Bay window: curtains or Roman blinds?

[WhoHidTheCoffee]

If you have a bay window, which do you have and which would you recommend? Keen to maximise light and show off some coloured glass in the upper parts of the windows, but also to be able to control light levels for watching TV, etc. I like the look of Roman blinds but am concerned they could let in more cold air than curtains and the room would be cold. But curtains - which would have to be sill length because of radiators - might look quite dated….

Any thoughts, especially if you’ve had both?

We struggled with our curved bay for years, curtains never held to the wall or ceiling properly. In the end we went for shutters which look very smart and are great for insulation or adjusting in bright sunlight. Someone I know has roman blinds and it takes forever to close them all - what a faff.

Yeah, I have had shutters suggested but I’m not keen (and they would also be 2-3 times more expensive than curtains/blinds). I do like the look but am worried about how much they’ll reduce light.

Have you had any issues with condensation behind your shutters? And does the room stay warm in winter?

Anyone else?

I have both in my bay window

Sorry pressed post by accident, I have both, I like the curtains for added privacy and also feel they keep the room warm in winter. In summer I never close the curtains but they look good either side of the window

Ooops sorry I have Venetian blinds and curtains not Roman!

We have curtains on tracks attached to ours and god they're so annoying. Having to move the whole curtain around to shut is a palaver. However, it doesn't completely shut any light out.

I'd want Roman blinds if we replaced these curtains

DOES completely shut the light out *

Roman blinds are a piece of work believe me.
I did cafe style shutters in my bay eventually, as far up as the leaded light windows. It worked and after all the trials and tribulations over the years, worth every penny. Not expensive by comparison.

In what way are they a piece of work? Is it just because you have to close each window individually?

I did wonder about cafe style shutters but we’re south-facing and sun will be a problem when on the sofa in the day.

I find Roman blinds immensely irritating - they are noisy with even the slightest breeze and do naff all to block light. I’d only really use them in a kitchen, bathroom or hallway. Curtains all the way otherwise.

We have Venetian blinds. They distort peoples view in so we have some privacy during the day compared to bare windows (unless we're standing really close), but they don't impede on the open feeling from the bay.

Initially we had curtains, but they made the bay feel tiny.

No problem at all with condensation behind the shutters, our window have the tiny vents in, so maybe that helps. We don’t find they make the room dark, as they are white, and you can adjust the louvres so they let the maximum light in. They are brilliant in the sunshine too as we can have one panel adjusted to keep the bright sun out, whilst the rest tilted to let light in… or of course all angled for maximum shade.