One of my favorite parts of decorating a room is hanging new window treatments – I’m continually amazed by what a difference they make even when you keep them simple. And simple is what I usually do – give me a beautiful rod and simple full length drapery panels in a favorite fabric and I’m a happy girl.
But what about those tricky windows where a typical drapery rod and panel aren’t going to cut it? You know which windows I’m talking about – bay windows, corner windows, recessed windows, and even those window-like french doors. When I was visiting my parents this past weekend, I realized that their house is full of tricky windows. It’s also full of beautiful window treatments that solve the you-can’t-use-standard-drapery-panels-with-this-window dilemma. I thought I’d share a few of my favorite with you guys.
Their dining room is one of my favorite rooms in the house – it’s open to the rest of the house on two sides and has a long wall of windows on the third side:
Using standard drapery panels on these windows would end up covering up way too much of the windows since there’s no space on either side to stack the panels back:
So instead, simple pleated treatments are mounted on a short board on each end of the window. You don’t need as much fabric (in width) for this type of window treatment as you would for standard panels so it might give you some room to splurge a little more on your fabric.
My parents’ dining room drapes have a 2″ break at the floor, which is a great look for this type of treatment, especially in a more formal room:
Moving on to the master bathroom, this window is also recessed with walls flanking it on each side. The window is beautifully treated with a layered valence:
I love the mix of the tailored top layer with the more decorative tasseled bottom layer:
The master bedroom has a large bay window, which is treated with four faux shades and full length puddled panels on the ends
which are each topped with a short, trimmed ruffle:
And finally, the family room and kitchen (which are open to one another) have the same tailored valence on each of the windows to unify the space, including this recessed window under the family room bench seat,
the french doors leading from the kitchen to the patio,
and the long window above the kitchen sink:
At some point I’ll have to take you all on a tour of my parents’ home that includes more than just the window treatments. They have some drool-worthy furniture pieces, which you may already know if you follow me on Instagram and saw this weekend pic of their couch that I fawn over every time I’m there:
I just flew back home yesterday and am not quite ready to get back to the reality of my to-do list that grew to epic lengths while I was gone. Better go knock some of that sucker out! See you all later in the week,
Kris your parents’ home is beautiful!!! Please share more of it 🙂 All their window treatments are so pretty but I especially love the box pleated drapes in the dining room. What a fabulous idea for an recessed window bay with no adjoining wall space, and the design and fabric are just gorgeous!!!
Thanks, I will pass your sweet comment on to my mom Lisa! I love their dining room drapes too – that fabric is a favorite of mine.
Oh wow, their home is stunning and all of those window treatments are amazing. Great inspiration.
Thanks so much Marty! I love their house too!
I love your parent’s home and the curtains! Could you please tell me if they purchased the curtains in their dining room or did they have them specially made? If they bought them, would you mind sharing where they got them? Thanks for the great post!
Hi Erin! Thanks so much – I will let my mom know that you’re a fan 🙂 The curtains in their dining room were custom made – sorry, I don’t have a source for you!
Darn! I was afraid of that 🙂 Thanks for letting me know!
Beautiful window treatments–simple but elegant. Glad you are visiting your family, so important. We just had a new metal roof put on our double wide and it inspired us to get busy on sprucing up the outside. Our son and daughter-in-law visited for two weekends and made all my “visions”, as Annie calls them, come true. Matt power washed the whole house and all our friends thought we painted!! It now looks pale yellow instead of dirty green. Annie painted the shutters and front door Blueberry Buckel. What fun. Have a great week. DUNNELLON DI
That is so sweet that your son and daughter-in-law helped you do a mini makeover of your home. Sounds like it has a completely new, fresh look! I love that you all decorate as a family 🙂
Their home is beautiful. Those are some gorgeous window treatments.
Thanks Kim!
I see where you get your flair from!! Your parent’s home is lovely. Great tips on the window treatments & I do love that sofa. Tell us more!!
I know, that sofa is killer isn’t it?! If I’m remembering right it’s made by Wesley Hall. I joke with my mom that she’d better make sure I get that in the will 🙂
Your parents’ home is beautiful, Kris! Love this post and the ideas for tricky windows. 🙂
Thanks Carrie!
What a beautiful home, Kris. I LOVE the first drapery treatment. and the fabric…gorgeous!!
Thanks – I’ll pass that on to my mom. Those are my fave too!
Your parents have a very beautiful home. Thanks for sharing the different types of window treatments.
Thanks Debbie – I pass your sweet compliment on to my mom!
I would love to know where they got these beautiful window treatments also. They look custom made, correct? I have no talent with window treatments and would love to duplicate these in my home. Thanks for sharing! Tina
Hi Tina! Yes, they were all custom made. Their home was a model home for their neighborhood so a few of the treatments were there when they moved in but my mom had the other ones made. I think the dining room and family room/kitchen window treatments wouldn’t be too hard to make but the bedroom and bathroom ones would be totally out of my league!
I love your parents’ home. What is the fabric for their couch? I love it! I am covering an antique couch ASAP and would love to know.
Hi Pam – unfortunately the couch fabric was simply one of the offerings from the couch manufacturer (which I believe was Wesley Hall) so I don’t know where you can get it by the hard. I wish I did know because I love it too!
Wow, what a beautiful home your parents have!! I love all of the window treatments but I am actually wondering where they got those lovely chairs on either end of the dining room table? The size and shape are perfect!
Hi Laura, For the life of me, I can’t remember where those came from but let me check with my mom and see if she remembers. If she does, I’ll let you know!
Hi Laura, sorry it took so long but I finally got the info on my mom’s dining room end chairs! They are made by Cox and called Kick Pleat Host Chairs.
Your parent’s home is beautifully decorated from what I can see. I would love to see more of it if they don’t mind the intrusion. They have tackled some tricky windows. I’ve saved them all as inspiration. Can you share the name and make of the fabric in the dining room? I have been struggling to find the perfect material for drapes for the master.
Hi Joanne, my mom was able to dig up the name of her dining room fabric – it’s by Brunschwig & Fils and is called Festival of Lanterns (BR-79704-016). Sorry it took me so long 🙂
I totally agree! Long curtains can make such a big difference in any room. I love how all of these windows turned out.
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Thanks so much!
What a gorgeous home! And those are tricky window treatments! Love what they did.
Great tips Kris. I have some very awkward windows so I’m always looking for some great inspiration. Can I just declare my love for your mom’s couch now…love! Thanks for sharing.
Kris, your window treatments are amazing along with your parent’s house and curtains too. Great inspirations for tricky spaces and windows.
What truly unique window treatments. I got lots of inspiration from the mini tour. Thanks. I’d really love to know what the fabric is on the dining room chairs (not the kick pleat ones). That print is gorgeous and I love the scale of it. I’ve been looking for something similar for a very long time.
Hi Lisa! The side chairs were special ordered from Hickory Chair and the fabric was one of the fabric options that Hickory Chair provided so unfortunately I don’t have a name or source for you on it. My mom wishes she could get her hands on the fabric too for some pillows but hasn’t ever found it. Sorry I couldn’t help!
What is the paint color in the dining room? So beautiful!
I would love to see the full picture of the couch with nailheads that you show a portion of on your site. It looks elegant but comfortable. Who is the manufacturer?
Thank you-
Hi I love your ideas. I wanted to know how you did the valance in the master bed room? How did you attach the valance with the blinds?
Hi Cheryl! The blinds are mounted in the typical inside-mount way (header is screwed into the wood framing the inside of the window) and the valence over the top of them is on a small spring loaded rod.
I am having trouble finding a site that is simple to “work” to plan the placement of my furniture in my new LR. The LR is open
on the waterfront and is adjacent to my kitchen. It is surrounded with windows on all sides with a floating fireplace that is between the kitchen and LR and can be seen from both areas. Any ideas on placement of the furniture ? I am also looking for ideas for corner drapes in the LR. Thanks. I am enjoying your site….
That sounds amazing Nancy! Unfortunately that level of advice would require drawing out an entire floor hand and spending some time figuring out what works best and I no longer offer design services like that. Sorry I can’t help!
Kris, I just love the stationary panels in your parents’ master bedroom.! I have narrow windows in our master bedroom and would love to make those. I am an experienced seamstress and have always made the window coverings in our homes and have always interlined all of the fabric. Would you please tell me if the panels in your parents’ house are interlined, and also how they are mounted to the wall? I am thinking they look like they are mounted on a board. I am also contemplating omitting the interlining since it adds bulk and I can get a fuller panel with more gathers without the interlining. Would appreciate any info you can give me. Thanks so much!
Yes, those stationary panels are mounted on a board. Unfortunately I can’t remember if those have interlining or not and my parents no longer live there so I can’t double check 🙁
I have a sliding glass door (not used) that almost butts up to the corner of the wall with an approximate 46″ w x 50″ l window that nearly butts up to the corner by the slider. Unfortunately, I have a TV in front of the sliding door. I would like long panels on each corner of the slider and the window and in the corner separating the two. I need to put something covering the glass. The slider completely and the window partially as it overlooks the water. Tough windows…any idea???
Hi Kathy – this is pretty tough to visualize unfortunately. If you’d like to join my Facebook community, you can post a photo and ask the rest of the group for advice! https://www.facebook.com/groups/drivenbydecordecoratingcommunity/
My apartment has triple windows and high ceilings. The problem I have is , my steam heat registers are located , just below the 3rd window panes. I love the extra large windows, but need ideas for window treatments.