Do you need to cover up the windows? Do you need daytime or nighttime privacy? Do you need to control sunlight for watching TV? Or do you mostly want to soften the wall with some fabric? What's the rest of the room look like, because that can influence suggestions?

Any artwork hung between draperies pulled back like that will be mostly obscured by the drapery because of the angle of "drape" when they are pulled back.

I think we need more information on your overall style and also needs for coverage for windows like this.

Thank you for your responses. Here's some more information:

This home is a 2008 build; previous owners did nothing other than build the structure; almost every room is standard builder's white, very little trim work. In a way this is a good thing as it's a blank slate, however we have no real direction at this point.

Anything done to the windows will be to soften the wall/room as it's very sterile right now. We have two very young children and would like to create a warm environment.

That wall faces woods and the pool (which is one story lower as there is a walkout basement due to grading of the land) and doesn't see much direct sunlight so any treatment would be for aesthetics only. It's adjacent to a kitchen which opens to that family room with a small two-sided fireplace wall separating the two with an oak mantle and tile surround. We have a dark red microfiber sectional and oak coffee table, nothing else.

I'm at work otherwise I'd take some pictures. Here are pictures of the listing - keep in mind the furnishings etc. are all different; the red sectional faces the fireplace where their entertainment unit now sits and a flatpanel TV is mounted above the fireplace.

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Here is a sketch of the idea our friend came up with - she is not a professional designer but has much more experience in this area than us:

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Any ideas to make this room a warmer, more cozy place are very welcome. I was also thinking of bringing in a team to put in a darkly painted coffered ceiling with white beams as I read that can lower a dramatically high ceiling a bit and add warmth. We have the problem of where to end such an effect due to the catwalk... but that's another issue I brought up in a separate thread.

Thank you!

What a beautiful room!

I would not put art between the windows. I think that would just look a little odd. Sorry.

I would hang stationary panels, at each end and maybe 1 panel between each window. I think I would put the rod below the top windows, and just leave the top windows alone. The fabric will add a lot of warmth to the room.

The sketch would kind of bother me. It seems like my eyes would want to focus on the artwork (since you're creating that line there)... but wait, what's that bright blob up above it? Where do I look? :)

Panels on the sides of the window are going to block what looks like 2/3 (or maybe 1/2, can't tell if there's another one by that chair or not) of your HVAC registers in there.

Wow, tough wall. How does the light come in? (direct, indirect, all day, partial, etc.) Have you thought about full length panels? I've definitely seen some walls that tall with full length treatments. That break is a bit larger than I've seen before, though.

See this thread for similar, Wed, Jan 21, 09 at 19:46 by deborahnj:

I would consider darker paint and re-arranging your furniture. The builder white/cream doesn't seem to be working in the space - it makes everything seem cold.

I would also move your sofa so that it faces the windows (instead of at an angle in the corner of the room) and buy two oversize chairs that face them. Then I'd put a coffee table b/t the chairs and sofa, and perhaps a rug over the carpet to make it a designated seating space. I'd paint the walls something like BM Senora Gray or Behr Wheat Bread. Some colorful accessories, pillows and a few plants will go a long way in making the room seem warm and homey. It's a great space with a lot of natural light.

Thanks Avemor, I contemplated whether I should post my pics but I know everyone has seen them so much, didn't want to bore you guys again :-)

Cowbell once we got the drapes, artwork, paint and other items in the room, it really warmed it up. We have woods behind us as well so really wanted to avoid blocking the beautiful view, so opted to frame the window with panels and we love it. Not too much problem with the sun.

Would you mind if the upper row of windows was permanently covered with pull-down woven wood shades or plantation shutters spray painted the same color as your walls (I presume you are painting the walls)? Do you need the upper windows for light?

I would treat the upper windows separately from the bottom windows.

If the cost of plantation shutters is prohibitive (they are expensive), I'd install on the upper windows pull-down shades in a neutral color - matchstick bamboo, woven wood, cellular, etc. I'd want the shades lined (you can buy the kits at Lowes - it is easy to do.

If you installed plantation shutters painted the same as your wall color, it wouldn't matter what the drapes where on your lower windows - they could be print or neutral. It would really warm the space to add fabric and color to those lower windows.

Just too many windows to drape all at once - overwhelming to the room.

I'm also wondering about fading. I had a friend with front windows similar to yours - her carpet, upholstery, artwork - everything faded over time because of the massive indirect/direct light exposure.

deborahnj - I have a similar great room and your pictures are giving me lots of good ideas! I had a decorator come out a while ago and one of her suggestions was one or two 8-9 foot plants in the corners. Have not been able to find any that I like so far - would you mind sharing some info. on yours? Amazing how much it adds to the room from the photos. Thanks!

Perhaps consider installing a large cornice (the wood "box" type of cornice that is painted to match the wall color) above the lower set of windows -- and then simply hang curtain panels.

And then the upper set of windows would appear to be transom-type windows.

I actually like the windows uncovered. Frequently, window treatments on such high windows look like a giant's house (out of proportion). Here are some links.
https://www.houzz.com/magazine/tall-tales-ideas-for-two-story-great-rooms-stsetivw-vs~205220-Tales--Ideas-for-Two-Story-Great-Rooms
https://www.houzz.com/magazine/houzz-tour-luxurious-and-comfortable-lake-house-stsetivw-vs~391622-Tour--Luxurious-and-Comfortable-Lake-House
http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/265394/thumbs/815-K-Street-Two-Story-Rooms

I could see Deborahnj's pictures in my mind as soon as I saw the OP's first picture. Those panels are a big, beautiful statement in the room.

I also like the windows uncovered. You have a nice view, and no neighbors.

If you feel like you NEED drapes, what about sheers on the bottom windows? Sheers will soften the hard edges of the framing, and also soften the light coming into the room.

Thank you so much for the wonderful feedback!

Regarding covering the windows, we would like to avoid doing that as the view of the woods is one of the main reasons we purchased the home. Our little ones love seeing the wildlife (birds, deer, etc) and it would be heartbreaking to take that away.

Our last house was much more modest, and there was a house that was rented to college students just feet from us. I couldn't tell you how many times I looked out our windows and saw... well... let's just say it was a very different kind of nature. This is a nice change. :)

The large step between the windows is due to the 2nd story loft view - when you're on the catwalk, those upper windows provide a perfectly positioned view of the forest. The wall of windows is definitely function-heavy in that respect.

It seems that sketch I posted is a no-go primarily because of the piece of interest/art in the middle; what if that was left out? It seems that heavy, swept-to-the-side curtains in that configuration would hide much of that empty space and perhaps give the illusion of a smaller, more intimate space? I recognize I'm a complete layman so will take no offense at being schooled if this is a bad idea.

avesmore/deborahnj,I was initially thinking of going with 2-story drapes off to either side but I feel like our large middle section of empty space would stick out unacceptably. Certainly not closing the book on this idea as I like the posted pictures.

The windows provide all-day indirect light. They are very bright but there's never any direct sunlight streaming in, which is probably a good thing.

pipdog, the pictures I posted were from the listing of the home; our layout is totally different. It's littered with kids toys right now otherwise I'd snap a few updated shots. We go on a cleaning binge every few days and put all the toys away so I will update this post soon with our current layout. Thank you for the color recommendations, will check those out when we start hunting for colors.

I like the idea of large plants... I'm in the North East, think I could pull off a palm tree? :D (I'm 93% kidding)

nosoccermom, I appreciate those links; that second one includes pictures of windows much like ours, good to know we're not the only ones with 5' of empty vertical space between windows to deal with!

teacats, that is a very interesting idea about using a large cornice. That might be a good way to take up some of that empty space - any other opinions on that?

Also, any opinions on architectural treatments or effects to create warmth or lower the ceiling? I was initially thinking coffered ceiling, but maybe decorative paneling or tall wainscoting or chair rails or ... anything else? Budget isn't a concern; we're not super wealthy but I will invest whatever it takes into making our primary living space a warm place.

Thank you everyone for all the great ideas so far.

I forgot to ask, jillinnj - where do you envision the rod for the panel between the windows; directly below the top window with the panel long enough to cover most of the empty space? Would the panels on the side be the same color/type as the long one in the middle? Would they be heavy, bunched together so there is some waviness/volume (sorry if I'm not explaining very well) like the ones on the side?

Any other opinions on paint colors for such a tall room? I was toying with paining the wall with the fireplace a deep red; I saw something similar on Modern Family (they have a deep red wall w/a fireplace w/plasma TV mounted above it) and was really struck by it. (DW thinks I'd be creating a giant letter 'T' if we went that route)

Thank you all again!

Jennifer, I'm a member of Directbuy and ordered the planter from there and if my memory serves me correctly, the vendor was NDI. I had to choose the plant and the planter separately. I would check out their website. I have to warn you though that it was pretty expensive and I paid wholesale. I think the whole thing was about $700.

Cowbell, I have a catwalk as well and I love looking down on the room as well as outside because we have lots of animals and nature to view as well.

It is really beautiful in the fall with the foliage changing colors and then in the spring with all the flowers and greenery.

Although I am not usually fond of Swags, I love the curtain arrangement on this 'wall of windows' that Ginakay posted. I hope I am not breaking any rules by linking her post here. Tell me what you think!

dody

Here is a link that might be useful: Ginakay's post

is it out of budget to alter the actual windows?? (ie- make it look like one large set of windows rather than 2 very distinct sets of windows??)

if you keep the windows as they are, i would probably change the moldings and maybe add some sort of wainscot to the area between the 2 to make it more cohesive as one unit... then i would probably hang 2 very long panels on either end. would that be a too formal/traditional look??

Rather than focus on the wall of windows you might first paint the walls a mid-tone or darker which will do wonders at warming up the room. You may not then need to dress the windows at all. You have very valid reasons for leaving them uncovered. Window coverings for that expanse of windows will be very costly and there are many other ways of warming up the room.

If you are interested in having plants to soften the space you might consider a couple of Dieffenbachia as they are fairly inexpensive when small and grow quite quickly. Of course there are warnings about the toxicity but I've never had kids or pets eat them and I have read that warning is over-rated. I've had one grow to over 8' tall and seen them much taller than that. They actually do better in lower light situations and mine did well in a north-east window.

Whatever plant you choose you could put it on a pedestal when small for greater impact.

I'm not a fan of accent walls so wouldn't advise painting the fireplace wall a different color. Too often accent walls don't work as intended for interest and I think there is enough going on in this large room so that keeping all walls the same color would be best.

Yes, I would put rod just below the top windows. Probably 2 panels at each end, and then maybe one panel between each window where the framing is. This is what I did in my room, but I don't have 2nd set of windows above (which is fabulous!). I think you can get one panel between each window without taking away from the beautiful view. When I did this in my room, it made such a big difference in the warmth of the room. Or you can just do panels at the ends, and nothing in between windows. I think that will look nice too.

Leave the upper windows completely uncovered.

I also agree about painting the room a warmer color. It will go along way to adding visual warmth to the room, IMO.

We painted our room Benjamin Moore Manchester Tan. I wanted a neutral, not too dark, but enough color to be a color.

I also recommend against accent wall. Just not a fan.

I do like the idea of the cornice if you want to cover more of the wall between windows and you like cornices.

Here are a couple pictures of my family room (sorry to those that have seen this a million times!), just to give you idea. My panels are not as long as yours would be.

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I vote for dody40 idea. Since you are looking to warm the place up I would not pick white but the swag is beautiful. You can also see a bit of a decorative splash behind, which I don't think is necessary but is an added layer. I agree do not cover the upper windows up! Fading could be an issue but that is an invitation to re-decorate, years from now!!

I think the floor to ceiling drape on the sides is absolutely the way to go.

This would keep attention on the height of the ceiling instead of the gap in the middle.

I'm in my second home that has architecture that is sometimes difficult to figure out what to do. When you figure it out though, it looks awesome.

Good luck.

I have something very similar, except in the lower area it's a french door in the middle. Because of afternoon sun, I put soft shades on all the windows, but not the door (Couldn't figure how to do that.) These are up and out of the way most of the time. That didn't seem enough, so I added fairly heavy panels (2 sets on the lower windows.) It did makes things more cozy. Woven woods behind the panels would have been warmer, but they also hide more of the view and I didn't want them on the upper windows. Sorry I don't know how to post pictures.

I'd paint that wall. It's like looking at the side of an iceberg. You could have beautiful planes of color intersecting.

The first houzz link on 2-story windows has two excellent ideas.

1 - Larger molding to let the windows dominate the wall. A substantial molding and inside mounts for simple privacy sheers on the lower windows, and nothing on the top.

2 - (third one down) Drapery rod mounted right under the top window, with heavier molding on the bottom window to give it more visual weight and anchor the wall. The drapes are light and sheer, but they do some anchoring.

is there any chance of extending that balcony to get under that window and along that wall?
it could be a reading nook or a small spot for a desk above it all.

I do not have as large of a space between my two sets of windows, but this is what I did for them. It seems to really make the room more cozy.

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Good luck!
Amy

Honestly, if it were me I would consult with a really good, experienced designer before you make any drastic changes to the house. Whatever the decor, the house itself has a decidedly contemporary feel. The swagged curtains with art between them is a clumsy attempt to draw attention away from the most beautiful feature of the room. There are lots of good options for treating this type of window arrangement, including motorized woven shades on the uppers if you need sun control, panels for the lowers hung on a rod located somewhere between the two sets of windows, etc. A well thought out design will absolutely warm up your room. Trying to use a treatment meant for a completely different type of window and architecture will only make it look muddled. I know--- I've done it :(