Bay-window curtains in Albury: get the shape and stacking right

Look at the bay from above as well as from the room

A front-on photograph makes a bay look simpler than it is. The important questions often sit in plan view: how the side panes turn, how far the bay projects, where the wall returns begin and whether the two ends are symmetrical. Draw a rough outline as if looking down from the ceiling. The supplier will take the manufacturing measurements; your sketch helps explain which surfaces and spaces you want the treatment to occupy.

Label every part of the window that opens, including a top light or small side casement that is easy to overlook. Mark the handles and any existing security fittings. A curtain arrangement should be assessed against the opening windows rather than only against the glass while closed. If the bay includes fixed panes, identify those too, because the operating requirements may differ across its sections.

In an East Albury or Central Albury enquiry, avoid using “heritage-style bay” as the entire specification. Send the actual shape and existing trim. A decorative timber surround, a deep sill and an angled ceiling can each alter the available mounting line. The same applies to a newer bay in Thurgoona or Wodonga. This is a geometry and use decision, not a recommendation based on the age or postcode of the house.

Decide whether the bay is a reading space, a display ledge, a window seat or simply a source of light. If it has a seat, picture someone sitting there with the covering closed. Does the fabric sit behind them, touch the seat cushions or close the entire bay off from the room? None of those outcomes should be left to the installer to infer after the curtain has been made.

Choose whether the track follows the bay or crosses its mouth

A track that follows the bay can keep its shape visible from the room, but the bends and returns need to suit the selected system. A straight track across the room-side opening can create a simpler closing line, while changing how the bay feels when closed. Ask for both arrangements to be shown on your plan if you are undecided. The differences affect space, access and appearance, not just the length of track.

Luxaflex's curtain range describes curtain mounting for bay windows and corners. That establishes that suitable purpose-designed arrangements exist within a manufacturer's range. It does not mean every track can be bent on site, every heading travels through every corner or every supplier carries that range. Request the specifications for the exact track being quoted.

Ask whether the proposed track is a single shaped assembly or connected sections, and where any joins will sit. The question is not whether a join is inherently wrong, but how the product is designed to operate across it. Have the supplier explain carrier movement and servicing access. If a motorised track is proposed, the motor location and any power requirements belong on the drawing too.

A face-fixed and a ceiling-fixed track may create different fabric positions even when both appear to follow the same outline. Ask to see the finished projection relative to the sill, handles and cornice. The fixing surface must be appropriate, and any uncertainty about support should be resolved by the installer before ordering. Do not substitute an attractive visual line for a confirmed mounting arrangement.

Give the gathered fabric a real parking place

On a straight window, a gathered curtain can often sit beside the glass. In a bay, the available space may end at a corner or a narrow return. Ask the supplier to show exactly where the fabric sits when fully open. Does it cover the side panes, occupy the reading seat or protrude into the room? A line representing the track is not enough; the drawing should include the fabric bundle.

The chosen heading influences how the fabric sits when open and closed. Compare a sample of the proposed heading rather than approving a name such as S-fold or pinch-pleat without seeing it. Ask how the folds behave at the bay corners and whether the two sides will meet as expected. Different fabrics and linings can change the feel of the finished arrangement, so the final cloth should be part of that conversation.

Consider centre opening and one-sided opening separately. A symmetrical bay may suggest a centre split, but furniture or a doorway beside one end can make that inconvenient. Conversely, pushing everything to one side can leave a large bundle over a narrow pane. Have the supplier show the consequences of each option. Choose the opening you will use comfortably, rather than forcing symmetry that creates a daily obstacle.

For twin tracks, both layers need their own space. A sheer should not be treated as though it has no thickness just because it looks light. Ask to see the tracks, folds and gathered fabric in relation to each other, including at the turns. Check that the inner layer can be operated without dragging the outer one and that you can reach any manual controls when both are open.

If your priority is exposing as much glass as possible, say so at the outset. It may lead to a different heading, a different opening arrangement or separate blinds on the faces. Do not ask the supplier to promise an invisible stack. Instead, compare the actual amount and location of glass each proposal leaves covered and decide which view you most want to preserve.

Check seats, handles and trim in the closed position

A bay seat introduces several practical choices. The fabric can finish above it, pass behind it where space permits, or hang in front of the whole feature. Ask which arrangement is compatible with the intended product and how it will look with cushions in place. If a cushion pushes against the fabric, include that in the design discussion rather than removing the cushion for every photograph.

Open the windows through their intended movement while the proposed fabric line is marked. Check whether a handle would press into the curtain, whether an inward-opening leaf would meet the track and whether the controls remain accessible. For separate romans or rollers, the corner meeting point deserves particular attention. Ask what will be visible or uncovered at that junction when both treatments are lowered.

Keep radiators, vents and other fittings visible on the plan and ask the relevant product supplier about necessary clearance. This guide does not supply universal clearance figures. The correct arrangement depends on the actual fittings and manufacturer instructions. If the proposed treatment requires moving a fitting or altering the building, have that work identified and priced separately by the appropriate trade.

Privacy can vary across a bay because each pane faces a different direction. A street-facing central pane and a side pane looking towards a neighbouring window are not the same sightline. Test samples from the relevant positions and consider the curtain returns. Our street-facing privacy guide gives a method for comparing daytime and evening conditions without relying on a one-way privacy promise.

Approve the details that will be manufactured

Ask for a labelled drawing showing the track path, fixing line, curtain opening direction, stack locations and finished drop. Add the selected fabric, lining and heading to the same order record. If you are keeping existing sheers or blinds, identify them and confirm their clearance. A quote that says only “bay curtains” leaves too many choices unresolved for a made-to-measure order.

Check the bay in the room's normal use before approving the drawing. Sit on the seat, open the windows and look at the view from the sofa. Have another household member try the proposed control position. If access is awkward now, changing the fabric colour later will not fix it. Resolve the mechanical and spatial decisions while the drawing can still change.

At handover, draw the curtains through their full intended movement and watch the bends and joins. Check how the centre closes, how the returns sit and whether the gathered stacks match the agreed arrangement. Keep the track and carrier details, because naming the correct system makes future servicing easier. Ask for any unresolved issue to be compared with the approved drawing rather than with a generic catalogue image.

Bay-window questions