Creating the Perfectly Dressed Living Room Window

Living room windows come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, which can lead to problems when it comes to dressing them. You can have awkward curves or strangely angled bays, and often modern town houses incorporate French doors and a Juliet balcony into the living space.

All of these window styles need some form of dressing in order to filter out the light, keep in the warmth and maintain some privacy, and here we've highlighted a few tricks you can use to ensure your windows look their best.

Use Made-to-Measure Shutters

If your windows are not looking fantastic, perfectly fitted shutters could enhance them and provide a cleaner and fresher feel to the room. The shutters are low-maintenance and will last for many years, making them a good investment.

Incorporate Different Materials

You don't always have to opt for traditional curtains or blinds, and there are a whole host of materials that can be used to dress windows. If insulation is not an issue and you simply want to filter out some of the light, a voile curtain could be ideal. They work particularly well in living rooms, where you don't need it to be completely dark. These are available in a range of colours and styles, from plain to patterned designs.

Choose Quality Curtains

A high-quality heavy curtain can seem expensive, but the investment will be well worth it, as they will last for many years. Having the curtains custom-designed means that they will fit into the exact space you have and are good for floor-to-ceiling windows or French doors leading out to a Juliet balcony, where you want to keep the heat in to feel nice and cosy in the winter.

Be Different

Thinking a bit differently and using your imagination when it comes to window dressing can give your living room a more unique look and add a feature to the space. For instance, if you have a decent-sized windowsill, instead of fitting blinds that go from top to bottom, use ones that pull up to give it a more creative finish.

Don't Be Put Off by a Bay

Period properties often have a bay window in the living room, which can be seen as an issue by some homeowners. However, this doesn't necessarily need to lead to an interior design disaster, and there are plenty of ways you can work around it. For example, you could choose a curtain that goes straight across the front, shutting of the bay in the evening but creating a nice frame in the daytime.

Mix the Styles

It's not necessary to stick to one particular type of window dressing, and there's nothing to say you can't have a combination of styles to give the space your own personality. This could be mixing curtains with shutters so you have the flexibility of good insulation when it's needed but also the ability to close the shutters during the day when you need a bit of privacy.