Do the panels match the valance? I think you should do as in the inspiration pic. Buy the panels that match and then leave your panels in the center (what color are they?) I think with the matching panels it won't feel like the valance is just floating up there.

mlraff - the panel i have do match. in this pic i only have one on each side. i have since added two more. (now two on each side). they're not real thick so the light in the background is making them look a different color in the pic. the ones behind are sheer white. i didn't want to use blinds in the LR
i'll take some better pics tonight

I think your curtains are pretty. The only thing that doesn't look right to me are the long pieces from the valances that are hanging in the center. Other than that I think they look fine. I like the contrast.

brutuses - when i originally decided i wanted these curtains i didn't think about how wide the window is vs. the pic on the front of the pack/sample pic. whole differnt look when you start adding multipul valances.
I actually think the pieces in the middle look better tucked up and around.
I will def. take some pics tonight both ways so you can see the curtains better.

thanks guys.

I would hang the valance higher up so that the top of the window doesn't show in the open spaces at the top. I also don't like the dangly things in the middle.

The jabots in the middle need to go - those are meant to be side pieces. As terriks has already stated, you need to move the rod up so that the window doesn't show through the swags. It will make the whole valance feel more substantial as well.

I think part of the problem is that the drapery color is being overwhelmed by the huge dark couch in front of the drapery. Try adding some pillows on the couch in the same drapery color to bring some balance.

can i just move the black valance rod up? i have two other white ones i don't really want to mess with... when i move that rod up the curtain is still going to do that dip thing and the wall is going to show. really think this will look better?

those jabots i figured were for the ends but then what do people do for the middle sections if you have a wider window? I don't think i saw anything like that in the croscill mercury curtains.

the green panels - originally i was going to use hold backs and keep them back all the time. should i just leave them alone?

les - i know, i know.. my huge couch. Think i will put some of the pillows away. Think there's 5 on the couch and 4 on the loveseat. should i just keep two on each? The pillows should be the same color (as curtains). Would lighter or darker work?

What about any of these green pillows at target?

DH will have a cow if i tell him i'm going to buy some "accent pillows" for our furniture right now. I have a gift card to target :) unless i can find them cheap somewhere else.

Here is a link that might be useful: Target Green Accent Pillows

don't think this will look right but i'll throw it out there anyhow. I have at least two more valances. I didn't have enough at first and then ran across them at BBB. If i added more..pushed them together more and looped around the dangles..this look better? or should i stop while i'm ahead. :)

Personally, I think the proportion of the valences you already have up there are fine. I agree with Les that the rod should be hung higher. When I was making draperies for my bedroom Les suggested that I mount the rod half-way between the window and ceiling (ours are 8'). I hated it in the beginning, but I am glad I was waiting to work up the nerve to ask DH to move them. I now love them. It gives height to the room. I do not like the jabots, even the ones on the ends. If it were mine, I would remove them. Lovely room!

Yes -- do hang them higher on the wall -- if possible -- and the whole window -- and wall -- will appear to be "taller"

And - as Les wisely stated -- remove the middle jabots if possible ....

i can't remove the middle jabots. ....two valances aren't long enough to cover the window. can i tuck them somehow?

hang just the valance part higher? i can't really do the rest of the curtains because they're 84" and they'll be high wadders if i do....

someone want to try and photoshop this? anyone have pictures of this type of curtain in their house?
thanks!

Yes, just hang the valance higher so you can't see light through those holes like you can right now. That was what struck me as problematic, too.

I believe we meant just the Jabot, which is the hanging down ruffly part. Tuck them in, cut them off and restitch, whatever. Leave the rest of the valence. It will look so much better without the light coming through the tops.

alrighty gotcha. hanging higher and tucking first. hopefully that will work. i'm scared to cut. we're talking like 4" higher? so that the bottom of the dip is up on the wall instead of at the window.... before i go drilling more holes in my walls. :)

thoughts on pillows? should they just be solid.. a little texture.

I think that I would also bunch the side panels up more for more fullness in them. You have plenty of fullness in the valance, so you don't need to add more, just tuck those center jabots up until you get the nerve to cut them off.

I looked on the Target site, lots of great pillows. I'm always attracted to tapestry, stripes or plaids. Then again it depends on what other decorative items you have in that room.

here's some better pics of the curtains. took them over the weekend. Didn't get a chance to move the valance rod up yet. Was busy and noone was around to help.. :( Hopefully soon I'll take care of that. I'll also be cutting the middle dangles off

The curtains honestly don't look metallic like they do in these pics. the valance color is the closest to the actual color.

{{!gwi}}
{{!gwi}}

terriks - i have holdbacks that match the black rod should i use them? or you just mean literally bunch them closer together?

Is there any way you could either pin or stitch the jobots together then draw them up so the ends match up with the bottom drape of the valance. Maybe once you stich them together you can then underpin them so they will drape. I'm thinking like a seamstress would do on a bride's bustle. They underpinned my daughters so the top fell over the skirt in layers - a French bustle. You could maybe try the same with the jabots. You would have to play around with it but it may be better than having to cut them off. Just a thought! Joan

joanr - yeah..i had that french bustle thing done with my dress. Worth a try! Wonder if the ends would be too full then. Thanks!

I think they'd look better hung higher. As is, they are much the same as the sofa and look kinda squashed and boxy. Almost seems to fit like a headboard : ) You might also try a wider rod, widening the area. Remember too, that w/o lamps and other accessories in that area, everything focuses on the drapes.

An easier way to check it out : ) ...

Here are some colored side panels, as in your inspiration pic, trying a very wide expanse.

I meant to literally gather them together more to create more fullness.

thanks squirrel! - yes i'm going to hang the rod higher and ditch the hangey things. How far on the sides should i extend the rod? how far should i raise the rod? see how it dips down..should those dip down sections be clear of the window completely?? will it look stupid to only extend the valance rod? can i leave the others alone?

terriks - the last two pics i posted have two panels on each side. does this look gathered enough now as compare to the first couple of pics i posted? do i need to purchase more panels?

You're welcome : ) I like it raised just about all the way up. Dipping above the window makes sense to me. If you widen the expanse of the curtains, I'd do both the valance and the panels, if that's what you mean. I think I prefer the width of #2/#3, slightly wider but not as wide as the last pic (looks squashed again).

Wait for the gang. I'm no curtain hangin' expert ; )

ok. if i raise the valance up. so that the bottom of the zip part is just above the window. if i widen the valance i guess i have to widen the panels as well? 4 inches past on each side ok? I'm not sure if i can get anymore panels. I orginally ordered them online. didn't order enough cause i new NOTHING about curtains. Was lucky enough to find some valances at BBB (on clearance) and they had to ship the panels from another store! i could check .... how many inches past the sides?? My Dad's going to scream. he's the one who helped me hang these. :)

Depending on their weight, you want the drapes to be gathered to double or triple fullness. For instance if the panels are 40 inches wide you would gather them to be between 13 and 20 inches wide on your rod.

the panels are 50 inches wide. My window width is 100. I have two panels on each side.

If i just move the valance rod and leave the others will it look ok/better? Really don't want to move the other rods and buy more panels..

Shee sharee, haven't read every post here, but the ones I have read seem to offer good advice (raising valence and getting rid of dangly bits).

Not sure if anyone mentioned this or if it is way off base, but the long couch infront of the long window emphasizes both. Do you have two chairs and a table you could group in front of the window and then put the couch on the other side?

budge1- i would love to do two chairs and a table but i would have nowhere for the couch then. I just had to buy huge entertainment stand and now the biggest wall is where that has to go. I can't float the couch in the room because of how the entrances are and the size of that. Didn't really think about the scale of things in the room when i bought everything... :(

Found this picture today and i absolutely LOVE it. could I do something similar in my livingroom? what colors? the window doesn't have direct light shining through. maybe add something else to what i already have?

OK, I know I'm going to take a beating for this from someone, but, IMO, the current window treatments are just not right for the window and the room (what I can see of it), and no amount of fussing over them will change that. The fabric is a ho-hum color and is too delicate for the mass of sofa in front of it, and there isn't nearly enough of it.

Valances and jabots and tassles look wonderful when they are carried off well and are in the right room. They tend to be a more formal look and generally need more formal-type furniture to complement them. And when done well, as in your inspiration photo, they tend to be pricy because they take a lot of fabric and more workmanship. When you try to scrimp on the amount of fabric, you lose the look altogether.

If you are on a tight budget, limiting yourself to stationary panels on the sides without a valance would allow you to get more a more substantial fabric and more of it. A heavier fabric would balance out the sofa better, and simple panels without the valance would seem to be a better fit with the sofa.

graywings - do you have an example. are you talking still a green color? i debated about the thermal pinch pleat moss green jc penny ones. Saw them in person and though they looked blah. The curtains i have are thin but there's no direct sunlight that comes in that room. I feel like it's rather dark half the time.
I know i asked what everyone thought but in the back of my mind i was really hoping these just worked great. DH will have a cow if i tell him i'm buying new curtains. Like i said when i originall bought these i didn't have enough then found more on clearance at BBB. I actually have two extra valances that are in the bags still because I wasn't sure how many I would need. *cringe*

I have to agree with graywings overall. If it were my room I would probably do something less fussy, like an upholstered cornice in a fabric that balanced the sofa, with simple side panels. Cornices are very easy to make - it's simply a wooden box covered with batting and fabric. I would mount it just a few inches below the ceiling.

I would have to work with the valance a bit to see what worked. It's hard for me just looking at it.
And don't mind us too much......we all have different tastes in furniture, window treatments, and paint. Although I like a slightly 'fussy' treatment on some windows, and, in fact, have a London shade on my kitchen window, on LR windows--particularly wide ones, I tend to agree with Graywings that side panels on a chunkier rod look pretty darn good with more casual furniture. Some of the others have given you some thoughts on working with the ones you have, so keep at it.
But in the meantime, how about posting some wider shots of your room, so we can see how one thing relates to the other? I too, prefer the sofa to not sit in front of your window, but would need to see another spot for it if you have one.

Best wishes on getting this done!

Red

something like this?
http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=275056-28542-26195VG8&lpage=none

with this...?
{{!gwi}}

i went through this awhile back with my bedroom curtains.. ahh

if i went with pinch pleat and were going to keep them open all the time what size would i need to a 100" window?

i do like the style of curtains i bought..i like the frill. i'm going to be adding different pillow on the couch to brighten it. i have a matching loveseat and a tan wingback chair i just recently bought. isn't there something else i can do with the room to make it appear more formal? i honestly didn't consider my sofa and loveseat real casual.

If you only want decorative side panels you do not need to buy a 100" pair. Just buy the smallest width of panels.

You mentioned earlier, or in another post that the walls in this room are white. Are you planning on painting the room? If so, I think that you should do that first. I think that maybe you are getting ahead of yourself by focusing on the window treatments now. I also think that you probably need to focus a bit more on the space planning in the room. From other pictures that you have posted it seems that all the furniture is pushed up against the walls. Do you have a good conversational grouping?
If I were you, I would stop buying stuff and come up with a plan. Maybe hire someone to help you figure stuff out.

This is what I had in mind: the JCPenney antique satin panels, pinch pleated or pole top, with or without sheers under them, ending exactly 1/2 inch off the floor. They also make valances if you want one.

My problem with your choice is the weight of the fabric. Sheer drapes are not the only or the best way to deal with poor lighting in a room. That's what lamps are for. And stationary panels won't reduce the light coming in, since they will only cover a couple inches of window on each side.

I don't recall the earlier photos that terriks mentioned, but sometimes re-arranging the furniture gives you a new perspective.

Here is a link that might be useful: JCP Antique Satin drapes

I'm working on the arrangement (see link).

wall color won't be for awhile. it will either be a in the beigh/gold/more neutral or softer green. This will be a whole different thread. :)

graywings - i could've saved myself a lot of money if i just would've bought the ones you listed. you think silver sage or moss green? how long does the penny sale last? my birthday's coming up in july. ....

Here is a link that might be useful: Furniture Tread