How to dress wide windows

Wide windows are a sought-after feature for many, who love the open views and sunlight pouring into their home. As with everything, there’s a downside.

Architect and TV presenter George Clarke has a few ideas to help counter the common issues faced when dressing wide windows. Read on to find out more.

Understand your goals before you start – and stick to them
George’s first piece of advice for anyone dressing wide windows is to make sure you set and stick to your objectives. So be clear about whether yours is a purely design-focused move, or about light control, privacy or heat insulation before you even start looking at options for your wide windows.

Then stick to your objective. Otherwise, you’ll end up with something that might look good but doesn’t do the job you wanted it to do.

And when you think about it, this is actually a great tip for pretty much everything you try to achieve in the home.

Is stylish design your priority?
Let’s face it; everyone wants their wide windows to look great. And if that’s your only priority then you’re spoilt for choice in our ranges of blinds, curtains and shutters.

Or you could take a leaf out of George’s book and go for a combination of curtains layered with Roman blinds or Romans layered with Rollers.

Is light control an issue for you?
One of the best things about wide windows is all the glorious sunshine they let into a room. Obviously, the sunshine won’t always feel glorious and there are times when you’ll long for a little shade or for total darkness.

For creating shade, you’ll want blinds or curtains in a sheer fabric, which lets light through but in a gentle and diffuse way. Voile curtains are a very popular option right now, while George opted for our Acacia Ice Roller blind.

George layered his Rollers with a Bardot Grey curtains with a blackout lining. This lets George pull his curtains together to help block out the sunshine and completely change the atmosphere in his room.

Does privacy concern you?
Many of us live in built-up areas, where houses overlook each other and passers-by might see something they shouldn’t. Wide windows only exacerbate the problem.

Sheer blinds or curtains offer a solution, with the light fabric creating a veil-like effect. It’s another reason why George chose our Acacia Ice Roller blind.

Need to improve your heat insulation?
Heat escapes through windows – even more so through wide ones. So it pays to add extra layers of insulation at wide windows to help keep the warmth inside.

That’s part of the reason why George chose to layer Bardot Grey curtains over his blinds. Having curtains will also change the acoustics in a room, making it feel that little bit more intimate and cosy.