Best Window Treatments for Small Windows
Windows truly give a house its character and feel.
They can come in so many different shapes, sizes, and styles, all of which can add different feels and allow for different amounts of light to come into different rooms. Whether you have floor-to-ceiling windows, bay windows, standard windows, or small windows, or even a combination of a bunch of different window styles throughout your home, you’re undoubtedly aware of how important they can be.
Smaller windows can be a little bit trickier to deal with.
After all, you’ll probably want to maximize natural light given the limitation of window size.
However, there are many different factors that influence the best window treatment for small windows, whether it is blinds, shades, or shutters. Your preferred treatment may depend on which room you’re in (bedrooms vs. bathrooms vs. living rooms, for example), the actual size of the window, and what type of window you’re dealing with.
Things to Consider with Small Windows
When trying to decide the best window treatment for small windows in your house, there are a number of things you should consider.
We touched on this up above, but we figured we should expand on the different considerations here:
Room Purpose
Windows in different rooms serve a variety of different purposes.
You’ll want your windows in your bathroom to accomplish a different set of goals than the windows in your living room, for example. Knowing what you’d like to accomplish with that specific room and that specific window can help you decide whether to include blinds, shutters, shades, or different window coverings.
Window Size
Small windows can come in all sorts of different sizes.
It’s important to get an accurate measurement, so you know just how much space you’re dealing with. Additionally, you’ll want to consider your window’s shape as well: although most windows are rectangular, you might have a funky circular or weirdly-shaped window that requires special consideration.
Overall Home Style
One thing that often doesn’t get considered but really should is the overall style of your home.
If you live in an older home, having ultra-modern window coverings may look out of place. Your window coverings are an extension of your home’s, and your own personal style. They should accentuate the natural beauty of your individual home, and not take away from it.
How to Make Small Windows Appear Larger
Ultimately, this is the name of the game for deciding the best window treatment for small windows.
You want to make them appear as large as possible, so they can bring in the maximum amount of brightness into your home. Natural light is a key selling point for many homes nowadays, and so properly treating your small windows can have a huge impact on the value of your home.
Down below, we’ve included our few favorite design tips and tricks for making your small windows feel larger.
Use lighter-colored blinds or shades
Ditching dark shades or other window coverings will help you maximize the natural light your windows allow in. Additionally, lighter colors will help the room itself feel much larger.
Get creative with blind and shutter sizing
There’s no specific rule that states how large or small your blinds/shutters/shades have to be in relation to your window.
Although it may look a little ridiculous to have crazy-oversized blinds on a tiny window, you might find that purposely oversizing blinds or shades can help create the illusion that your window is larger than it is. For instance, even if your window doesn’t reach the floor, you might experiment with ordering window curtains that nearly touch the floor.