18 Bay Window Curtain and Shade Ideas to Brighten Up Your Space

A bay window is a beautiful architectural feature that floods a room with lots of natural light and creates a lovely focal point. A classic bay window is made up of three sections, with the two side windows being angled and therefore creating an alcove of sorts. When it comes to window treatments, there are countless options available, from custom and ready-made curtain panels to sleek roman shades featuring fun colors and patterns.

Keep reading to learn about 18 bay window curtain and shade ideas to brighten up your space.

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Cafe Curtains

Becca Interiors

Use cafe curtains to add a cozy, cottage-inspired look to your bay window. They allow for plenty of natural light and don't block the full view out the window, but provide enough privacy for a kitchen or bathroom.

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Individual Roman Shades

Blakely Interior Design / Photography by Andrea Pietrangeli, Bowler Lane Films

For a sleek and modern look, use roman shades on your bay window. This style of shade is a great way to add color and pattern to a room—the shades are easy to operate by simply pulling the bottom to lower them and quickly releasing them to roll back up.

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Blackout Curtains

Elenathewise / Getty Images

Keep your bedroom light and bright during the day, but create complete darkness conducive to a good night's sleep by using blackout curtains. Since a bay window consists of three adjoining windows, you may need to use more than one panel on either side depending on the window's total width.

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Floor Length Curtains

Kate Marker Interiors

Elegant floor-length curtains help visually extend the height of the room, creating a sense of space. Give your bay window a grand, sophisticated finishing touch by hanging floor-length curtains that help frame the three-part window.

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A Combination of Blinds and Curtains

Kate Marker Interiors

For a layered look, pair woven shades and floor-length curtains on your bay window. This combination doesn't just help maintain temperature and light levels when both window treatments are shut—it creates a more interesting, textured aesthetic that adds an extra decorative touch to the room.

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Woven Wood Shades

Kate Marker Interiors

Woven wood shades are an excellent way to add a textural element to your bay window that allows its architectural features to shine. They are available in countless different shades and allow light to filter in to keep your space bright and airy.

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Pinch Pleat Curtains

Kendall Wilkinson Design

Add a touch of sophistication to a bedroom or living room by hanging pinch pleat curtains. The pleated detail at the top is a classic choice that'll instantly dress up the bay window and create a timeless space.

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Mini Blinds

Carole Gomez / Getty Images

For a simple and inexpensive option, install simple mini blinds on your bay window. Custom window treatments can be a high expense and if there is a built-in seat or shelf under your bay window—this is also a great way not to block it with heavy drapery.

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Sheer Curtains

Becca Interiors

Sheer curtains are a lovely choice when you need a little bit of privacy, but still want lots of light to filter in. They are also an excellent choice when you're looking for window treatment pairs—you can layer these with more substantial full-length window panels to give you options for daytime and nighttime.

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A Single Roman Shade

Becca Interiors

To create a uniform look, install one long roman shade instead of individual shades on each of the three windows. It's a more traditional approach that's well-suited for a historic or older home.

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Tie-Back Curtains

Andreas Von Einsiedel / Getty Images

Keep window panels from blocking your bay window and add a decorative feature by hanging tie-back curtains. Tie-backs come in various styles and materials, sometimes matching the panels, and other times being embellished with tassels or ribbon.

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Double Panel Curtains

Michelle Berwick Design

A bay window tends to be wider than a standard-size window, so its final width may require you to double up on curtain panels for each of the individual windows. Keep this in mind when measuring and purchasing curtains.

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Puddle Length Curtains

Andreas Von Einsiedel / Getty Images

Bring in some drama with puddle-length curtains that literally "puddle" on the floor due to their excess fabric. Use this style of curtains to draw attention to and turn the bay window into a focal point of the room and add a designer-style touch.

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Roman Shades Mounted Outside the Frame

Dekay and Tate

When it comes to roman shades, you can either mount them inside or outside the window frame. This outside mounting method produces a slightly more traditional look. If you have highly detailed window molding you'd like to showcase, mount your shades inside the frames to allow the woodwork to shine.

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Light Filtering Curtains

Whittney Parkinson Design

To keep a room bright, go with light-filtering curtains. This refers to the fabric weave and the fact that it's loose enough to let light through, which means that the curtains will be thinner and more lightweight than room-darkening or blackout panels.

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Window Scarf Curtains

VWB photos / Getty Images

For purely decorative purposes, window scarf curtains bring in a traditional elegance. They also don't block natural light from coming inside and allow window molding to be on full display.

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Apron Length Curtains

Wavebreak / Getty Images

Apron-length curtains are perfect for a bay window that features a built-in seat or bookcase underneath it as their length doesn't awkwardly hang over or block the built-ins.

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Window Shutters

moodboard / Getty Images

In a historic home, you will often encounter shutters on a bay window, either on the top, bottom, or entire window. They add old-world charm while allowing for both privacy and natural light.