Faced with a small window a home decorator may not be quite sure how to incorporate it into an interior design plan. Here are some ideas for window treatments to open it up and maximise what light is able to get through, or to capitalise on its smallness and use it as a beautiful focal point to accentuate its diminutive size.
A Green Window Treatment for a Small Window
Rather than shutting out the exterior with curtains or blinds, having a window clear and open to greenery, subtle light, and the sound of wind in foliage makes it a peaceful and resful place to sit and think.
Keep the frame of the window absolutely simple and unobtrusive by using earthy or dark colours. Take down any curtain rails or poles, keep the paintwork absolutely crisp and neat with a simple wash in a pale colour, and then plan an exterior planting right up against the wall.
Use a perennial which will smell sweet, such as honeysuckle or jasmine, or a shrub with delicate leaves, or even a dwarf bamboo; these will play in breeze in and around the open window and become incorporated into the overall window design.
Turning Little Windows Into Focal Points
A tiny window in a large living area can be so much more than an extra hole in the wall. If it looks out onto a yard or a wall and the view isn't that pretty, fill in the back with a fitted piece of MDF or plywood, and then extend the wall colour right into the space and onto the wood.
Little windows can become interesting niches where something small and precious, like a piece of crystal or a special photograph, can be displayed. Optional additions are a small low wattage light fitted into the top of a window to give a dim glow, and a decorative border can be applied around the edge of the niche using perhaps a neat arc of small pieces of mother of pearl, or a handful of clear glass mosaic tiles to catch the eye.
A large, plain, wooden picture frame can work well too, making sure that the inner edges are the same size as the window. Attach this to the wall surrounding the window and draw the eye to an effect of a picture with depth.
Window Treatments for the Exterior of Small Windows
It's just as important to pay attention to the outside appearance of a window as it is to look after it on the inside.
Rather than simply leaving the exterior window as it is, use some paint and design features to make it a particular focal point on the outside wall. Add some stencilling, or some tiling around the edge, or even add some shutters in a bright, bold colour to set it off. Treat it as a small piece of artwork and celebrate its smallness.
Using Moroccan Mosaic or Glass Mosaic Tiles on Little Windows
If there is a tiny window in the bathroom there's no point blocking all the available light with plants which just won't thrive in cramped conditions. They will also block any natural ventilation to reduce condensation issues. Neither is it sensible to use drapes which can just end up looking bedraggled.
Rather than using plants or fabrics, give that tiny window some impact by keeping it clear and surrounding the window frame with a wide frame of bright pottery, glass or Moroccan mosaic tiles in rich, gorgeous colours. Extend a line of tiles across the bathroom at eye level so that the window is drawn into the overall design and becomes the focal point, rather than languishing as a neglected corner that serves only as ventilation and as a handy dump for empty shampoo bottles.
Maximising A Small Window's Potential
To exaggerate the size of a small window, use curtain poles that extend well past the window and use wider curtains with a deep pelmet to give the appearance of a wider and taller window behind the fabric.
If the window recess is deep enough, and the room decor can carry the effect, use specially cut mirror glass at either side of the window pane to reflect light and to give an illusion of a bigger space, and if the opposite wall is close enough then hang a mirror there so as to catch more light. If there's just not enough space in the window frame, then a small light fitting hidden at the top of the window frame behind a wooden ledge or fabric pelmet using a daylight bulb will give the illusion of more illumination.
Whether a small window is sited in a corridor, a kitchen, a cosy bedroom or a big living space, it's a lovely challenge to bring out its true potential and to interpret that in a creative way. A creative home decorator can give tiny windows their own identity in the overall decor and add to their visual interest, rather than simply treating them as decorative problems or add-ons in the overall design.
For more interior design ideas for windows, read Five Window Treatments for the Home Decorator, and for some workarounds for old, heavy curtains read How to Put Life Back Into Tired Old Curtains
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