Creative Designs for a Bay Window

A bay window can almost feel like bonus space, and the extra space can be a great way to customize the surrounding room. Designing a bay window is more about function than decor; after all, you can’t really hang an outdoor Western metal art or other wall metallic decor inside a window. However, creative designs for a bay window often include ways to utilize the space with a unique function that you might not initially consider when you decorate the room. The function takes advantage of the size and depth of the window. The biggest factor in determining how to use a bay window may be whether or not the bay window already has a bench seat, since this has a big impact on the feasibility of the project.

Designed for Women and Girls

Create a place to put on makeup that maximizes the natural lighting available in the bay window area. Experts recommend natural light for flawless makeup, so it is no wonder that so many women and girls choose this use of space when at all possible. If there is no window seat or bench in the bay window, you can create a space for looking your best—for yourself, guests, or a teenage daughter—with the bonus space. The cost for this creative design is far less than many other ideas, since the only thing that may be needed is some type of vanity and bench.

The vanity design is perfect for a master bedroom, teen girls’ room, or guest bedroom, but it can be an ideal use of space for a master bathroom, guest bathroom, or spare bathroom as well. Add a beautiful vanity with a mirror attached, then some form of seating for makeup application and styling your hair. Make sure that the vanity faces the room, with the back toward the window, so that you get the full effect of the great natural lighting in the bay window.

Reading Nook

It can be difficult to find the perfect, quiet space for reading a good book on a rainy day or Sunday afternoon. You can use a bay window to create the perfect place for reading a book, and with a reading lamp you can read during the daytime or nighttime hours. This is a great use of this space if the bay window has a window seat already, but it works much better if there is no seating in the space yet. When seating already exists, you will have to do some tweaking to add the lighting, but it is still a great use of the space.

With the available window space, add a comfortable seat with the back facing the window to maximize the natural lighting of the bay window, using a reclining seat when space will permit. Place a bookcase easily within reach of the chair, such as against the wall next to the window or right next to the chair if the bookcase is small enough. Design a shelf near the top of the chair or on the side of the bookcase for storing a small, handy reading light during the evening hours or when the day is dreary outside.