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Everyone loves a home with ample windows and generous light. Master suites are no exception. Builders nowadays are creating oversized master bedrooms with two single wide windows that are intended to frame a king-sized bed. But what kind of window treatment should you use above or around your bed?
In this post, I’d like to show you some ideas of how these windows can be dressed using custom valances and shades, and how they fit in with the rest of the bedroom decor.
A poster bed framed in black wrought iron stands out in a room of baby blues and aged gold. The throw pillows are a mix of three different types of fabric, with an infusion of black. The main color palette of light blue and aged gold was also continued in the custom valances. The valance style used in this idea is simple and almost flat. A few folds were added to the bottom of the valances to create a few softly folding horizontal pleats.
Notice how the illusion of height and taller windows was created. First, it was achieved by using a fabric with vertical stripes for the valances. Next, the valances were installed near the ceiling instead of right at the outline of the window. The actual window height is where the top decorative knob of the poster beds are.
Looking at one of the valances in the room, we see that the valance has about five micropleats, which created a bottom shape with a subtle arch.
This children’s room is quite luxurious. Each fabric is full of texture and richness, from the tufted sofa in a muted pink to the semi-sheer ivory lace used for the bed canopy, and even all the way to the light gold silk used to create the swags of the valances. Dark red tassel fringe also seems to be a common theme here. We see it used for the bed canopy, lamp shades and valances. Silk rosettes finished the opulent look of the valances.
The mini jabots and rosettes were created using a mauve-colored fabric. I typically don’t think of mauve and light gold as a common color combination. But, if you’re bored of the usual and predictable color combinations, then these two colors might be a unique idea to consider for your next room design.
Even though this master bedroom doesn’t have two single windows at each side of the bed, it does have a short triple window that was installed above a beadboard section of the wall. The beadboard also serves as a quasi headboard in this room.
The valances needed to be short since the windows itself were so short. So, pinch pleated valances with a straight bottom hem were custom-created in this case. The top header of the valances was made with a brown checkerboard fabric to add interest. The valances were installed on standard 2-inch drapery rings right under the ceiling. Check out more images of pinch pleated valances here.
Can you see the flat Roman shades here? This romantic bedroom is very consistent in a blue and white color combination. Not only that, but the oversized floral pattern on a vine was used for both the wallpaper and fabric of the Roman shades. That way, when the shades are lowered in the evening, the wall hides its windows and becomes a consistent pattern.
But, to make some elements in the room stand out, a blue and white ikat stripe was used for the bed canopy instead. Again, even though it’s a different pattern, it remains faithful to the blue and white color. The solid white in the bedspread and modern lamps break up the busy patterns that we see elsewhere in the room.
It takes a close look to realize that there is a Roman shade on these walls. Another shade was also layered below, this one using a blue and white sheer fabric.
Gold and brown is another rich color combination that will never go out of style. Here, we see it used for a fabric cornice and silk draperies. Each drapery had to be made a width and a half in order to cover each of the windows. In the world of custom, that translates to about 75 inches wide when flat.
Notice the beauty of a richly upholstered fabric cornice. This one has an intricate shape that was custom-tailored for the bedroom. Brown piping was added to the bottom of the valance to draw attention to the unique shape of the valance. After all, the board below had to be custom-cut to size.
Considering the amount of work that takes, this cornice deserves all the attention it can get. For more about cornices, check out my blog post.
Master bedrooms with yellow walls are a great way to cheer up a room. Once the natural sunlight enters the room and bounces off the yellow walls, a warm and inviting bedroom like this one can be created. The window treatments chosen for this room were white, which not only allows more light in, but amplifies the brightness in the room.
It’s also very common to use draperies and valances on different windows in a room. Here, a sliding glass balcony door was dressed with pinch pleated draperies, while the single windows next to the bed were dressed in balloon valances.
Up close, we see that the style of valance is a box pleated balloon valance. The woven texture of the fabrics adds a subtle depth to the window. A generous amount of fabric needed to be used to be able to create the depth and volume that this valance has.
A traditional way to embrace the coastal decorating style that’s popular nowadays is to mix red and black. After all, not every coastal room needs to have pale blues, sandy beiges, and emerald greens. And not every coastal room needs to be full of screaming colors that look like a Hawaiian shirt. In this room, a traditional poster bed painted in black is clearly the focal point. The bedding was kept clean with white bedsheets.
The comforter and pillows, however, were made using a black and red floral stripe fabric. In an unexpected way, a red coral print fabric was used as the coordinate to this black and red floral fabric. Unusual and expected, but it works!
The valances were made with wide banding in dark red to add interest the valance. Notice how the patio door was dressed using the same valance. The valances were also installed high enough to not obstruct the traffic to the outside balcony.
By the way, this is the box pleated valance style – see more examples in this post.
We’re back to gold and silk again. It’s a surefire color combination if you want a luxurious room. In this master bedroom, the luxurious tufted headboard is clearly the focal point. The bedspread was trimmed using pompom fringe, which was quite unique.
Pompom fringe is typically used for youthful rooms rather than traditional rooms like these, but the white color is subtle enough to make this choice work. The use of silk continues with cinnamon orange and light blue accent pillows.
Notice how the entire window treatment was accessorized using gold tassel fringe. The valance was dressed in fringe at its bottom hem, while the single draperies was dressed in fringe at both if its vertical hems. The valance is slightly arched, with three pinch pleats on each of its sides.
Here’s a more modern example of a poster bed sandwiched in between two single wide windows. The windows were dressed in simple valances that are unique takes on the classic London valance.
The valance was made just wide enough to cover the wooden trim around the window. A small box pleat was added on each side of the festoon. This was necessary to create enough volume for the folds at the bottom of the valance.
The most traditional example in this post, this master bedroom uses the classic burgundy red color for most of the elements in the room. The room has plenty of draperies and board-mounted valances, which cover each of the single windows and the bay window in the seating area.
Up close, we see the simplicity of the valance. While it doesn’t have any fringe like many valances do, it was finished off with thick piping at its top.
Back to the modern side of things, this master bedroom boldly embraces dark orange and periwinkle blue as its main colors (notice the unique color of the lamp shades!). But what really stands out are the custom window treatments.
Usually, when I think of metal grommets, I imagine them being on top of a drapery so that they can slide through a curtain rod. Not in this case. Here, grommets were used as custom decorations on the leading edge of the drapery and bottom of the Roman shade. It’s as if they were tassel fringe…
Unusual color and pattern combinations seem to be common in this post. This master bedroom is an unusual mix of ultra traditional and ultra modern. The upholstered headboard is as modern as headboards come. It boldly covers the entire wall. But then again, a black and white toile fabric was used for the Roman shades and bench at the foot of the bed.
A cordless flat Roman shade with banding is usually a modern type of window treatment, but by using a French country toile, it became quite traditional.
Not all master bedrooms need to be bright and full of light. After all, this is the room where we retire to sleep and need some privacy. This master bedroom preferred light from large lamps and recessed lights instead. The single windows were dressed with silk balloon valances that matched the color of the upholstered headboard.
Up close, we see how the light brings out the crispness of the silk fabric when placed near a table lamp.
A French Country bedroom stands out with its simple, white bedding and poster bed. But so do the single windows with their recessed arched shape. Here, custom swags and extra long jabots were custom-tailored to fit each window exactly to size.
The window treatment was made in a traditional green and white floral fabric. Notice the extra long jabots that cascade down on each side of the window.
For this classic bedroom, the red and brown color palette was continued in the window treatments as well. The striped draperies puddle on the floor slightly. The top of each window was crowned by a dark red scarf.
Curtain tiebacks in brushed gold hold each side of the swag in place. Notice how the swag was installed almost at the ceiling line to create the illusion of height in the room and allow more natural light in.
This colorful master bedroom whimsically reminds of a French cafe. The headboard looks a lot like a blown up back of a bistro chair. The accent wall with black and white stripes also reminds of busy Parisian streets. But what stands out the most are the black and white awning valances above each nightstand.
The room is full of eclectic patterns. In the end, they work together because the black, white, and red color palette was maintained in the room.
If you have a wide wooden frame around the window, then it makes sense to flaunt it. The best way to do this is by using inside mounted window treatments. This modern bedroom used Roman shades in chocolate brown and light blue. Not only do these shades control for light and privacy as they’re drawn up or down, but they do so without covering the beautiful frame around each window,
A bold pattern was chosen for the window treatments, with an oversized abstract print of florals.
This master bedroom is all about comfort with its overstuffed bedding. If you look closely, you’ll notice a subtle beach house theme with the wicker on the lamps and artwork above the bed. There is also a continuation of off white that pops against the dark gold paint on the wall. As far as the window treatments, they too are made in an off white fabric.
The wide window was dressed with floor-length draperies, while the single windows were dressed with relaxed Roman faux shades. The valances were a bit more subtle than the style is otherwise, so the bottom of the valance has a minimal swoop.
Up close, we see the simplicity of the valance on the single window. Now that you have seen these ideas, you shouldn’t have a problem dressing those windows on each side of your bed. The question is, which style do you choose?
