Materials & Suppliers
Basement Window Treatments: Coverings That Work Below Grade
By Josh Wallace · October 11, 2025
Basement window treatments — how to dress small below-grade and egress windows for light, privacy, and a finished look, without blocking a required exit.
Basement windows are their own little design puzzle — they're often small, set high on the wall, and sometimes they're a code-required exit. The right window treatment makes them look intentional, controls light and privacy, and (crucially) never gets in the way of an egress window. Here's how to think about dressing basement windows. (This is general guidance; specifics are chosen with you and any egress window is kept code-compliant.)
The egress rule comes first
Before style, safety:
- An [egress window](/blog/egress-windows-calgary-code) must stay operable — a covering can't block or complicate the exit.
- Simple, easy-to-move coverings are the safe choice on any egress window.
- We keep it code-compliant — the treatment never compromises the way out.
On an egress window, function leads and style follows — never the other way around.
Dressing small, high windows
Basement windows are often small and high:
- Keep it proportional — a treatment that suits a small window, not a scaled-down version of an upstairs drape.
- Mount to make the window feel bigger — a covering set a little wide or high adds presence.
- Simple blinds or shades often look best on a small, high window.
Treating the window's size honestly is what makes it look designed, not awkward.
Light and privacy control
The two jobs a covering does:
- Light control — for a media room or theatre you may want full darkening; for a living space, adjustable.
- Privacy — important for at-grade basement windows facing a walkway or yard.
- Layering — combining sheer and blackout options where you want both.
Matching the covering to the room's job is the whole game.
Tie it to the room
Finally, make it cohesive:
- Coordinate with the [finishes](/blog/basement-colors-finishes) and the room's palette.
- Warm the space — a soft fabric shade adds coziness a bare window lacks.
- Consider a well with more light — a window well upgrade brings in more daylight for the treatment to play with.
The takeaway
Basement window treatments come down to keeping egress windows operable and code-compliant first, dressing small high windows in proportion, controlling light and privacy for the room's job, and tying it to the finishes. Get the safety part right and the rest is pure styling — a small detail that makes basement windows feel finished rather than forgotten, worth planning into any basement development.
What window coverings work best in a basement?
For small, high basement windows, simple blinds or shades usually look best and sit in proportion to the window, and mounting a covering a little wide or high can make the window feel bigger. The right choice also depends on the room's job — full darkening for a media room, adjustable light for a living space, and good privacy for at-grade windows facing a walkway. The key rule: any egress window must stay easy to operate and code-compliant.
Can I put blinds on an egress window?
Yes, but with care — an egress window is a code-required exit, so the covering can't block or complicate getting out. Simple, easy-to-move coverings are the safe choice, and the treatment must keep the window fully operable. On an egress window, function leads and style follows, never the other way around. A builder keeps this code-compliant, so you get the look you want without compromising the exit.
How do I make small basement windows look better?
Treat the window's size honestly — use a covering proportional to a small, high window rather than a shrunk-down version of an upstairs drape, and mount it a little wide or high to add presence. Coordinate the treatment with the room's finishes and palette, and a soft fabric shade adds warmth a bare window lacks. If you want more daylight to work with, a window well upgrade can bring in more light. Together these make basement windows feel designed, not awkward.