7 Irregular Window Styles and How to Cover Them
Your window covering choices will always be different from everyone else’s, even if you follow the same guidelines for choosing the right ones. What makes things interesting though is when you have a window style at home that has to be covered a particular way. Any other option just wouldn’t look right.
If your house features one of these irregular window styles, your window covering choice may already be made for you:
Arched windows
This is a classic architectural style that consists of a rectangular shape on the bottom and a semi-circular one forming its top edge. Arched windows are beautiful, but notoriously challenging to cover. Because the arch shape is meant to let in more sunlight, it’s commonly assumed that you shouldn’t cover it up. And that’s where you run into those strange window treatments with valances that start on the horizontal beam that divides the top arched part from the bottom.
Don’t fall into that trap! Instead, put up the valance above the arch and cover the whole thing. As a general rule, never leave windows only half-covered. There’s an exception to this rule, of course, and we’ll go over that when we get to Palladian windows further down. Since you’ll often find arched windows in older houses, cover them with cellular blinds to help with insulation.
Bay windows
These windows are installed on a house feature that juts out to the exterior. This bay feature is usually constructed with three sides so that you get window views from three different angles. It’s the perfect place to build a window seat. To add to the cozy feeling of the area, install Roman shades with soft fabrics that will smooth over the hard bay window angles.
Corner windows
With windows on both sides of a room corner, this is where you can really maximize sunlight. It’s the same reason why corner offices are so coveted by everyone in a company building. Roller blinds make the most sense to cover corner windows because they’ll give you more control over how much sunlight enters the room during the day.
Palladian windows
This is another classic going back all the way to the Renaissance era. A Palladian window is a set of three windows with the middle one being a large arched window. The other two windows are narrower and shorter rectangular windows with no arches. Unlike a single arched window where you should cover the arch section, Palladian windows look best with the arch exposed. Cover the three rectangular sections with individual roller shades or even one large one if the Palladian window is not too wide.
Tall windows
Anytime you have tall windows that almost touch the ceiling, convenience is a big concern. To make opening and closing tall window treatments easier, go with motorized blinds. The automation of the blinds will also add to the majesty of tall windows.
Transom windows
Transom windows have an extra window installed above a larger one. They’re designed to maximize sunlight and to serve as architectural accents. Similar to arched windows though, the entire section should be covered. You may want to consider installing solar shades in case you ever need to diffuse the large amount of sunlight you’ll have streaming in.
Wide windows
If you’ve got windows that span almost the entire length of a wall, look no further than vertical blinds to get you covered. Operating the blinds will be effortless for the window coverage vertical blinds bring. The wider the windows, the harder it is to pull horizontal blinds open and close.
It may seem like your choices are limited with these window styles. The beauty of interior design though is that you can always find ways to personalize things even if you have to follow certain conventions. For starters, think about the materials and valances. You’ll be well on your way to unique window coverings from there.
