrower and blocks your view.
Have a pole or track custom-made so you can pull your curtains right back against the wall – it’ll be well worth the investment.
Block out the light
Dressing a bedroom window? Blocking out the daylight is particularly difficult with bay windows because of the angles – and no amount of blackout material ever does the job properly.
Solid shutters, however, are another story. DIY-fit ones don’t cost the earth and some companies will even colour-match them to suit your scheme.
Dressing a bedroom window? Blocking out the daylight is particularly difficult with bay windows because of the angles – and no amount of blackout material ever does the job properly.
Solid shutters, however, are another story. DIY-fit ones don’t cost the earth and some companies will even colour-match them to suit your scheme.
Create a canvas
In a child’s room, walls are often taken up with shelving for toys and storage for clothes, with little room for large pieces of art. So why not make the bay window your canvas and choose a fabric that’s as pretty as a picture?
Curtains are bulky and take up much-needed floor space; Roman blinds are a better choice for small rooms and will present the fabric flat, so the design is easy to see.
In a child’s room, walls are often taken up with shelving for toys and storage for clothes, with little room for large pieces of art. So why not make the bay window your canvas and choose a fabric that’s as pretty as a picture?
Curtains are bulky and take up much-needed floor space; Roman blinds are a better choice for small rooms and will present the fabric flat, so the design is easy to see.
Dress for focus
Whether yours is a grand bay or you just want your average-sized one to look grand, you need to dress it to impress. That means four lengths of curtain fabric, all topped with a matching pelmet.
This works better for canted bays than it does for square ones, and will be more successful if the fabric is light, lined and sits just shy of the floor.
How have you tackled a bay window in your home or in previous homes? Tell us what worked and what didn’t in the Comments section.
Whether yours is a grand bay or you just want your average-sized one to look grand, you need to dress it to impress. That means four lengths of curtain fabric, all topped with a matching pelmet.
This works better for canted bays than it does for square ones, and will be more successful if the fabric is light, lined and sits just shy of the floor.
How have you tackled a bay window in your home or in previous homes? Tell us what worked and what didn’t in the Comments section.
Shutters are a good choice for bay windows, because you can have them made to fit the frames exactly. Tier-on-tier ones like these allow you to keep the bottom half shut for privacy while the tops are open – perfect in a bedroom.
Consider the colour of your shutters carefully – white will reflect lots of white light, but hotter tones, such as yellow, will cast a warm glow – ideal in a north-facing room.
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