I like the one on the left. I've always wanted a bay window. One with a built in bench you could sit on and look out the window or read. Not possible in my house.

I like the lace curtain in the middle. Is this what you've had and want to replace? I'm sure you'll pick out something lovely.

FlowerLady

For the situation you describe - formal living room - I would go with the one on the left. I like the lace panel as well, but I would use it in a more private room of the house. I think the one on the right is too shiny looking and complicated for the look you're trying to achieve. In this case I would definitely opt for the beaded one on the left.

Hope this helps
Eduarda

I know NOTHING about curtains, but I like the one on the left a lot.

Thanks everyone! :-)

Looks like the majority of you like the one on the left with the beaded fringe. That is my choice too, I have all but 2 panels as they were on sale and only had 4 panels and the 3 valances. However, they do have them available in the catalog, so I will see what DH thinks when he gets home tomorrow. Suspect I will be ordering the 2 panels I need to complete the windows.

I just finished hanging cellular shades in those windows.(for behind the panels) Wow, those windows are NOT square! :-( What I thought would be a simple task ended up not being so simple after all!
Marylu

Mary Lu,
I like the curtin ont he left with the beads also. If I understand you correctly you said you will be hanging these from the window molding and not inside the casement as shown in the picture? I really like them inside the casement. It shows off your window trim and looks really nice.
Vikki

Just an idea....I recently did this and liked the results..thought you might..

I have similar type curtain on my slider..I did not like the difficulty opening/closing..and the "flatness". I bought a nice rod with finials...and went to Walmart and bought those white wood large rings with the clips...I clipped the pocketrod curtains to them..gained several inches in length that way also..and the dimmension the rod and clips added gave a updated look to rod pocket curtains. I also like the bead curtain, let us know which one wins!

Marylu, what do you have going on above the windows in that space? I can't be sure from these pictures, but it looks like a bay window that sits in an alcove. If that is the case, I might bring some fabric out into the room, tacked along the edge of the cove line. You can choose any one of the three window treatments, they are all very pretty. But more fabric will give you huge amounts of depth and drama. I've seen this treatment used to beautiful affect in otherwise unusable spaces. High drama in a dining room is always, always appropriate ;-)

Steven

This is a living room, not a dining room. Duh. Sorry.

But high drama is appropriate in that room too!

Steven

Marylu,
I really like the softness and the simplicity (and especially the beads) of the one on the left. It looks great in morning or evening light. Just my opinion. :)

Estelle

Yep, I agree- I like the one on the left best, too. I like the contrast of the bead work. It makes the window pop more.

Tracy

The one on the left it is! I had to order 2 more panels from the catalog as the store only had 4 and I needed 6. They just came in the mail today. So hopefully by the end of the week I will be able to get them hung! Will take pictures to show you the end results!

Thanks everyone for your help, it was greatly appreciated as I just could not make up my mind!
Marylu

Steven....thanks for the idea, but would not work for the look I am after. Below are pictures of the bay window, and yes it is in a large alcove. The ceilings in this room are 12 feet, so that should give you an idea of the size of the archway leading into the alcove.
Marylu
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Personally, I like the one with the beads. I like the color, and I like that it is not so shiny. The center panel is too light to me, I like the contrast of the beaded one's color against the trim, and I do not care for the shine on the curtain to the right.

My 2 cents,
girlgroupgirl

I agree with the others. Thanks for the peek into your home Mary Lu. It's as lovely and charming inside as it is outside. What great architecture it has!

MeMo

Memo....thank you. There is another arch between this room, (the formal living room) and the sitting room (room we use!)

One of the reasons I am replacing the curtain on the bay is that when I re-did the sitting room this winter, my daughter said that I now had more formal curtains in the sitting room than I did in the formal living room. I hadn't even thought of that. So the search began to find something that would still give me light like the lace did, but also give an air of formality.

This is the adjoining "sitting room" after I painted and put up different curtains.
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I brought home a different valance last week, but still think the beaded sheer is the way to go. Any thoughts on this valance? DH "kinda" liked it, but I think it looks a little bare with out matching panels. Especially as they will not meet between windows due to limitations of how I must hang the rods. The only way I could do it continuously would be to buy a "bay window" rod and not sure that I want to do that? I did paint the rod brackets the same color as the woodwork so that they blend in more than they do in these pictures.
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Mary Lu, I love the color of your sitting room. I have a very similar color picked out, and waiting for me, to paint my bedroom with. I love the WT in your sitting room too. As for the other option you just posted for the LR I do like the contrast between the sheer and the heavier valance (well, it appears heavier). I wonder though if you have considered having two options, one for summer and one for winter?

Before I put 2" blinds on all of my windows I always had two sets of window treatments that I could change out at different times of year. We have crappy windows though and I did it partly to keep the rooms warmer but partly to make the windows feel more cozy in the winter. Just something for you to ponder.

MeMo

Memo, it's funny you should suggest keeping both sets for different times of the year. That is exactly what I said to my DH......

The second valance is heavier, but not real heavy. The color is candlelight. I had thought to maybe try hanging the curtains and valance as shown in the photo on the linked page, but would need to use different rods and then could not inter-change the curtains. As DH just mentioned today, the curtains for this room are becoming as hard to decide on as the color was.... took me 3 months and 9 quarts of different colors and many "splotches" on the walls to come up with the color in this room. Called Mocha Rose but can look lavender, rose-mauve, brownish, all depending on the light/time of day.

Here is a link that might be useful: JC Penney - Hilton

Studying your pictures, Mary Lu, I don't think you would have enough space to use the rods in the link. Given your beautiful moldings they would give an updated look and still be very formal but the rods are 10" wide at minimum, which would mean 20" of coverage per window (Plus an additional 8" per rod to accommodate the finials). It doesn't look, to me, like there would be enough spacing between each window. You may, however, be able to find a rod with a smaller finial that would fit the space better. I just looked at the one on the same page as the link. If you went to this type rod, why wouldn't you be able to change out the window treatments seasonally?

I think the rods you have are fine. I have known women who have used a rod similar to what you are using and they have glued on a faux finial to the bracket or the end of the rod to change the look a bit. Whatever you glue on there could be painted if need be to acheive the look you want. I've seen glass cabinet knobs, wooden balls, finials that are preformed for woodworking projects etc. I'll bet GE II silicone would hold a finial type thing on there. That's some great glue LOL!

The paint color in your LR sounds delicious! and looks very nice with the upholstery in your furniture. In my living room I used Benjamin Moore 'Standish White'. It is a pale yellow which looks really lite and sunny with light pouring in through my 102" south facing window. But then on over cast days or at night when the lamps/lights are on it has just enough beige in it to make the room feel warm. It's really a pleasant color. Finding paint colors is hard because the same color will look different in every house depending on the lighting.

LOL, I hope I'm not making this harder for you!

MeMo