This Milgard bay window is about 10 years old. I wish I knew then what I know now, pay the extra $$ for UV protection on the glass. The sun is the process of ruining the cushions, they're so faded. Not even the UV spray I bought from Calico Corners stops it. That's one reason why I put up the sheers, to slow down the deterioration of the cushion and pillows. For some reason it hasn't faded the barrel pillows as much as the cushion. When it comes time to replace the cushion fabric I may have to go with Sunbrella fabric to be sure I'll never have this problem again. Something to keep in mind when you're selecting fabric for your bay window. From personal experience I can tell you that eastern exposure in California is not kind to fabric in windows. I pulled the cushion away from the window, you can see the window goes from top to bottom, no place to hang curtains! I finally came up with a solution, buy cafe rods and hang them upside down from the only wood surface inside the bay...the "ceiling". With an all-vinyl window there's no other place for the screws to go. Hanging curtains on the wall doesn't block the sun from the fabric inside the bay, because the curtain would be on the outer edge of the bay. I was looking for a way to block the sun from getting inside the bay window not inside the living room. No one makes a small curtain rod to hang upside down. The other problem you can see from the pictures is how low the window goes, straight to the floor of the bay. So we can't use a very high cushion. This one is 2.5" high (or 2.25"). I have never had a problem reaching down to open the window, there's a lip that protrudes, that's what your hand pulls up on to lift the window up. DH built the frame for this window and he didn't take into consideration that you need to have a few inches of wood on the bottom, he should not have taken the window all the way to the horizonal base. Live and learn. What I do like about the cushions is the foam they chose, it's pretty firm. I made it very clear to the designer that I did not want to feel my butt hitting the wood base when I sat down on the cushion. For a cushion that narrow to support a body without mashing down, well it has to be firm. I'd prefer a softer look, not so tight like this one is...but then it would probably have to be thicker and then I have to deal with reaching down behind the cushion to find the window lip. I thought I would read and lay inside this window but I never have. I attribute that to the lack of a wood frame because leaning up against glass is very unsettling, expecting it will shatter. So it's mainly there for show. I think that covers all the issues I've had with this window. My advice is to think about comfort and sun-fade when you're deciding on fabric for a window. Even a few hours of sun can do a lot of damage. If your window has UV protection then consider yourself lucky...or smart that you made the wise decision to add that option to the glass. The money I saved by not doing that has ended up costing me more in fabric.

I would suggest Hunter Douglas cellular shades for each window. They have several styles to choose from. They should be mounted into the ceiling and measured and hung professionally. The measure would fit each window individually and perfectly. You could have just top down or top down bottom up which would give you the most flexibility. If you choose, you could do a simple valance at the top, inside the bay, to hide the hardware.

I recently bought a product called Veilish. It’s a window film made with fabric material. It’s semi-transparent, so it can provide indoor privacy without blocking the view outdoors. The best thing is that it is self-adhesive, and it can be installed and removed easily, so you don’t need an installation expert. I think you will definitely be satisfied with this product.

We love bay windows and so does our dog - with bottom up top down shades, you can adjust them to any position of your window and manage light and privacy. They are minimalistic in design and do not take away from the design of your window. Visit us at www.fenstermann.com or give us a call for a free video consultation at 619.665.9446