Most people install an egress window well for practical reasons such as safety and natural lighting. But that doesn’t mean your window well has to be plain Jane or boring. An egress window can actually be a really great addition to your basement decor.

When thinking about how to make your egress window well aesthetically pleasing, it’s best to approach it as a garden. There are two reasons for this.

First of all, we are used to seeing the out of doors when we look through a window. From a visual standpoint, it feels natural and right to see a garden scene when looking into a window well.

Secondly, the window well is an outdoor space. While it has walls and a “roof” (window well cover), the bottom of the window well is essentially dirt. This is important because it allows moisture to drain down into the soil, rather than accumulating in the window well.

Here are some ideas on how to decorate your window well:

Window Well Plants

This is probably the most popular window well decoration, and for good reason. A little bit of greenery does wonders to make the interior of a window well look more appealing.

The best plants are low maintenance plants. If you aren’t a dedicated “plant mom” or “plant dad”, its perfectly acceptable to use some fake plants. If you do enjoy caring for plants, look for hardy plants that do well in shady environments.

Here’s a short list of plants to get you started::
- Ferns
- Hostas
- Heuchera
- Astilbe
- Liriope

When placing plants in your egress window well, make sure they don’t block the escape path from the window to the escape ladder. You’ll also want to place them in a convenient spot so that it’s easy to water them. Always use pots, rather than planting them in the soil at the base of your window well.

Window Well Rocks

Decorative stones can be a great way to give your window well a garden look. Whether it’s a single large feature rock, or a cluster of fist-sized pebbles, decorative stones are an easy and low-maintenance way to add a little pizzazz to your window well.

As with the plants, make sure the decorative stones or rocks don’t block the path from the window to the escape ladder. You don’t want your loved one to sprain an ankle while trying to escape from a fire.

When we install a window well, we always install a layer of decorative white rock. You could put a layer of decorative pebble across the bottom of your window well if you prefer that look. Make sure that whatever pebbles or rock you use allows water to drain down into the soil below your window well.

Nighttime Light

During the day, the natural light coming into the window well is all you need for a cheery garden scene. At night, however, it tends to look dark and uninviting. If privacy is a concern, you may want to simply install a curtain or blind that you can draw at night.

If you want to be able to enjoy your window well decor at night, a small garden light can be a fun way to improve the nighttime ambiance in your basement.

Stone Look Window Wells

While some contractors install plain concrete wells, here at Illumicast our egress window wells give you a headstart when it comes to making your window well look good. Our precast concrete window wells feature a decorative stone look that fits perfectly with garden decor.

If you need a new egress window well for your home, give us a call at (620) 200-0616 for a free quote.