If you’ve ever looked for an apartment, you know the term “garden view” actually means you’ll be looking at a window well a good part of your day. Window wells aren’t meant to be beautiful, they are meant to be safe and essential. But if you’ve lived in a basement, you know that window wells tend to be a little dark, dank, and depressing. Whether you live in a basement, or just want to upgrade your basement bedrooms, here are a few ideas you can improve your window wells to add a little life, light, and color into your space.
Before you do anything to your wells, hop down in there and give them a good cleaning. This will most likely mean that you’re going to need to get down and dirty. Get rid of anything that’s not meant to be there. If possible, use a power sprayer to actually clean the concrete or metal surround.
When the well is cleaned out, give the window a good scrub. This will ensure that any light that can get in will make its way in, and now you can actually see all the pretty updates you’re ready to make.
Add succulents!
A simple succulent garden is a great way to brighten up those window wells. You can start your succulent garden inside if you’d like, but add plants one by one to your window well once they are strong and the weather is warm.
Get rid of the metal
Instead of drab metal or depressing concrete, use a graduated rock wall as your window well. This is naturally more appealing and gives you a nice landscape to look at rather than an institutional piece of metal or concrete.
Make them lighter
Most window well covers actually block out light, but these help bring more in. By using an angled cover, you can try to capture more light. I also love the step garden style so you can use the well as a mini greenhouse.
Go big or go home
If you have to have a window well, blow it up and make it significantly bigger and more beautiful than it needs to be.
Get in a greenhouse
Did I mention you can use your window well as a greenhouse? Well, you can. This is an oversized window well with a corrugated cover that makes for a beautiful greenhouse right outside your window!
Make it green
Green is better than grey any day of the week. Best of all, these aren’t even real plants. This is a window well mural that you can buy, peel, and stick onto nearly any current window well. That’s a significant upgrade in less than an hour.
Give it to your kitty
Tiny window wells make great places for your cat to enjoy the outdoors a little more. Give them this little bubble well cover and allow her to nap in the sun.
Creeping plants
Most creeping plants do a great job of growing in partial shade, making them a great addition to your window well. Do a little research to see what would grow well in your area, and transform your well into a beautiful garden bed.
Decorate!
If you don’t have much of a green thumb and you can’t make any major renovations, just use your window wells for your seasonal décor. Create a spooky Halloween scene, a cheery spring scene, a heart-covered well for valentines and even lighted trees for Christmas.
