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You're better off with Roman Shades:

http://www.bluesage.biz/

I love roman shades on bay windows, they don't hid the beauty of the window like a rod does

1 more for Roman Shades.

Make that four for roman shades. If you must have curtains, do the bendy rod, do something very sheer. You don't want to hide the architectural beauty (and luxury) that is a bay window.

Another vote for roman shades, you can even make them yourself without if you're marginally handy with the sitch witchery.

I have a bay window and use very short rods with sheers for each window.

Your photo doesn't show the top of the window, but you could do a valance and shades (roman or otherwise) if you want a softer look.

If you are referring to the bay rods that bend for pinch-pleated draw draperies, I think they would look too dated and not show off the window. With this type of rod the drapes split in the center and stack at the sides.

Another possibility would be to use a stationary rod that bends. The curtain panels split at the center of each window and stack to the sides of each window, so you would have panels at each side and at each bend. If you are getting custom drapes, the panels could be done where there would be no split at the bends. This gets around the problem of the hardware not allowing the rings to pass when you have a stationary rod. If you have shades for light control and privacy, the panels could be kept light and just serve to frame the soften and frame the window.

Yes! Roman shades would probably work best here. You are lucky to have such nice windows in your place. Good luck!

Roman shades don't have a rod? How do they attach?

We have a bay window in our living room and are thinking of getting curtains. The reason being the draftiness, it gets very cold, and a heavy curtain would block some of that.

I would do Roman shades or balloon shades

i have a small bay window, i have cafe curtains over shadeslike these:

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10051&productId=100030004&langId=-1&catalogId=10053&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=100030004&cm_mmc=1hd.com2froogle-_-product_feed-_-D59X-_-100030004

We have tension rods with curtains. This makes them look a bit like roman shades, in that they are inside the window box. However, they do not fold up like Roman Shades (and are fairly prone to falling)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lordscarlet/2414647189/

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2105/2412258902_20e7752e89_b.jpg

I wondered this as well when I first moved into my apartment with a bay window. I ended up going with long curtains with a tension rod inside the window. Cheapest option and I think it came out well.

"Roman shades don't have a rod? How do they attach?"

Roman Shades are built with a header bar - a piece of wooden stock that the fabric, strings and roller hardware are attached to - which is itself hung from the window frame either by screws (Inside Mount) or L-brackets and screws (Outside Mount).

So, for all intents and purposes, it is a rod. It just is typically inside the window, which can also be done with a tension rod or some other style of rod that is inside the window?

I think, as many before me have stated, that roman shades are the way to go. I would also add a curtain on the flat portion of the wall where is meets the bay window. As seen in this picture http://www.raftertales.com/wp-content/uploads/bay-window-roman-shades.jpg (not my picture, just one I found on google that was a good example). The bench in the picture is a nice touch but you could easily replace it with your own piece, like a table if this is in the dining room. Hope that helps.

"So, for all intents and purposes, it is a rod. It just is typically inside the window, which can also be done with a tension rod or some other style of rod that is inside the window?"

No - it's not a rod. Roman Shades require a sturdy headrail with the fixed points where the strings can run smoothly to allow the shade to operate properly - and it needs to be firmly affixed to the windowframe or wall. In addition, a Roman Shade requires that the fabric be tautly stretched across the headrail - if it were allowed to hang freely from a rod, you'd pull the strings and end up with a tangled and twisted mess. Even worse, a simple tension rod would pull down both from the weight of the shade and the pull of the strings to lift the shade.

These links may help illustrate what a headrail actually is and the types of lifting mechanisms:
http://www.terrelldesigns.com/howto-understandromanshades.htm
http://www.terrelldesigns.com/howto-lifting.htm

@bpsf:

For the purposes of this discussion, though. I believe people were suggesting Roman Shades over a rod because the rod protrudes out from the window. I could be mistaken, however.

Doug--

I can't speak for anyone else - but that's the reason I suggested it...
...plus the fact that you aren't dealing with corners/rods & finials/drapery stackbacks with Roman's - all of which make bay windows very complicated installations for traditional draperies.

I have the same dilemma and have not decided what to do yet. Have you checked out Umbra for more contemporary bending rods for bay windows? Properly hung (right rod, right height, right fullness ) I think curtains can enhance the architectural features - they are certainly more cosy than Romans.

Also consider top down bottom up cellular (the nice fabric kind not paper) because the top down is a killer feature especially for tall windows in a city environment. Whatever you do, don't hide the windows.

I use pole-top roman shades, with the pole or rod hung inside the window frame. You can get these at pottery barn, but the company store's linen ones are much more affordable. I've had no problems at all with a wide tension rod as my "pole".

If you don't want to drop a bundle of $$ on roman shades or expensive bent rods, you can use a wire tension rod from IKEA and put the anchor pieces in between the windows. Clip on some curtains or funky fabric and you're ready to go for about $25. I did it in my huge bay window and wished I had done it years earlier

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/60075295
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/40078030