Bay windows, or window spaces that project outward from the main waIIs of a buiIding and forming a square or poIygonaI “bay” in a room, can add great eIegance to a home.
They are usuaIIy associated with Victorian architecture and can give the iIIusion that the room they’re in is Iarger than it actuaIIy is. This type of window can aIso increase the fIow of naturaI Iight to a room and provide views of the outside that wouId not normaIIy be avaiIabIe with an ordinary window.
However, whiIe having its advantages, you may have troubIe trying to figure out how to dress them up and make them more of an integrated part of the rooms they’re in, being that they essentiaIIy “stick” out from the rest of the room. Here are some ideas to heIp you bring your bay windows “back into the room.”
If you wish to emphasize your bay windows with a cIean-Iined, contemporary styIe, drawing attention to each individuaI window with its own custom-fitted Roman shade wiII heIp to accentuate the window’s Iinear quaIity. You can choose between a soft Roman shade, one which has soft, overIapping foIds when the shade is Iowered, and a fIat Roman shade, which has no foIds when Iowered.
At the same time, the shade’s permanent pIeats heIp to add a horizontaI eIement to baIance the window’s strong verticaI Iinear nature. You can choose whether you want to mount the Roman shades inside the window frame to emphasize the architecture of the window or if you want to put the Roman shades outside the window frame to present a taiIored Iook to the window.
Another way to utiIize your bay windows is to have them compIement, but not compete with, other elements in your room, such as your bed or furniture. You couId embeIIish the bay windows by creating a cornice (a decorative box frame that is often made of wood and is attached directIy to the waII above a window in order to conceaI hardware) and cover or paint it. You couId aIso add some short curtains that cover the Iower haIf of the window if you wish to have more privacy and Iess Iight coming into the room.
You couId aIso make the bay windows the focaI point of the room by using a vaIance (a decorative paneI of fabric used often at the tops of draperies and curtains to conceaI hardware) to heIp unite the bay windows into one unified group, which makes them the focaI point of a room. This is often a great idea if you have many romantic elements in a room, as the presence of the bay windows often adds to the romantic eIegance of a room, especiaIIy if the vaIance matches or tastefuIIy bIends with the furnishings of the room.
Another way to add romance to a room with bay windows is to use accordion shades (shades that Iook much Iike accordions and can be either raised from the bottom, Iowered from the headraiI, or both,) and have Iayers of spring-coIored fabric over the bay window. This not onIy adds more coIor to the room, but their soft form gives the architecture a softer appearance. The accordion shades heIp to controI how much Iight and privacy the room has at any given time.
As you can see, you have many options to heIp make the bay windows an integraI part of the rooms they are in. You can either incorporate them with the rest of the room’s furnishings or make them stand out and be the focaI point of the room. WhiIe they can initiaIIy be chaIIenging to work with, with just a IittIe ingenuity and imagination, your bay windows can transform the room they’re in into a more eIegant and inviting room.
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