Small Windows Getting You Down? Here's What to Do With Them
All it takes is smart design tricks to transform a petite window into a larger or more decorative one. We have the answers
Let’s face it: like it or not, sometimes we’re stuck with small windows instead of the large ones we want. Big windows not only light up the room but also amp up the decor of a space. So it can be a little frustrating when you’re faced with a home that has small windows that cannot be broken down and expanded (many rented accommodations don’t allow that). However, there is no scarcity of ideas when you really put your mind to it. With careful decorating solutions, tricks and hacks, you can make windows look larger and more interesting. After all, small can be packed with loads of character. We tell you how.
…Or height-enhancing patterns
We’ve all heard of the cardinal fashion rule – horizontal stripes make you look wider and shorter and vertical ones make you look slim and tall. The same principle applies to windows. Look for vertical stripes and patterns that draw your eye upwards and downwards, giving the window the illusion of being tall.
Here’s how to pick the right curtains for your home
We’ve all heard of the cardinal fashion rule – horizontal stripes make you look wider and shorter and vertical ones make you look slim and tall. The same principle applies to windows. Look for vertical stripes and patterns that draw your eye upwards and downwards, giving the window the illusion of being tall.
Here’s how to pick the right curtains for your home
Install ceiling-to-floor curtains and blinds
Usually we tend to install curtains just a few inches above the top of the window frame. When you are faced with a tiny window, this practice can make it look even smaller. To give a boost to its appearance and size, create a floor-to-ceiling effect by installing long draperies right from the ceiling to the floor. In the same way, you can add more width using a longer curtain rod and extending the curtain to each end.
Usually we tend to install curtains just a few inches above the top of the window frame. When you are faced with a tiny window, this practice can make it look even smaller. To give a boost to its appearance and size, create a floor-to-ceiling effect by installing long draperies right from the ceiling to the floor. In the same way, you can add more width using a longer curtain rod and extending the curtain to each end.
Opt for bold mouldings
You can add a few extra inches to the size of your window by adding a broad casing around it. This will allow your windows to pop, give it a decorative quality and make it seem larger than it is. You could choose wood mouldings in oak or walnut, in mdf, or in a vinyl or fibreboard casing.
These 6 window treatments will change your perspective
You can add a few extra inches to the size of your window by adding a broad casing around it. This will allow your windows to pop, give it a decorative quality and make it seem larger than it is. You could choose wood mouldings in oak or walnut, in mdf, or in a vinyl or fibreboard casing.
These 6 window treatments will change your perspective
Consider plantation shutters
These tall wooden shutters, instead of simply hiding the window, highlight it even more and fool the eye into thinking that the area behind the shutter is greater than it really is.
Check out these reasons to choose plantation shutters for your home
These tall wooden shutters, instead of simply hiding the window, highlight it even more and fool the eye into thinking that the area behind the shutter is greater than it really is.
Check out these reasons to choose plantation shutters for your home
Clever furniture placement
When you have a small window and nothing below or around it, it becomes the focus of attention. If you place a sofa, table or a console just below it, that attention gets distracted from the window to the furniture piece near it.
Take this image, for example. The skinny window has an entire home office around it. The desk, chair and wall storage help create a functional space and disperse the attention away from the small window and to the other things surrounding it.
When you have a small window and nothing below or around it, it becomes the focus of attention. If you place a sofa, table or a console just below it, that attention gets distracted from the window to the furniture piece near it.
Take this image, for example. The skinny window has an entire home office around it. The desk, chair and wall storage help create a functional space and disperse the attention away from the small window and to the other things surrounding it.
Give it a decorative quality
If there’s nothing you can do about the size of the window and you don’t want to add any trimmings around it, then consider changing its glass to stained glass, to immediately transform the look and feel of it. This way the window looks more like an artsy feature within the bedroom rather than just a tiny puncture in the wall.
If there’s nothing you can do about the size of the window and you don’t want to add any trimmings around it, then consider changing its glass to stained glass, to immediately transform the look and feel of it. This way the window looks more like an artsy feature within the bedroom rather than just a tiny puncture in the wall.
Get rid of grilles
When security isn’t a concern like in a highrise or a gated community, you could choose to do away with window grilles. This way, without the bars the tiny window looks less crowded and offers longer sight lines for the outdoors.
When security isn’t a concern like in a highrise or a gated community, you could choose to do away with window grilles. This way, without the bars the tiny window looks less crowded and offers longer sight lines for the outdoors.
If you are keen on having a grille installed on your window, then consider visually lighter designs as too many iron bars set together can sometimes look cold, unsettling and make the window look shrunken. You could even install the grille on the facade, like in this image, so that the window glass doesn’t look crowded.
Read more:
25 Tricks to Expand Space in a Small House
Tell us:
Do you have small windows in your home? How have you maximised them? Tell us in Comments below.
Read more:
25 Tricks to Expand Space in a Small House
Tell us:
Do you have small windows in your home? How have you maximised them? Tell us in Comments below.
For rooms that have smaller windows, it’s important to make the most of the light coming in. This is why it is wise to choose thin light-coloured curtains, sheer or cotton. Dark-hued curtains or shades not only block out sunlight, but also tend to absorb light, making the windows seem even smaller.