What window coverings for impossible bay?

[windowing]

We've been in our new house for a few months. The living room has a big bay window and we are struggling to decide what to do with it. The previous owners had some awful flesh coloured metal blinds which we are desperate to replace!

However the windows fill the whole bay so if we have curtains or shutters there is no wall for them to hang against- they'd have to hang over the window which will block light and not look good.

We'd also like something that would stop people looking in- shutters seem the best idea but there's no where for them to hold back if we ever want to open them fully...
Hive mind- any suggestions?

I cant see the photos, but you can attach a rail to the "ceiling" of the bay window.

A curtain rail to the ceiling of the bay window, and if you get very light curtain material, it should be ok on the sides and not block too much light?

Attach a batten to the three walls of the bay above the windows and below the cornicing. Fit a bendable curtain which projects past the two windows on the short walls. When the curtains are open you can pull them just past the windows so they don't block any light. You may have to have two pairs joined together or made to measure - modern curtains usually aren't the right width.

Bendable curtain rail!

Roman blinds

If yours isn't the only house of that design on the street, you can probably see what other people have done.

Another one for roman blinds. They can be fitted about the window or in the recess and for bay windows you can have several to fit around the separate windows.

Other people have blinds (which don't seem imposing enough) or curtains which hang awkwardly covering the side windows.

I like the idea of thin curtains on a bendy rail but that wouldn't solve the issue of privacy in the day....

Can you not do something like this? It might cover a little of the side windows but probably not by much. Especially if the side window curtains are one panel that can be pushed off to the side (not the corners).

We had a massive (albeit smoothly curved) bay window in a ground floor bedroom. We had voiles (nice ones not net ones!) on a wire and then a bendable rail with curtains above. Couldn’t see in from outside and plenty of light. I do see your curtain issue tho...

Kismett that's lovely. Some very fine curtain material I think could work perhaps with voile panels although we have almost no "corner space" for them to hang.
Hummmm
Might be leaning towards shutters and accepting that if we ever open them fully then they'll be covering the side windows.

We love how light the room is and are paying a fortune to refurb the windows and the original stained glass so seems a shame to cover them though.,,

Luxaflex

I have shutters in a bay and I don't think I've ever opened them, I think most people don't open them fully.

Flicketyflack They look interesting. Am currently googling....

You mentioned privacy during the day - you can have a double rail with voiles hanging inside the curtains and pull those over the side windows of the bay, or the whole thing, still letting light in. The hedge at the front must give you some privacy.

What a gorgeous window! Shutters do block out a fair bit of light, something to bare in mind.

We've got a bay window, nothing as grand as yours, but a tricky shape we didn't know what to do with. We had a local blind company sort our blinds (we went for Venetian) and they knew exactly how to do it. I'd get some professional opinions.

How about a pull up blind? It'd attach to the sill and you can pull up enough to give privacy but not block out all of the light.

www.orderblinds.co.uk/dept/perfect-fit-bottom-up_d01359.htm

Have a posh curtain shop round to quote you (free) and pick their brains as to what would suit the space best.

Ooh we are about to have a square bay on our extension... so watching this thread with interest. Maybe I should re think the square bay!

Snowglobes- if there's any way you can configure your windows to have space for hanging curtains then I'd think about it. This is lovely and light but finding something glam enough to cover it is proving problematic!

The luxaflex ones we have are sheer and you can only see out (not in). Also can pull up/down or keep in eye line. Expensive but very flexible

Our bay is square and along a path so blinds stop people seeing in (but we can see them )

That's exactly what we're looking for. Sone of the designs and materials also seem very nice- smarter than the usual blind fabrics.
We're going to visit a showroom though- not sure I'm keen on someone coming to the house!

Are you going for luxaflex op? I’d be interested what you think of them.

I have got the same problem OP and I can't decide. We moved a couple of months ago and have got bays with four 3m long windows.

We have inherited roman blinds. I imagined I would put shutters up but I don't want to lose my view or light.

We have less privacy than you as we don't have a hedge (yet, I will be planting one). That hedge must give you a bit of privacy and I am not sure I would worry about people looking in during the day.

I haven't got that bit of wall above the windows you have, if I did I would have curtains attached to that which draw back to the bit of wall at the side I think. I wouldn't want roman blinds if it meant I didn't get to see the lovely stained glass at the top of your window.