Bow Window Shades & Blinds

A bow window is a gentle curve of glass, usually four, five or six panes of the same width set side by side so the wall seems to bow out toward the garden. A single shade cannot follow the curve, and many homes end up with blinds that do not line up from pane to pane. The answer is one made-to-measure shade per pane, all in the same fabric and lift, so the run reads as one continuous band when lowered and tucks into each frame when raised. Every shade on this page is built to the width and height you measure and shipped direct.

Shades and blinds that suit a bow window

Cellular shades are the tidiest choice for most bows. They come in light filtering and blackout fabrics and can be ordered cordless, with a bead chain or with a motor. Use the same fabric and lift on every pane, since a bow is seen all at once. A cordless cellular shade lifts and lowers from the bottom rail, so nothing hangs between the panes.

Light filtering roman shades give a softer, tailored look. Each pane carries its own stack of folds, and around a curve those repeated folds set up a rhythm that suits traditional rooms. Woven wood shades bring texture and warmth to a bow in a dining room or reading nook, and can be lined with a light filtering or blackout liner when you need more privacy. Light filtering roller shades are the simplest option for a modern room, rolling up into a closed cassette above each pane.

Size limits on narrow bow panes

Bow panes are often narrow, and the lift system sets the smallest width we can build. A cordless cellular shade starts at 12 inches wide and runs up to 94 inches wide and 94 inches high, so it fits almost any bow pane. Woven wood shades start at 19 3/4 inches wide with a cordless lift or 11 3/4 inches with a clutch and loop, and a standard DC motor brings motorized woven wood down to 12 3/4 inches. On our squared roller cassette, a chain operated shade starts at 11 3/4 inches, a motorized shade at 20 1/8 inches and a cordless shade at 23 5/8 inches, so check your narrowest pane before settling on a cordless roller.

Woven wood needs at least 1 5/8 inches of frame depth for an inside mount and 2 5/8 inches to sit flush. If a pane opens with a crank or handle, a roller can be made with a reverse roll so the fabric hangs off the front of the tube and clears it.

If you choose motors, the AC123 remote comes in 1, 2, 6 and 16 channel versions, so one remote can control every pane in the bow, each on its own channel.

Measuring and installing a bow window yourself

Measure every pane separately, even if they look identical, and label them left to right. For an inside mount, measure the width at the top, middle and bottom of each opening and use the smallest figure, rounded down to the nearest 1/8 inch, then measure the height on both sides and use the smaller. Send us those exact numbers. The factory makes its own allowances, such as 1/4 inch off the width of an inside mount cellular or woven wood shade, so do not deduct anything yourself.

Inside mount keeps each shade within its own frame. Roller and roman shades hang from two cassette brackets: drill with a 0.2 inch (6 mm) bit, set the screws at 1.1 inch spacing, use the anchor that matches your wall, then hook the valance onto the bracket latch and press it back until it clicks. Check that the top and rear are both locked before you let go.

If your window has square corners and angled sides rather than a curve, our bay window shades and blinds are made for that shape. For a bow, order a sample, hold it against two neighboring panes in daylight, then send us each measurement.