How to approach an arched or palladian window with treatments

An arched or palladian window is an architectural feature that dates back to the Renaissance. In earlier times, these kinds of windows were used in the design of grand Venetian palaces, but they have endured through the ages as signifiers of classical taste in the layout of the home.

In modern home construction, large palladian windows are commonly featured above the house's main entrance, blanketing a central foyer with natural light.

In other parts of the house, an arched window may be used in smaller spaces to add subtle diversity to the architectural details of a room.

Choosing a proper treatment for these kinds of windows provides a unique challenge for someone setting an aesthetic tone for a certain space.

As palladian windows feature three different planes of glass, with a central arch in the middle and two smaller rectangular portions flanking it on either side. Using pulled-back drapes on the two book-ending sections while leaving the central arched piece exposed can add drama to a grand space and highlight the windows tryptic design.

In more subtle spaces where the arch is less prominent, bisecting the window by hanging drapes from a rod placed at the base of the arch allows light to shine through the windows arched top. Doing this will allow light to still enter the room from above, even when the curtains are drawn, lighting the room with shots of ethereal light while not blanketing the entire space.

Using an arched window to enhance the grandeur of a house is an age-old tradition that has endured because of the dynamic ways the window can be treated and the myriad of options they can provide a homeowner when choosing how to light a room.