Bow Windows

Designed to be a room’s focal point, bow windows sweep away from the wall in a graceful arch of four, five, or six windows. They’re the perfect accent for a formal or special room, like your living room.

Replacing standard windows with bow windows will require some extra expense in structural work, but can really improve the appearance of your home.

One area of concern with bow windows is dressing them. Since bow windows curve outward, window treatments can require special thought. However, since bow windows are usually comprised of several regular windows configured into a curved shape, you can dress each window separately to make it simpler.

For example, if your bow window is comprised of four separate windows, you can hang four sets of panels or valances simply by just hanging a separate curtain rod over each window. This is a quick and inexpensive way to dress up bow windows.

Window shades and blinds look great on bow windows, too, and can be hung just as we mentioned above with panels and valances. You simply need to consider the design and decorating look you’re trying to achieve with the room itself. Bow windows are so beautiful, that you might choose minimal bow window treatments in order to let the beauty of the window itself take center stage.

There is one type of bow window that can cause difficulty when it comes to window dressings. These are bow windows with no wall (sheetrock) between the individual windows that make up the bow. Because there is no wall space between the windows, you lack a spot to hang curtain rods or other hardware for window treatments. Even if you can hang hardware for the individual treatments, you may have gaps between the individual treatments that limit privacy. In this case, the entire set of windows making up the bow may have to be dressed as one. Full traversing draperies with a single bowed or rounded curtain rod may work best. Not only will they allow you a mechanism for hanging the treatments, but they’ll also ensure that you don’t have gaps such as you would between individual window treatments.

If you’re building a home with bowed windows, consider window treatments during the process of designing the house. Doing so will help you eliminate difficulties associated with dressing your bow windows. A little planning with the architect during the design phase can avoid a lot of troubles once you’re in the house.