There are some of us who enjoy the privilege of having bay windows. If the landscape outside is something relaxing, like the beach or a mountain, it’s even better for the lucky ones. It’s great to sip your morning coffee enjoying the morning light in a room with bay windows. However, later on in the day, you may want some privacy and light filtering, so you need to install some bay window treatments in place. There are many solutions that fit this type of windows, from the Venetian blinds we all know, to Roman shades or pleated shades, or even plantation shutters. Everything goes, provided that you use the appropriate hardware. The main element that makes bay window treatments be a perfect fit is the curved track which has to follow the curves of your windows. This is why most of the times, this part needs to be custom-made, especially for your windows.

Tips For Elegant Bay Window Treatments

If you can, try to install your hardware as close to the ceiling as possible and don’t forget to use a valance to mask the rails. In case of bay windows, treatments that touch the floor such as vertical blinds or curtains and draperies will create a dramatic effect when fully shut, especially if you get some extra fabric to use it for decorative pillows or a table cloth, or at least a few napkins. Although you can make your own window shades without needing special skills, in case of bay windows you’d better address to a specialist installer, so you can be sure they’d be a perfect fit. Otherwise, you could easily spoil the effect, if your shades would hang unevenly at your windows. Bad measurements for window blinds are very easy to take and mistakes are costly to correct after your blinds have been produced.

When it comes to bay window treatments, try to avoid vertical blinds. There are two reasons for this. The first one is that verticals look very formal, office-style, so they can’t help you in giving your home that personal touch that makes great interiors. The second reason is that because of the bay windows architecture, such blinds may be difficult to operate and get tangled.

Pairing bay window treatments allows for more creativity. Consider, for instance, installing shades paired with panels, or sheer curtains paired with thick, heavy drapes. Bay window shutters are beautiful when used without any additional treatment, but you can consider pairing them with see-through shades.

If you are a fan of window shutters, you’ll probably have to spend some time researching before taking your final decision. That’s mainly because there are several types of window shutters, each of them serving a precise purpose.

Roller Shutters vs. Plantation Shutters

While exterior roller shutters can successfully serve as security or storm shutters, we can’t say the same about plantation shutters, which are rather suitable for areas where the weather is calm and hot. Some people even mount their plantation shutters instead of glass window panes, so you can imagine they aren’t so protective in case of strong winds or stormy weather.

Roller shutters, on the other hand, are extremely solid, sturdy, and suitable for offering security to your home, even when you’re out for vacation. They are usually installed on the exterior of the windows and they can be operated from the inside via an endless cord or a remote controlled motor attached to the shutter.

Plantation shutters can’t offer complete blackout, because of the way they are designed. The central rod allows the slats to tilt, but not completely, therefore there will always be some light entering the room through these slats. On the contrary, when completely closed, exterior roller shutters will offer total darkness, so you can enjoy your home cinema system or you can take an afternoon nap as if it was midnight.

What you need to know if you have arched windows: plantation shutters may be much more appropriate for such shapes, because they are more versatile and can be cut to rounded shapes. Roller shutters are more difficult in this respect, because they need to be rectangular, as they have to roll in the upper cassette, therefore your arched windows won’t be visible from the side where the roller cassette is installed, be it in the interior or on the exterior of the building.

Therefore, when choosing the type of window shutters, make a list with all your priorities, then see which ones are more important. If you have arched windows, you’ll probably want them to be visible, so you’ll have to discuss your available options with the window treatments specialists.

Arch window blinds can’t be bought ready-made. The reason is obvious: arched windows aren’t standardized, therefore producing fixed size window coverings for such windows only with the hope that somebody would have the matching arch windows and come to your store to buy those shades can’t be too profitable. You may think there aren’t too many clients willing to pay the price tag that comes with custom blinds and shades. Nonetheless, arch windows are expensive themselves, so people who afford them have financial possibilities to buy them proper coverings, so money is not an issue. Quality is more important.

As many renovated old homes feature arch window, blinds of all colors and shapes started to become available on the market from the most important manufacturers. Arch window blinds and shutters can be of two types: operable and non-operable. Operable means that you can open and close them, in order to have light filtering and privacy control. Non-operable arch window coverings are fixed, with the slats already positioned in a certain angle.

Here are a few examples that made me wish I had special windows and not the classic, rectangular ones.

Hunter Douglas Duette Honeycomb Arch Window Blinds: these blinds are made of fabric, with pleat sizes available of 3/8”, ¾” or 1 ¼”, in either single, double or triple honeycomb, depending on the degree of thermal insulation you need and on the budget you have. The triple honeycomb features three air pockets, thus offering a high degree of energy-efficiency. The privacy and light control can be selected from sheer to opaque, with three more intermediary options. EasyView Arch and Bridgeway are the two brands of arch window blinds you can choose from.

Hunter Douglas Vertical Blinds for Arches, Bay and Rounded Windows: here you have multiple choices, but I think the most elegant of all is the Crosswinds wood vertical blind solution, featuring slats made of basswood. The Bridgeway specialty shapes belong to the Hunter Douglas Custom Shutter Collection and they are specially designed to cover arches eyebrow and circle windows. Elegant and functional, versatile and durable, these shutters are in the premium price segment, but they are surely worth all the money. Beware, though, if you think of buying some, that you can only use them for interior, because they don’t resist to dust or mud.

Arch windows are stylish and impressive, however, you need more money to buy arch window blinds than common ones.