Window options for large square bay, for small boys' room?

[Pannacotta]

The DSs, age 4 and 2, will soon be sharing a room (in the vain hope that they might stop bothering us at night!) and I need to sort out a good window treatment for their new room.
The bay is large and square, made up of 5 windows so I think floor length curtains will be too expensive and am not keen on short curtains.
Any recoomendations on what to put up, which will block out the sun and keep the warmth in?

TIA....

[RedLentil]

I wish I could return your kindness with window suggestions. There are some good ideas generally for boys' rooms
here

For DS's room, we went with parma grey walls, and we're going to add a rocket from here

We have extra-wide windows too and ended up going for plain blue ones, though I really wanted www.lauraashley.com/Ready-Made-Curtains/FOOTBALL-EYELET-READY-MADE-CURTAINS/invt/3408323p

It is tricky to do interesting window treatments on children's rooms without breaking the bank and having the results sniffed at in short order.

DS is besotted with his Parma Grey though, and the woman in our local interiors shop has already earmarked him as a weekend assistant ten years from now ...

[Pannacotta]

Thanks RedLentil, Parma Grey is a gorgeous colour, will ask DS1 what he thinks (DS2 too young to know).
Will have a look at the Living link, thanks for that.

[Pannacotta]

Any other thoughts anyone?

[HerHonesty]

roman blinds in lovely blue deckchair type material ala ian mankin

www.ianmankin.co.uk/deckchair-canvas-sky-266-p.asp

or

www.ianmankin.co.uk/deckchair-canvas-sky-266-p.asp

with white/cream walls.

[Pannacotta]

Thanks HH, I love Ian Mankin, great idea....

[SausageRocket]

I'd go romans too.

DD has an enormous 6 window bay in her room (it is about 19 feet across) so curtains were extremely expensive. I've gone for custom roman blinds with blackout lining. All in (not inc fitting) they cost me £420.

[SausageRocket]

Or, if you prefer a more streamlined look then perhaps go for custom blackout roller blinds ? You can get nice fabric these days and you would always add a plain box pelmet to the top of the window if you don't want to the roller at the top.

[SausageRocket]

Custom rollers are cheaper too.

[Pannacotta]

I do agree Roman blinds would be great.

That said I really need something to keep the room cooler in summer, it faces West and South so is like a sauna when it's hot (ha ha), so was wondering about wooden venetians, though they are not really cosy enough in the winter and I cant afford venetians plus curtains!

Would really like plantation shutters but DH will never agree to it!

[thehairybabysmum]

I have romans on a 3 sided bay in DS2's room a la deckchair material.

They are expensive though as you will have to buy 5 blinds...if like mine they were non standard so would have been made to measure = £££

I ended up making them myself, used this kit for all the fixings...here

worked out v. cheap. I got some stripe heavyweight fabric in ikea for £2.00 per metre and used blackout material for lining. It is just straight line sewing so v. simple...do you have a machine or a kind friend or mum, MIL who could help??

[thehairybabysmum]

Blackout material also keeps the heat out in thte summer if that helps.

[Pannacotta]

Love your name hairy!
I agree that five made to measure blinds would be quite pricey and I can't sew to save my life.
Sadly my mother and MIL are not very domestic types...

[thehairybabysmum]

Can you find a local curtain maker....if you buy and supply the material and blind kits they might not be too bad a price??