Bay windows are great. If you’re a kid, you can lie down on the seat and take a nap (this is especially cool to do when it’s overcast or a during a full moon). If you’re an adult, you can crack open the side windows, grab a book (or your favorite adult beverage), sit down on the seat and relax.
The thing is, bay windows can look rather uninspiring if they’re just left plain. Without accessories, a bay window just looks like a sort of glass half box. With the right window treatments, you can change all that and make the bay window the decorative highlight of the room. Here are five ideas that will hopefully get you pointed in the right direction:
5) Window film. Window film is a kind of like a sticker that you apply to your window. These aren’t for everybody, as a lot of people with bay windows like them to appear antique-like or Victorian. However, there are a lot of different types of window stickers, from the purely decorative to the highly practical. For something decorative, check out decorativefilm.com. This site offers films that look like stained glass, solid-colored films, striped films, and more. Also, depending on the type of film you get, your film may provide you with some privacy as well as style.
If you’re looking for something practical, try solarsecurity.com. There you will find films that provide UV protection, films that provide privacy, and films that filter light, giving your room a more “shaded” appearance.
Applying window film is a little bit tricky, but not horribly difficult. While some simply are “peel and stick”, others require a wetting solution (which is usually just water and dish soap) to be applied to it before adhering it to the window. If there are a few air bubbles lodged in your sticker after you attach it to the window, try using a solid squeegee to slowly move it to the edge and out.
4) Swags and valances. If you want your bay window to offer a view all the time but need something to give it a little personality, try a swag or a valance. A swag or valance is a sort of “mini curtain” that doesn’t cover the entire window. Coming in a dizzying variety, you can pretty much find a swag or valance to match anything or any color of the room your bay window is in. A good place to start is swagsgalore.com. They have tons of styles, as well as the necessary rods to hang your treatment on.
As to the hanging, with any valance, curtain, swag, or drapery, you are going to need a rod. There are plenty of different styles to choose from, but remember to measure the length of your bay windows from the top corner to other top corner for all the windows. Once you have your measurements, you can go find an appropriately sized rod. Rods will come with a kit that includes a mounting bracket and screws. To install the rod, simply hold up the rod to the top of the window to figure out the correct height. This may vary a little bit, depending on how low you want your valance to hang, but it can’t be so low that you can see glass over the top of it. Next, place one of the brackets around 4 inches or so from the edge of the window. Have somebody else hold the other bracket at the same distance on the other side of the window. Place the rod on the bracket and use a level to make sure your brackets are not crooked. Once you are sure the rod is level, mark on the wall the holes in the brackets with a pencil. Take a drill and drill a SHORT distance into the wall at the places you marked. If you are attaching the bracket to an area of the wall without a stud, you’ll need to insert an anchor. Most rods usually come with screws (if they don’t, you’ll have to pick some up at a hardware store). Screw your brackets in and attach the rod.
3)Bay window seat cushion. Again, if you don’t feel like covering up your bay window but still want something to keep it from being blah, this is another option. While you might think a cushion would be a simple item to find, it’s not. I have never run across pre-made bay window seat cushions. You will have to have them custom made. If you are knowledgeable in cushion making and want to make your own, that is an option. If, however, you are like me and have never made a cushion in your entire life, you’re going to have to order it.
Sites like cushionsource.com have step-by-step walkthroughs that let you build your cushion from ground up, allowing you to choose things like, size, fabric, foam, and ties. Aside from the measuring, all you have to do is choose from onscreen options to make your cushion.
2) Blinds. While you can get blinds very cheap, in my experience they’re not worth it. If you are going to use blinds for your bay windows, get something of reasonable quality. There’s nothing quite so annoying a blinds that are missing a slat, allowing that one stray bean of sunlight into the room. Also, cheap blinds tend to be difficult to raise and lower. If you’ve got the money, motorized blinds are the way to go. With motorized blinds you raise and lower your blinds with the touch of a remote (of course, there’s always the matter of finding the remote). Blinds can be found at home improvement stores such as Lowe’s or Home Depot, or online at such sites as blinds.com.
Installing blinds is quite similar to installing curtain rods. It has a bracket that is attached with screws. They are measured and leveled in the same way as the brackets for the curtain rods, but before you set the headrail (top of the blinds) you have to slip the valance attachment on. This just slips onto a little hook on top of the bracket.
1) Curtains. Curtains represent the ultimate in creativity for your bay window. The number of styles, colors, textures, and sizes of curtains is almost infinite. Even if your room is decorated in 6th-Century Hwicce, there is a curtain out there to match your décor.
Aside from the obvious benefit of providing shade and privacy (unless your curtains are gauze or transparent), some curtains even can save you on your heating and cooling bills. A good curtain can block hot or cold drafts that might seep through the windows.
Curtains can be pretty expensive, though, especially for bay windows, which may need several separate sizes. It is possible, though, to have just one curtain for the entire bay window. This can be done one of two ways. First, just run your curtain along the wall itself, so that the curtain hangs down directly over the bay window seat. This can make a great hiding place for kids playing hide-and-go-seek, but might not be as attractive from the outside.
The other option is to have one curtain that runs along the angles of the entire set of windows. This won’t be cheap, though, as the rod will have to be custom made, and the curtain itself might end up being pretty long. If this is an option that sounds interesting to you, try a site like highlandforge.com. There you can get a quote on a one-piece bay window curtain rod.
There are a ton of stores out there that sell curtains. While home improvement stores have a reasonable selection, if you are looking for something specific, try Bed, Bath, & Beyond or a local home décor shop.
Unless you like you really like the look, there’s no reason to leave your bay window unadorned. From the understated and elegant, to the highly stylized or even bizarre, there are window treatments out there that will both decorate and delight you.
