Custom Window Treatments for Unique Window Shapes
How Do You Choose Window Treatments for Unique Window Shapes?
Unique windows deserve custom window treatments that work with their architecture instead of hiding what makes them special.
Arched windows, angled glass, bay windows, bow windows, and other architectural shapes often become focal points in a room. They bring character and natural light, but they can also create challenges with privacy, glare, and everyday comfort.
At Simply Windows, Kendra Weldon approaches specialty windows as part of the interior design. Rather than forcing a standard treatment onto an unusual opening, she looks at the shape of the window, the architecture around it, and how the room needs to function.
For homes throughout Boston, Westborough, and MetroWest, the right solution may be a custom window shade, shutters, drapery, or a combination of treatments.
What Are the Best Window Treatments for Unique Window Shapes?
The best window treatments for unique window shapes are custom treatments designed around the exact size, angle, and architecture of the opening.
Specialty windows can include:
- Arched windows
- Angled or triangular windows
- Bay windows
- Bow windows
- Tall or narrow windows
- Oversized windows
- Skylights
- Windows grouped together in unusual configurations
Some homeowners assume that an unusual window has to remain uncovered.
That is not always the case.
The better question is what the window actually needs.
Does it need privacy? Is glare the main problem? Does the room get too bright at certain times of day? Is the window difficult to reach? Or does it simply need a treatment that makes the room feel more finished?
Those answers help Kendra determine which custom window treatments are worth considering.
How Do You Cover an Arched Window Without Hiding It?
An arched window can be covered without losing its character by choosing a treatment that respects the curve and proportions of the opening.
Arches are often one of the strongest architectural details in a room. Covering the entire shape with a standard rectangular treatment can sometimes hide the feature homeowners originally loved.
In other rooms, however, privacy or glare may require more coverage.
Kendra looks at the arch in relation to the rest of the window.
For example, a tall window with a curved top may be treated differently from a small standalone arch. The lower portion may need daily privacy while the upper section can remain open to natural light.
Custom shutters may work for some architectural shapes. Custom window shades or drapery may make more sense in others.
The goal is to solve the functional problem while preserving as much of the architecture as possible.
What Are the Best Window Treatments for Bay Windows?
The best window treatments for bay windows depend on whether you want to highlight each individual window or treat the bay as one architectural feature.
Bay windows create depth and bring light into the room from several directions. They also introduce multiple angles, which can make measuring and installation more complicated.
Individual custom window shades can preserve the shape of the bay. Roman shades can add softness and fabric. Shutters may provide a more architectural look.
Custom drapery can also frame the entire bay when the room needs more fabric and visual warmth.
Kendra looks carefully at how the windows meet one another. There must be enough room for each treatment to operate without interfering with the treatment beside it.
Furniture matters too.
A bay window with a built-in seat has different design needs from a formal living room bay or a breakfast area with a table nearby.
The shape may be similar, but the solution does not have to be.
What Should You Do With a Window That Is Hard to Reach?
Hard-to-reach windows may benefit from motorized shades when the shape and treatment allow for motorization.
Tall windows are common in great rooms, stairways, loft-like spaces, and rooms with vaulted ceilings. The challenge is not only selecting the window covering. It is deciding how you will operate it once it is installed.
A beautiful window shade is not very useful if you cannot comfortably open or close it.
Motorized shades can make certain difficult windows easier to manage. Simply Windows works with Hunter Douglas PowerView and Lutron when motorization is appropriate for the project.
Kendra considers the accessibility of the window, how often the treatment will move, and whether motorization makes everyday use easier.
Not every specialty window needs technology. But for the right opening, it can turn an awkward treatment into one you actually use.
How Do You Treat Large Architectural Windows Without
Losing the View?
Large architectural windows should be treated with a balance of glare control, privacy, and view preservation.
This is especially important in contemporary homes and Boston condos where a large expanse of glass may be one of the main features of the room.
Seaport and SoWa residences, for example, can have large glass walls and limited places to mount window coverings. MetroWest homes may feature two-story windows, sunrooms, or open living spaces with oversized glass.
In these rooms, a heavy treatment may work against the architecture.
A more streamlined window shade may provide the needed light control while allowing the glass to remain visually prominent.
Drapery can also be used strategically to frame large windows rather than covering them.
Kendra's goal is to decide how much treatment the window really needs.
A dramatic window should still feel dramatic after the window coverings are installed.
Why Is Professional Measuring Important for Specialty Windows?
Professional measuring is especially important for specialty windows because unusual shapes leave less room for error.
A standard rectangular window already requires accurate measurements. An arch, angle, bay, or oversized opening introduces additional considerations.
The surrounding architecture matters too.
Older Boston homes may have window frames that are not perfectly square. Historic trim may limit mounting options. Newer homes may have large expanses of glass with narrow areas available for hardware.
Kendra also considers handles, cranks, molding, and nearby treatments before the product is ordered.
Simply Windows handles measuring, ordering, and White Glove Installation as part of the custom process.
That allows the design and installation decisions to work together rather than treating them as separate steps.
How Does Simply Windows Design Treatments for
Architectural Windows?
Simply Windows designs architectural window treatments by looking at the entire room, not just the unusual shape of the glass.
Kendra Weldon brings a 20-year interior design background to each consultation. She considers the architecture, light, privacy, furniture placement, and how the treatment will be used every day.
Simply Windows provides custom window treatments throughout Westborough, MetroWest, and Greater Boston. During an in-home consultation, Kendra can see the specialty window in its actual setting and bring samples that can be viewed alongside your existing furnishings and finishes.
Whether the challenge is an arch, bay, angled window, oversized opening, or hard-to-reach window, the goal is the same: preserve what makes the architecture interesting while making the room more comfortable and functional.
Ready to transform your windows? Request your free in-home consultation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can you put window treatments on arched windows?
A: Yes. Arched windows can often be treated with custom shutters, window shades, drapery, or a combination of treatments depending on the shape, privacy needs, and design of the room.
Q: What are the best window treatments for odd-shaped windows?
A: The best treatment depends on the exact shape and function of the window. Custom shades, shutters, drapery, and motorized options may all be considered for specialty-shaped windows.
Q: Do specialty window treatments need to match the other windows?
A: No. They should coordinate with the room, but they do not have to be identical. Color, fabric, finish, or style can connect different treatments visually.
Q: Can angled windows be covered?
A: Yes. Angled and triangular windows may require custom treatments designed around the slope of the glass. The amount of coverage needed depends on light, privacy, and the architecture.
Q: Can hard-to-reach specialty windows be motorized?
A: Some specialty windows may work well with motorized shades. The window shape, treatment type, accessibility, and installation requirements determine whether motorization is a good option.
