The curtaining for every window needs careful consideration and no more so than for bay window curtains. A bay window completely changes the outlook of a room, giving more light and allowing sometimes a wonderful view of the garden or the countryside to be appreciated from inside the room, but although modern technology has enabled vast improvements in the design of bay window curtain poles and tracks, you will need think about what you are trying to achieve with your bay window treatment.
Full length dressed curtains look stunning fitted either side of a bay window, especially if they are arranged back against the wall either side of the bay, giving extra dimensions to the width of the window. This style of curtaining often looks particularly impressive if they are permanently arranged into curtain holdbacks that match the curtain pole finials or tassel tie-backs that highlight a specific detail or colouring in the curtain fabric, the decadent fringing of the tie-backs creating an almost theatrical effect as you enter the room.
Curtain pelmets across the front of the bay
Although curtain pelmets are very much out of vogue at the moment, there are certain circumstances when they are of great benefit because of their ability to be able to alter the perceived dimensions of a window. If there is a large section of wall above the entrance of the bay, then fitting a pelmet across the bay as high to the ceiling as possible will always make the bay window look more impressive, taking advantage of the large gap between the top of the window and the ceiling, allowing the long curtains to emphasize the vertical lines of the room.
The pelmet can be very elegant yet simple, so no need for decadent fringing or lavish swags.
Blinds fitted inside the bay
Looking out of an undressed window at night into black nothingness will not be conducive to a comfortable relaxed surrounding, which is the prerequisite of most people when they settle down for the evening to unwind.
If the bay is constructed with flat sections of window, usually a three sided or 5 sided bay, then blinds can be fitted inside on the flat sections to block out the bright sunlight during the day and to give a feeling of security and privacy at night. The two most popular types of blinds used for a combination window treatment are:-
Roman blinds Window Curtains
The softly falling pleats of a roman blind will always give a more luxurious finish but they will need a bay window of generous proportions either with large windows or a sizeable section of wall above the window and below the ceiling that you can fit the blind onto because they occupy a larger space than other types of blinds when they are in the open position.
Roller blinds
A roller blind has a much more austere finish than a roman blind. They roll up neatly around a cylinder well out of the way during the day whilst at night offering total privacy and varying degrees of decoration depending on the type of roller blind chosen.
