Bay Window Help & Advice

Curtain poles for bay windows.

Made-to-measure bay window curtain poles.
Bay windows make a very attractive feature in a room, adding extra floor area and creating a light and airy feel. The choice of window treatments for a bay window used to be very limited; however, modern manufacturing methods have given rise to numerous innovative design ideas for dealing with the problems of how to turn the corner with a curtain pole or track, whilst still allowing the curtains to pass freely over the corner joints. Good design only works if it is backed by high quality manufacture, which is why we only supply curtain poles for bay windows that we know are capable of doing the job.

The Silent Gliss Metropole is a made-to-measure curtain pole and is perhaps the ultimate in metal bay window poles, ranging from a standard three sided bay to multiple sided bay windows. The curtain pole is made-to-measure with an easy to follow set of instructions* on how to measure your particular bay window. The Silent Gliss bay window curtain pole is available in fabulous range of metal and wood effect finishes; for a truly designer finish to your bay windows there is a stunning selection of curtain finials in glass, wood and special effects which you select from within the list of related items.

For the more traditional bay window, wooden curtain poles such as the Byron & Byron range will make a truly stunning feature of the bay. This range of wooden curtain poles is again a made-to-measure pole, the wooden pole being bent by hand at the factory according to your particular bay window measurements.* The wooden poles and finials are all hand finished and come in an impressive range of wood and colour finishes.

* Please contact Poles and blinds as made-to-measure bay window curtain poles require an appropriate measuring guide and we will then supply you with a quote as every bay window is unique.

Metal and Wooden curtain poles with Bay Window options.
Many of the curtain poles for conventional windows are also available with special bay corner pieces, meaning you can match poles even in rooms that feature a variety of window types. If you wish to only have one pair of curtains in the bay window, then you will need to ensure that the curtain pole you have ordered has passing brackets and bay window "C" rings, otherwise the curtains will not be able to pull round the corner, see the Integra Options 28mm range of curtain poles.

Fitting curtains at each bend in a bay window will look very impressive and will also increase your options for curtain pole selections, as the corner brackets will not need to be passed over, for example the Copes Mercury curtain pole range.

Combining Blinds & Curtains in a Bay Window

If drama is the keynote for your bay window treatments, then using a combination of blinds and curtains will certainly not only make a superb contrast, but also means that the blinds can be used at night; leaving the curtains dressed permanently in their folds, whether formally arranged in matching curtain tie-backs or left to hang free for a more informal window finish.

Tracks for Bay Windows

If you have a simple concave bay window, it will only need a one way bend curtain track for which there are a variety of plastic and metal curtain tracks to choose from. A more impressive bay window curtaining is achieved if you return the curtain track onto the wall of the opening of the bay so, that the face of the curtain is showing either side of the bay opening. This is achieved by using a flexible two-way bendable curtain track.

A plastic curtain track can be used for light weight curtains in a bay window, although a plastic track is not aesthetically pleasing so it will need to be used behind a pelmet of some description. All plastic curtain tracks can be flexed or bent around the curve of a bay quite easily and can be ceiling or wall mounted. For medium or heavy curtains, especially if they are interlined, you will need a metal curtain track.

Metal curtain tracks such as the Copes Fineline can be bent by hand both in a forward or reverse bend. The bay window track is supplied with a bending tool and bending inserts. The bending tool will maintain the glider channels while the track is being bent into position. The bending inserts are fitted into the back of the curtain track to make a firm fixing point for the wall fixing brackets. Ideally as with a plastic curtain track, a metal curtain track is usually placed behind a pelmet as it is not particularly attractive unless it is chosen in a special effect finish.

Blinds for bay windows

If your bay window has deep window sills, or you wish to utilise the space of your bay window to the full by perhaps fitting a bookcase or desk into the bay, then you will need you fit some variety of blinds in the bay; as curtaining may interfere with the functionality of the furniture when the window treatment is in use.

You do not need to be an experienced do-it-yourself expert to fit a window blind, even in a bay window. Blinds can be quickly and easily fitted to the ceiling or wall in the bay window, fitting one blind for each segment of the window. Blinds in a bay window are suitable for both traditional and contemporary window finishes, depending on the blind type and choice of blind fabric.

Fitting blinds into a bay window is often done as a secondary window treatment, with the full length curtains being arranged across the front of the bay window. The curtains can be permanently left open as dressed curtains, either left to hang loose, but formally arranged, or pleated into curtain holdbacks that match the curtain pole. If these curtains were to be used, they would cut the bay window off from the rest of the room, seriously reducing the floor area of the room and therefore the feeling of space created by the bay window.