How to dress every kind of awkward window

Remember a world before new-build estates? When things weren’t all a standard size and properties had plenty of quirky features and character?

New builds absolutely have their place (the fact that everything IS standard makes buying decor a heck of a lot easier), but there’s just something about a characterful property that I absolutely love, including their windows.

The catch is that character is rarely measurable, and every house has at least one window that is difficult to dress, whether because of its size, the way it curves or its uncommon shape. Standard blinds don’t fit, ready-made curtains hang wrong, and so the window stays bare for years while you figure out what to do with it.

It isn’t only older homes that cause the problem, either. Plenty of modern houses have the opposite issue, with a two-storey wall of glass that gives zero privacy.

The good news is, there is a solution for any type of window, and to find it, you need to ask yourself three questions:

• How do I control the light?
• How do I keep my privacy?
• How do I make it look like the dressing belongs in the room?

I’ve separated this guide into window type so feel free to jump to the section that feels most relevant to you:

• Bay windows
• Sash windows
• Cottage windows
• Small windows
• Skylights
• Landing and stairwell windows
• Floor-to-ceiling windows
• Arched, round and odd-shaped windows
• Wide windows and blocked windows

If you’re wondering how to dress your doors, I have a guide for that too.

Bay windows

Bays are the window most people struggle with and it’s usually because you’re viewing three or five windows as one. The most common solution is a curtain pole that’s bent around the shape of the bay, but these usually don’t sit well and can leave the curtains bunched in the corners.

The solution

The simpler answer is to dress each section individually. Roman blinds or roller blinds fitted inside each pane of the bay follow its shape, lift cleanly and keep the window seat or radiator below them free. If you want the softness of fabric in the evening, add a straight curtain pole across the front of the bay opening, so the curtains close across the room rather than around the glass. You get full light by day, a cosy enclosed feel at night and none of the corner bunching.

Shutters are the other option that suits bays beautifully. Because they’re made panel by panel, they follow the angles exactly, and tilting the louvres gives you privacy from the street without losing daylight. For a period house with a bay at the front, well-fitted window shutters are often the dressing that makes the whole room look finished.

One thing to watch is where your radiator sits. If it’s tucked inside the bay, curtains drawn across the opening will trap the heat behind them, so blinds on their own are the best bet.

Sash windows

Tall sash windows are beautiful to look at but awkward to cover. The glazing bars and deep reveals mean anything bulky fights with the architecture, and the top sash often lets in the best light.

The solution

Keep it simple. A blind fitted inside the recess, sitting flush with the frame, respects the proportions and lets you lower it exactly as far as you need. Or you can try installing a blind outside of the recess (as above).

Cafe-style shutters can also work really well. They give you privacy at street level while the upper part of the sash stays clear.

If you’d rather have curtains, hang them high and wide so they frame the window instead of hiding it, and choose a slim pole so the heading doesn’t crowd the top of the sash. Extending the pole 15 to 20cm either side of the frame means the curtains stack back against the wall rather than over the glass.

It’s also worth checking whether your house still has its original internal shutters folded away in boxes either side of the window. Plenty of period homes do, and they’ve often been painted shut over the years. I’ve seen a great example on Instagram recently, where the shutters had been boarded up into the wall so the owners didn’t even know they were there.

Freeing them up costs next to nothing and gives you privacy, insulation and original features all in one.

Cottage windows

Cottages usually have the opporite problem to Victorian properties. Their windows can be very small and quite deep set, too, and they’re probably wonky, just to add to the list of issues.

The solution

First, measure every window individually as they probably aren’t all the same, especially if your cottage is quite old. Then, you have a number of window dressings to choose from.

A roller or Roman blind that’s fitted inside the recess keeps its deep sill on show, rather than hiding the window behind layers of fabric. If the window opens inwards, though, a blind fitted inside the recess will catch on the casement, so fit it to the frame itself or use a small curtain on a slim rod instead.

For privacy without losing light, cafe curtains on a slim rod across the lower half of the window are hard to beat, and they suit a cottage better than almost anything else.

Where a beam or a low ceiling leaves no room for a pole, a slim track fixed tight to the ceiling or the face of the beam is neater. And if you’ve got leaded lights or original glazing bars, choose the lightest dressing you can, such as a simple blind or curtains that pull fully clear of the glass, so the window stays the star.

Small windows in bathrooms and cloakrooms

The problem with a small window is that whatever you put on it takes up a big share of what little light there is. This is why heavy fabric, dark colours and chunky headrails really do make the space feel smaller.

The solution

A pale roller blind in a moisture-resistant fabric is the most practical choice because it disappears into a slim roll when raised and wipes clean. A half-height café shutter does the same job with more character. In a shower room, go for PVC or faux wood blinds as these won’t absorb moisture from the steam like a fabric blind would.

If privacy is the only issue and you want to keep every bit of light, a sheer or voile blind softens the view without darkening the room at all.

Skylights and sloping windows

Roof windows are the one place where ordinary blinds just don’t work, because gravity is against you. The blind has to be held in place at an angle, and in summer the heat through a south-facing skylight can be fierce.

The solution

Look for blinds made specifically for roof windows, which run in side channels so they stay flat against the glass at any angle, and always check the make and model of your window before order the blinds. There’s usually a label on the edge of the frame when you open the window, and it saves a lot of guessing.

Pleated or honeycomb blinds are a good all-rounder, because the trapped air also helps with insulation.

If the heat is your main problem, bear in mind that an internal blind stops the sun hitting you but the heat has already come through the glass. An external blind or awning keeps it out in the first place, and it’s the most effective fix for a loft that turns into a sauna.

Dormer windows are usually easier to dress as the glass itself is vertical. They’re often set in a small box with limited space around them though, so measure the depth carefully and check that a blind will sit inside without catching on the side walls.

Landing and stairwell windows

These kinds of windows are tall, often double-height and usually impossible to reach without a ladder. They also tend to be the window you see first when you walk through the front door, so leaving them bare makes the hallway feel unfinished.

The solution

A single long roller or Roman blind is the cleanest option, just make sure the chain or cord is on the side you can reach from the stairs, or go motorised and operate it from a remote.

If you have young children, cordless or motorised is also the safer choice, as blind cords and chains are a strangulation risk and need to be fixed well out of reach. If the window gets no direct sun and privacy isn’t a concern, a sheer blind that simply softens the glass can be enough.

Floor-to-ceiling windows

New builds and modern extensions often come with enormous windows, and the trick is not to fight the scale. You don’t necessarily need to cover the entire thing with reams of fabric, so it’s best to think in sections instead.

The solution

If the window has a horizontal bar or transom, use it as a dividing line and dress the top and bottom separately. The lower blind handles privacy, while the upper one is there to cut glare and heat when the sun is at its strongest.

For blinds, most roller blinds start to struggle beyond a certain width, and the fabric can sag or roll off-line, so a very wide window is usually better split into two or three blinds side by side. Solar screen fabrics, which look like a very fine mesh, are well worth a look on a south-facing wall because they cut glare and heat while keeping the view. The catch is that they’re see-through at night when the lights are on, so pair them with blackout blinds or curtains.

For curtains, a ceiling-fixed track is better than a pole, which will struggle with the weight at that length. Make the curtains wide enough to stack back beyond the edges of the glass, so the window is completely clear when they’re open. In a big open-plan room, heavy lined curtains also help with the echo you often get in tall spaces and make the room warmer in winter.

Whatever you choose, motorise it so you aren’t having to stretch up or use a ladder.

Arched, round and odd-shaped windows

Curtains and blinds just aren’t made for arched or circular windows, so these can be really awkward to dress. But it can be done and you have two options.

The solution

You can dress the rectangular part of the window below the arch and leave the curved top open, which looks intentional and keeps the feature on show. Or go fully made-to-measure, with shutters or shaped blinds cut to the exact outline of the opening, so they sit flush and look as if the window was designed around them.

If you only need privacy, frosted window film cut to the shape of the glass is a simple budget option.

Wide windows or blocked windows

Very wide windows or windows with radiators, window seats or a kitchen sink right beneath them cause problems when iti comes to window dressings, particularly as you’ll probably never find an off-the-shelf option that works.

The solution

Made-to-measure curtains and blinds are the ideal solution. You can have them made to the exact dimensions of the space without having to pay for additional alterations. They hang straight, close fully and don’t leave a gap of light down one side.

For a corner window, two blinds side by side with a small gap between them work well, or you can use a corner pole or an L-shaped track for curtains.

Over a radiator, stop curtains at the sill so they don’t trap the heat. Over a kitchen sink, choose a short blind in a wipe-clean fabric that stays clear of the taps. And for a window seat, fit blinds inside the recess so the cushions and the seat itself stay free.

Getting the measurements right

Whatever you choose, the measuring matters more than the product.

Decide first whether the blind will sit inside the recess (neater, but it needs enough depth and square corners) or outside it (more forgiving, and better at blocking light).

Use a metal tape measure to measure the width at the top, middle and bottom and the height at the left, middle and right. For an inside fit, use the smallest width and the longest height. In an older house, nothing is perfectly square, so you’ll usually get three different numbers.

For an overlap fit, allow around 5 to 10cm each side and above so the blind covers the frame and stops light leaking around the edges.

You’ll also want to make a note of any obstructions, including handles, tiles, trickle vents and window catches.

Then, you’ll need to level your pole or track. Old ceilings and window frames are rarely level, so use a spirit level, as it’s curtains hanging straight that the eye notices.