Why make your windows look bigger? There are many advantages to having larger seeming windows! Your home seems bigger, ceilings may seem higher, the idea that the window is large makes the home seem higher-end, the outdoors seem closer at hand. In generally, windows are a bigger-is-better area of life. There are even entire rooms constructed out of windows, called sunrooms. People love sunrooms.
But what if what you have is a drywall or stucco or other non-window room, with a small window or two in it? It’s probably not ideal, but there are things you can do. Knock the wall out and get bigger windows! If that’s a bit too expensive, you don’t have time for that, or you’re a renter, you can still make the room feel like it has more window. There are aesthetic tricks that’ll trick you into feeling like your windows are bigger. And that’s a good feeling.
Make Windows Seem Taller
Hanging Rod
The rod you hang your curtains from should not be placed right above the top window edge. You can put it from few inches above the actual top of the window all the way up to mounting your hanging rod on the ceiling instead of the wall. Putting space above the window behind a valance or cornice also makes the window seem taller and more impressive.
Fabric Length
Don’t stop your curtain at the bottom of the window. You can let the fabric flow from a foot longer than the window is tall to all the way to the ground. Floor-to-ceiling curtains give the illusion of large vertical scale to windows that are just average size. It’s up to you how extreme to go with length. The longer the curtain, the more powerful the vertical line made by folds in the hanging fabric.
Fabric Selection
To create an illusion of greater height, you can use vertical stripes, of course. Although that’s the obvious choice, it’s not the only one that works. Because the curtains hang in folds when open, any repeating pattern will create vertical lines, as will solid colors. They just each to so in differing amounts. You can also choose to hang panels of more than one fabric, making wider vertical bands.
Give Windows a Wider Appearance
Hanging Rod
For wider appearing windows, you can have your curtain rod extend past the actual width of your window. You can go as far as you’d like, but 60-80% wider than the window is considered reasonable. With your curtains open, expose almost all of the glass, leaving all wall area hidden. The human mind will assume that behind the remaining curtain lies an expansive window! Make sure your curtains are wide enough to cover the whole length of the rob when closed. You can use a straight-bottomed cornice or valance to emphasise the horizontal lines.
Fabric Length
If you want your windows to appear wider and not taller, Then fabric length should be kept to no shorter than 6 inches below the bottom of the window. Light would come through closed curtains if it were any shorter. Longer is not a problem, but the longer the curtain the more it will make the window appear larger in general, as opposed to wider.
Fabric Selection
Horizontal stripes, or even a curtain that has a horizontal color change, can help your windows look panoramic. Otherwise, sticking to solids is best, because any pattern will look like vertical patterning once visually divided by the hanging folds of fabric.
Super Size Them: Make Your Window Look Bigger Both Ways
Hanging Rod
Like when trying to create taller windows, you’ll want to raise the hanging bar above the window top quite a bit. Also, you’ll want to use the window-widening trick and extend the bar far past the natural window edges. This means a high, long bar. It’s a great idea to add a cornice or valance to disguise all that wall space above the window and behind your curtains.
Fabric Length
The longer the better, in this case. Well, almost. Curtains that drag on the floor look great in photoshoots, but are not practical in the home. Pooled curtains are a dangerous tripping hazard. Give your floor some clearance for safety and so that the curtain bottoms don’t became a shelter for dust bunnies.
Fabric Selection
Different stripes: horizontal, vertical, or diagonal, will all make your windows seem bigger, but in different ways. Think about what would work best with the space. Solid, light colors can also seem very big and bright, which is a great way to make windows seem large. Really the only way to go terribly wrong with fabric selection is to chose dark colors or large prints.
Getting the look right in your home is a mix of knowledge, skill, and inspiration, not to mention access to the right materials. For expert help creating gorgeous, functional spaces, contact Robineve Interiors. The award-winning talend of Robineve Cole can make your windows shine bigger than ever and so much more.