Decorating A Large Room With Many Windows

Some of you are lucky enough to have large windows in your home. Despite the abundance of natural light and the airy feeling they give your space, however, your windows may have proven challenging as you try to figure out what to, well, do with such large specimens. And the wonderful, albeit confusing, thing is: there's no one thing to do with large windows. There are hundreds, even thousands, of ways to decorate with and around large windows – many of these ideas are conflicting and contradictory, even.

Which means you're left to research on your own, figure out what appeals to you and what works in your space, and, most importantly, go with your gut. Here are some bits and pieces of advice that have worked for others in decorating large windows themselves:

Treat the large windows as though they're a stage; frame them out with elegant, almost theatre-style, drapes for instant drama.

Angle all seating furniture toward windows to maximize viewing appreciation.

Leave the floor space near your windows completely free; this provides an unspoken yet insistent invitation to walk up and gaze out…for as long or short a time as one would like.

Add dramatic window treatments, such as these striped drapes, to draw immediate attention to the windows themselves.

Leave the windows absolutely untouched. They can speak for themselves.

Be creative in your treatment of oddly shaped windows. Let the drapes accentuate the unique and the non-rectangular.

Take your cues from the window views and keep things light and natural throughout. (And, no, I didn't intend for that first bit to rhyme. But are you impressed anyway?)

When possible, arrange for opportunities for comfortable dining directly in front of the largest window in your space.

Place your most interesting piece of furniture front-and-center, framed and highlighted by the windows themselves.

When your large windows are actually your walls, treat them as you would a very beautiful, detailed wallpaper. That is, keep things comfortable (so you'll want to stay and enjoy the view) and simply maintain your decorating style.

Place some eye-catching décor up above the windows to draw the eye upward…and then outward.

Separate windows with wall sconces. This framing strategy mimics a porch light, so it blurs the senses about who is inside looking out and outside looking in – a beautiful concept to ponder with man and nature.

Align all furniture in the space at right angles with the windows. This brings structure and cohesion to the indoor space while nature outside provides free-form contrast.

Keep furniture at the same height so as to not distract from, or impede, your large window views. This is particularly effective in urban settings.

Create a personal Zen-zone in front of or around the window itself.

Frame the window with built-in bookshelves or other architectural element. The window becomes part of the built-in. Almost.

Leave a buffer of air between your large window and the rest of your furnishings. Let white space be your guide.

Use the window (or windows) as the focal point and foundation of symmetrical furniture arrangement and décor throughout the rest of the space.

Picture sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9.

About the author

Brittney is a wife, a mom of four young children, a writer and editor (B.S. degree in English/Technical Writing), and a lover of interior design. She thrives on finding inexpensive ways to DIY her own home into a stylish yet family-friendly space.