Sheer Curtains Instead of Blinds in a Bay Window

If you are thinking about using blinds and curtains together in a bay window, it is also worth considering another beautiful option: sheer curtains behind your main curtains.

The inner sheer curtains provide daytime privacy and softness, while the main curtains give you night-time privacy, warmth and a more finished look.

This can be a much more modern and elegant alternative to the old net curtain look many people still imagine.

Bay window with sheer curtains behind main curtains

This Is Not the Old Net Curtain Look

A lot of people hear the words “sheer curtains” and immediately think of old net curtains hanging halfway down the window.

This setup is very different.

Modern sheer curtains can be full length, soft, flowing and contemporary. Instead of looking like a dated privacy screen, they become a proper inner curtain layer that works beautifully behind your main curtains.

Used well, sheer curtains can give a bay window a calm, elegant and much more modern look than many people expect.

How Sheer Curtains and Main Curtains Work Together

Close up of sheer curtains layered behind main curtains in a bay window

With this setup, you have two curtain layers.

The inner sheer curtains are used during the day. They soften the light, help with daytime privacy and allow the room to feel bright and open.

The outer main curtains are used in the evening. They provide night-time privacy, warmth and the main decorative finish for the room.

Lee’s Advice

I think of the sheer curtains as the daytime privacy layer and the main curtains as the evening privacy and comfort layer. Once you separate the job of each curtain, the whole setup becomes much easier to understand.

Why Floor-Length Sheers Usually Look Best

My personal recommendation is to have both sets of curtains floor length where possible.

Floor-length sheer curtains look far more modern than short net-style curtains finishing at the window sill. They create a softer, more continuous line from top to bottom and help the bay window feel more elegant.

This also gives a much better look from outside. Instead of seeing short curtains broken up around each window, the bay has a cleaner and more balanced appearance.

Why Sheers Can Feel Softer Than Blinds

Blinds can be very practical, but they often divide a bay window into separate sections. Each blind sits within its own part of the bay and usually needs to be operated individually.

Sheer curtains create a more flowing look. Rather than several separate blinds, you have one pair of soft curtains moving across the bay.

This can feel calmer and less mechanical, especially on wider curved bays with several window sections.

There is also a practical benefit. Instead of opening and closing several blinds, you only have one pair of sheers to use during the day.

Wide-Width Sheer Fabrics Can Avoid Joins

Many sheer curtain fabrics are available in wide widths, often around 280cm to 300cm wide.

This means the fabric can often be turned sideways and used across the window rather than running down in normal curtain drops.

For many homes, this allows sheer curtains to be made in one continuous piece with no vertical joins, giving a cleaner and more elegant finish.

Choosing the Right Curtain Headings

For a double-layer curtain setup, one of my favourite combinations is wave heading for the main curtains and pencil pleat heading for the inner sheers.

Wave heading on the main curtains gives a clean, modern and flowing look. For the sheers, a 3 inch pencil pleat heading works well for a softer, simpler finish.

If you want the inner sheer layer to feel a little more dramatic, a 5 inch pencil pleat heading can also look very effective.

I would usually avoid using wave heading on both sets of curtains. It needs more space to work properly, and on a bay window the two wave layers can start to make the window look a little awkward or bulky.

Can This Setup Work in Bedrooms?

Bedroom bay window with sheer curtains and blackout lined main curtains

Yes, this setup can work very well in bedrooms too.

The sheer curtains provide daytime privacy, while the main curtains can be blackout lined for night-time privacy and light blocking.

In many bay windows, blackout-lined curtains can be a better overall solution than several separate blackout blinds because there are fewer gaps for light to leak through.

This gives you the soft daytime look of sheers, with the practical benefit of proper blackout-lined curtains at night.

Choosing Sheer Curtain Colours and Patterns

Most sheer fabrics are plain and come in a wide range of soft colours and neutral shades.

Neutral colours are usually the safest choice, especially on front-facing bay windows, because they create a calm look from both inside and outside the house.

Patterned sheer fabrics can look beautiful, but I would be careful with very bright colours or strong designs. Because sheer curtains are visible across a large area of glass, a bold pattern can make the bay window feel busy from outside.

What About Specialist Blackout Blinds?

Specialist blackout blinds can be very effective in the right situation, but they are not always the best-looking option for bay windows.

In many living rooms and bedrooms, the look can feel too structured or segmented, especially if several separate blinds are needed across the bay.

For most homes, sheer curtains with blackout-lined main curtains can create a softer and more appropriate look while still giving excellent daytime and night-time privacy.

Thinking About Sheers and Main Curtains in Your Bay Window?

If you want to use sheer curtains behind your main curtains, the curtain track setup needs to allow both layers to move neatly around the bay.

Our made-to-measure bay window curtain tracks are shaped to your bay before delivery, helping your curtains hang and move properly around the window.

Use the Curtain Track Finder See Our Double Bay Window Curtain Tracks

FAQs About Sheer Curtains in Bay Windows

1 Are sheer curtains just modern net curtains?

No. Modern sheer curtains can be full length, soft and contemporary. They are very different from short, old-fashioned net curtains finishing at the window sill.

2 Do sheer curtains give privacy during the day?

Yes, sheer curtains can help with daytime privacy while still allowing natural light into the room. At night, the main curtains should be closed for proper privacy.

3 Should sheer curtains be floor length in a bay window?

In most cases, floor-length sheers give the best look. They feel more modern and elegant than short net-style curtains ending at the window sill.

4 Can sheer curtains work in a bedroom bay window?

Yes. The sheer curtains can provide daytime privacy, while blackout-lined main curtains provide night-time privacy and light blocking.

5 What heading works best for sheer curtains behind main curtains?

A pencil pleat heading often works well for the sheer curtain layer. For the main curtains, wave heading can create a clean and modern look. Using wave heading on both layers usually needs more space and can look bulky in a bay window.