Hi there! I have a south facing
bay window consisting of 5 separate windows separated by mullions. They are about
30" wide and about 4 feet long. Right now I have mini blinds on the windows
but because the room is decorated quite contemporary (ie. bone colored leather
sofa/love seat and teak wall unit) the mini-blinds look cold. There are also 2
identical windows on an east-facing wall. What would you suggest as a window covering
for all of them?
Good morning,
Thank you for visiting our site and for sending your question - I love getting
these kinds of email messages! I have a few ideas for your windows:
1. If you would like to warm up the feel of the room, why not try wood or faux
wood blinds in a finish that will complement the teak wood in the room? I would
suggest the wider 2" slats, as they will increase the scale of the windows.
Also, with the larger slat size, you won't feel like there are a lot of horizontal
lines on the windows. You need about 3" of sill depth to mount this type
of blind inside the window frame. Here are some examples of wood blinds.
2. Pleated shades can add softness as they are made of fabric and come in a wonderful selection of fabric patterns, textures and colours. Light control is a bit different
with pleated shades as they can only be raised or lowered; there are no slats
to rotate. You can have the shades up in the day time to enjoy the sun or if you
are concerned about your furniture or about the heat, choose a semi-sheer fabric
so the shades can be down during the day but natural light can filter in.
3. If you would like to insulate the windows, try a cellular/honeycomb shade which
has air pockets to trap the air. They operate similar to pleated shades and are
also available in a wide selection of fabric patterns and colours.
4. Lastly, with any blind or shade (including the ones you have now), I would
suggest adding a fabric top treatment that can bring colour and/or texture into
the room. How about a mock roman or tab top valance across the tops of all the
windows? You could even add jabots or side panels to the east facing windows.
These types of treatments work in a contemporary setting and will help to unify
all the windows making the area feel more expansive (especially in the bay window
area).
Happy decorating,
