Really ugly 1960s square bay

[suel]

Hi,

Have just visited a client with a really ugly square recessed square bay.

The ceiling height into the bay is only about 190cm, and they currently have a ceiling mounted white track going round the bay with sill length curtains. They want to make more of a feature of the window, but a top treatment inside the bay will cut even more light out of the room. They used to have a pole on the outside of the bay but this cut the bay off at night and wasted all the space. The sills are really quite deep and if we wanted to have full length curtains in the bay the track would have to be mounted even further away from the window than it already is to avoid the sills. This will give a really deep side-on return of curtain, which if full-length could be secured with a tie-back, but if short will look really bad. Romans are not an option as they have a busy pavement just feet away from the window, so need to keep a sheer curtain there at all times (the flowery net will have to go!).

I had thought that a pelmet or valance on the outside of the bay might be an option but was worried it might look detached from the rest of the window treatment as the bay is quite deep (1M).

Have scoured all my books and cannot find the look I want. Help.

Sue.

Help

[Karen C]

Re: Really ugly 1960s square bay

Hi Sue,

I had a really ugly bay to dress a few weeks back. Sounds like your one was very similar to mine. I managed to persuade my client to have the curtains mounted outside the bay, so yes at night it did cut it off, however it was only a bedroom. I did a skirt heading with a contrast trim on the top of the curtain to try and focus the eye on the curtains before you see the ugly bay window. What room is this in?

[thecurtainmaker]

Re: Really ugly 1960s square bay

How about returns out of the bay? I can't quite visualise the window. If it would be too low, then how about dress curtains mounted higher on short poles each side, covering the working curtains during the day. Does this sound silly?

[applemoon]

Re: Really ugly 1960s square bay

Hi Sue, this sounds like a bbit of a headache. Could you have curtains sill length fitted on a lathe such as has been posted on here before.

http://www.ontrack.uk.com/tracks/lath-and-fascia.html#

I have never done anything like this myself but it looks like an effective alternative to the nasty white track.

Good luck, Kim.

[suel]

Re: Really ugly 1960s square bay

Hi All,

Thanks for your responses. I think I will suggest full length (ceiling mounted inside the bay) curtains, to extend to outside of the bay window with a reverse bend. Without a pelmet these will look odd as the curtains will be starting quite low down on the wall, however I will suggest a pelmet or valance on the outside of the bay, to cover the top of the curtains. When they are open they should look full length floor to ceiling and tied back, with the top concealed and tied back with nice tassels or something. When they are closed it will be obvious that these are short curtains, but will do as Kim suggested and maybe use either a fascia or decent top treatment on them. Whilst none of us particularly like white tracks, they very often disappear into the the distance against a white fascia and white ceiling. So I'm not too worried about that.

Do you think this will look OK.

What is the usual distance from where the sill sticks out, to where the track should be mounted? It will need to be a least a couple of inches away from the sill?

Thanks.

Sue.

[suel]

Re: Really ugly 1960s square bay

Hi All,

Client is now considering full length curtains with the curtain track reverse bending on the outside of the bay to draw the curtains out of the recess. They also want a corded track. Have been looking in my various catalogues. Please help. I normally use Integra or Swish PVC but not sure that they will be successful if reverse bent. The Silent Gliss tracks appear to be the ones, but they are very expensive. Not sure my client will go for that price. Any advice would be much appreciated. Do Silent Gliss have their own fitters, not sure my usual one would be up to this.

Thanks.

Sue.

[thecurtainmaker]

Re: Really ugly 1960s square bay

Hi Sue,
Silent Gliss are really good - I'm not sure if there are any others. If your client wants four bends and corded, then they have to realise that it will not be cheap.

Your fitter will be able to install it, I'm sure. The track is made to measure by a number of wholesalers, with the bends based on measurements you supply (on a form which is really easy) and it's just a matter of screwing the brackets in place and snapping the track onto them (it does take two as it's a bit unwieldy!).

[karasews]

Re: Really ugly 1960s square bay

Hi Sue

I realise this is a bit late and probably no longer relevant to your client but I was also asked about a similar type of window by my SIL. Their 80's house had a low square bay in the lounge with all the problems you've described. I recommended turning it into a window seat (the sills were low enough to do this) - this way they gained storage underneath too. They had a pretty voile in the window for privacy and then full length curtains on the outside that coordinated with the seat cushion. The curtains framed the window nicely and it made a good feature out of quite an ugly window.

I didn't pick any of the fabrics or do any of the work - I merely had the idea and it was something that hadn't even occurred to them. They were very happy with the result as it gave character to quite a bland room.

Good luck!
Karen

[suel]

Re: Really ugly 1960s square bay

Hi Karen,

What a lovely idea. Unfortunately not for this client, as it is in their living room.

Sue.