Bay Window Curtains, Interior Design, Made-to-measure curtains, curtains

Dressing Beautiful Bay Windows

Bay windows have been used in homes for many centuries. In Regency times bow windows with a beautiful curves were all the rage, fine examples of these can be seen in Regency terraced housing.

However, bay windows are not solely used in lounges, or parlours, they can be seen in modern housing in lounge diners and also used on a smaller scale in kitchen diners.

Historically bay windows have always been dressed with full-length lined curtains which typically reach the floor, despite modernisation of older homes placing radiators within the bay, which defeated the object of trying to keep the house warm because once the curtains were closed the heat kept the back of the curtains warm and the room cold!

To combat this people opted for made to measure curtains which sat neatly onto the window sill. In modern homes the trend is to use either Roman blinds or roller blinds in conjunction with curtains to create a real focal point of their beautiful bay window. This double layering is also beneficial for helping to retain heat within the room and reduce heat loss via the windows.

Although bay windows have always been notoriously difficult to dress it is now possible to buy curtain tracks and bay window curtain poles, both of which have been designed to combat the difficulties and enable people to have stunning and elegant window dressings which reflect the interior design style and décor.

Small bay windows have seen a revival in recent years partly due to houses being much smaller, the bay window area can be used either as storage by having a fitted window seat with a lift up lid, piled with cushions for additional seating or a chair, table or sofa can be placed within the bay to maximise space. A stunning look can be achieved when the window dressing coordinates with either the cushions on a sofa or storage box.

If you prefer to have your bay window curtains in keeping with the style and age of your home look for curtains in colours which were in fashion during the era your home was built, such as Regency green or cream. For a more modern alternative floral curtains can provide a chic vintage style particularly if the background colour is pale blue or cream.

Whatever the size of your bay window it is possible to have made to measure bay window curtains which suit both your home and your budget effectively.

Image: Two Ellie