How to Hang Curtains in a Square Bay Window with Returns
If you’re wondering how to hang curtains in your square bay window, I’ll show you the arrangement I recommend and explain why it works well.
Your bay doesn’t need to look exactly like the example below. What matters is that it has a front window and two side sections forming a square bay.
You’ll also see where to take the one measurement you need to get a price and place your order.
Recognise your bay shape
This bay has 3 sides and 3 windows. The angles are always close to 90 degrees.
How I recommend hanging your curtains
In most cases, your curtains will hang in front of the window sill, then turn out of the bay onto the wall on each side.
They can finish a few centimetres below the sill, just above a radiator, or down at floor level—the choice is yours.
The length you choose doesn’t change the shape of the curtain track or the way it follows your bay.
What are returns—and why have them?
Returns are the short sections of curtain track that turn out of the bay and run along the room wall on either side. They allow your curtains to wrap around the corners and hang against those walls.
This lets you draw the curtains further off the windows than if the track stopped inside the bay, allowing more light into the room.
Plus your long curtains can hang straight down without being pushed out by the window sill.
Where to measure to get a price
Follow the dotted line in the image and measure the full path your curtain track will follow, from one end to the other. Measure around the bay, then out onto the room wall on each side, allowing at least 20 cm of track along each wall.
Add these measurements together. This total is the only bay measurement you need to get a price and place your order.
Ready to choose your bay curtain track?
If this is your bay shape and you’d like your curtains to hang as shown, you’re ready to get a price for your track.
No other bay measurements needed yet — your total measurement is enough to get started. I’ll guide you through the other measurements after you’ve placed your order.
I’ll check everything before we start making your track. If anything needs checking, I’ll get in touch so we can go through it together.
Want a peep at the other measurements?
If you’d like a heads-up on the other measurements we’ll need after you’ve ordered, watch the video. You can also print the measuring template and fill it in at your own pace.
Once you’ve placed your order, you can upload your completed template through your measuring page.
