Quick and Easy bow window treatment ideas
Bow windows have been popular since 1970s. A bow window is constructed in a way that protrudes on the outside. A bow window can make a room appear bigger and larger and it enhances the geometry of the room. It allows for more light to come through the window. Bow windows are similarly constructed as bay windows, however, bow windows can consist of more panels than bay windows. The number of panels used for bow windows presents some unique design challenges for bow window. There are things you can do though for quick and easy bow window treatments.
You can use shades and blinds if the window panels are sufficiently parted or separated. If the separation is done by a narrow wall or deep window frames, you can opt for individual shades. Using fabric with a balloon orientation can work well–you can also use roman shades which can work equally well. Employing individual shades for each panel opens up creative possibilities because you can vary the color and pattern for each shade. The roller shades can be mounted on each frame of the bow window. Micro blinds or mini blinds can also be used for each individual panel of the bow window.
If the overall theme of the room is country or period styles, using wood shutters in the window panels can blend with design of the bow window. The wood shutters can be painted to match the decor of the room. You can also consider using clear finish for the wood shutters. If the wood used as material for the shutter has naturally beautiful grains, you can consider staining them then finishing them off with varnish.
Bow windows can also benefit from drapes. Drapery is a good solution if the panels of the bow window does not have sufficient space in between them. Employing drapery is good way to improve the privacy of the room, especially if the fabric of the drapery is particularly heavy. Finding drapery rods for bow windows is typically a challenge, fortunately, rounded traverse rods are available for bow windows. If the window has wide enough panels, straight and conventional drapery rods may be used.
If privacy is not an issue for you, using sheer materials to treat bow windows can complement the overall design of the room. Bow windows are designed to allow maximum amount of light to pass through the window, using sheer materials ensures that a good amount of light still pass unobstructed while adding accent to the window. On the other hand, if privacy is an issue, you can use curtains or layers of curtains to block the view from the outside when the curtains are lowered.
These quick and easy bow window treatment ideas can be employed individually or in combination in order to achieve a more elaborate effect. One final idea to treat a bow window is just to use a simple valance which can unite the individual panels of the bow window.