You can keep the same short sheers as long as you have a valance that covers the rod. Nobody will be able to tell how high upt the curtains are. I think it would be fine without a valance. I can tell the curtains are pretty but in the pics the valance looks like a totally different color than the drapes. I wonder why.

I am no professional, but I think you should go with a gold or wheat color for your drapes, similar to the pillows on your couch that look gold in the pic. I would also not do a valance, I think it looks too heavy and really makes the room look like the ceilings are lower than they are, but I am no professional.

mlraff - sooo...you think i should bag the curtains i have and buy something else with a valance?

If i just buy panels and keep the sheers. raise both up. you wouldn't be able to see the sheers as they're behind the couch. right? you think i should bag the idea of green curtains too?

customdecorator - if i would go with something gold/wheat should they be shiny like the pillows? i know the shine is why the green ones look funky in the pics.

Still think i plan on going with a muted green wall color. would this still look alright with those color curtains?

I have sage paired with soft gold sheers in my master bedroom (with Sycamore Green paint):

I do like the pairing of sage and gold together--perhaps you could pick one color for the walls and the other for the drapes.

val - thanks for posting those pics.

ahh i need a decorator. ha those don't exist where i live.

green for walls so goldish curtains? someone want to photoshop?

vintage gold..anyone??? pics? should they not be shiny?

It depends on the shine factor. I wouldn't go with a Satin material because that would be too shiny, but the ones that Valinsv just posted I am assuming are silk and they have a nice sheen to them. kcmg85? I think is her user name posted on noranews bedroom post about some panels at penny's and I am going their tomm to pick the deep creame up for my formal living room. Click on "other views". Now these are only 25" wide and I plan to put them on each side of the window, so if you are planning on using them for privacy you would definately need more.

Valinsv-I think we have the same bedroom set
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Here is a link that might be useful: pinch pleat drapes

customdecorator: It looks very similar. Wouldn't mind seeing some close up pics how you made your bed--at some point I going to redo mine. But on another thread as I don't want to hyjack sheesharee's.

I agree with customdecorator about not getting anything too shiny. Mine are these ones:

Here is a link that might be useful: Supreme Pinch Pleats

i like pinch pleats but didn't feel like buying the little rings and someone had suggested the antique satin ones because you could hang them in the back and get the same pleated look. these didn't appear shiny to me.. i thought satin was less shiny than silk...hmmm

the last pic above, this is a personal preference thing, but it looks like there's not enough panel for that size of window.

i really want it to look balanced. if i went with the supreme would i go with the 75" W ones? window is 100" and i'm not closing them.

I like the green walls with the dark red sofas but not sure if I would like green drapes against the sofas.
That's why I mentioned bronze (or a dark gold would also work). My bronze look really good against any green (not just baby turtle). I would do green drapes only if they are almost the same color as the walls (like valin's 2nd picture)
About the sheers, if you buy long panels and raise everything, if the sheers don't show behind the sofa then great. No problem.

i really don't want the room to look Christmasy all year round either. I know they say you can use the green and red but i think you really need to be careful with it. perhaps i'll look into the gold/bronze thing. my pillows are actually called "brass" but they're a dark bronzy color.

while browsing through lots of pics of paint colors yesterday i remember reading one where the lady painted and rearranged her room. (that could only be a handful of people right?!) it was a huge space. she had a big window, lots of dark furniture, carpet was light, i remember reading she had vintage gold curtains. i can't think of her name...and can't find the thread.

No problem!! I really like the Soft Gold color that came up from Valinsv's link. They have some really good prices going on right now that it can't hurt to get a few different colors and return the ones that don't work.

customdecorator - i just realized that was YOUR bedroom you posted. Not sure how i missed that. and i just reread what i quickly typed and it sounds rather harsh. I really hope you didn't take that wrong. I feel like such a jerk right now.... *cringe* (note to self - read before you hit submit)

our jc penny never has a wide variety to buy right there. they have all the colors hanging for show though. think i'll drag along pieces of my LR and check it out.

what size curtains? i really don't want to screw that up when i finally decide.

mlraff's bronze curtains would be a great color for your room. They would bring out the bronzish antique gold color in your sofa pattern, and would add a visual weight that would work well with the heaviness of the sofa fabric and pattern.

It sounds like you're getting confused- and who can blame you:-) It's a lot to do. You will get there and it will be a great room.

BTW, silk and satin come in different finishes which alter the shine factor. Also, if either are not real, but rather made out of polyester or whatever else, they can shine more. Mlraff's curtains are a silk (Dupioni, I think-- but you'd have to get this from her) which has a good weight for your room.

If it were my room, I would not do a valance, but that is a personal choice. It's just a different style!

decorpas - sooo confused. i thought her curtains looked like dupioni too. not sure they're in the price range. I would pay for them but i'm sure my DH would feel differently about that. maybe that's the other part of the problem (ha no, not DH)..weight.
shiny pillows and shiny drapes..this is alright? dupioni is shiny looking.

so noone thinks i should go with the supreme antique satin back tab ones?

WHAT SIZE?

I can also see a bronze color working well in this room.

I think you need some photoshop help, though, to envision the changes you are considering.

From your paint thread it sounds like BM Cheyenne green and a bronze drape is something you are considering.

Do you have any pics before you put up the drapes?

Perhaps you could upload that and ask for PS help with both the drapes and the wall color together. It's very hard to envision how two changes will affect your look at the same time.

With my drapes I ordered them from catalog and exchanged them three times. The bronze was another top choice of mine--but with so much wood in my bedroom I didn't want to bring more brown in the mix--which is something for you to consider as well since you have that large entertainment center on the adjacent wall.

I think decorpas means valinsv's drapes not mine.
Mine are tafetta and very shiny. I do have dupioni cream ones in my formal but no picture.

Mlraff and Valin, well, now she isn't the only one confused! so sorry. here's what I was thinking- I thought Mlraff showed a picture on another thread of her study or LR with baby turtle and bronze drapes...which DID look like the drapes Valin posted from her bedroom, only a different color and maybe different fabric.

Oh, goodness- well, the point was those bronze drapes looked awesome and I pictured them when I first saw Shee's sofa.
:-) BTW whose room is that then with the baby turtle on the wall and the darker drapes?

Mlraff, ...taffeta is my all time favorite:-) Those are gorgeous!

Shee: so you can't get silk, don't worry about it. The idea is to figure out what style you like first. then, either you can wait for a good sale and get silk (a friend got his for pretty reasonable price during a BBB sale) OR you can get the next and closest approximation to your favorite look. Don't let that get you hung up- most important to know what you want and what works for your room first. I've managed to decorate my last two houses with luscious fabrics on a beer budget:-)

photoshop sounds like a great idea.. here's some pics.

i can't believe i don't have any better shots than this. these don't even have the gold pillows on.

this one shoes how long my couch is.
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Do you have a drapery style you are considering? What I think would look pretty since your window is so wide is to get a couple of stationary panels, take them wide to frame the sides of the window so that when they are open they come to the edges of the windowframe (you said earlier you did not need to close) and a decorative rod that has the decorative center support. I am wondering if either a single support in the center or two to follow the lines of the center picture window. I agree to nix the valance.

No worries!!! I purposely have it that way, I do not use them to be able to close them, just there for decor. I have another post about dining room paint and lamp shades that I made last night and in my dining room I have done the same thing, mounted the rods on the sides of the trim.

I went to penney's today during lunch and picked up a set of the same panels valinsv has in the ivory and lt gold color, they are really pretty, just need to decide which will go be in my LV.

You really have a pretty window and a great view. Have you considered just hanging the curtains on the outside of the window and not cover the window at all - no sheers?
Do you need the sheers for the tv?
I would love to have that window wide open. Maybe you can get something that closes when you need to watch tv.
I got my drapes on sale at jc for $29 a panel. Wait for the coupons. I'm sure they're having a great sale this weekend.

Here's vintage gold...

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decorpas: I think you were thinking of ttodd's study. She used dark olive curtains.
This is mine, they are not as dark on the wall as hers.

Don't feel that you have to go out and buy something because there is a sale this weekend. There will be more sales, lots of them.

I would definitely NOT use sheers or semi sheers on that window. You need something weightier to go with your sofa.

This Copper Brown La Scala at Penney's would be a good color choice.

Check out the Target website. There are a lot of nice drapes on there. I think this one would look great in your room (Jessica Panels at Target):
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Ttodd's study, yes, now it makes sense! Thanks:-) I love your (mlraff's) gold curtains, too, with shee's sofa.

I second Terrik's ideas about the sheers not being weighty enough. Once you get your drape picked out (and yes, there are always good sales- the key is figuring out what you want and then waiting for it to go on sale!) you can address the other layer. You said you don't get direct light in that room (I think), so you can always leave it bare with just the curtain. Which is what I would do, if it were mine, with such nice windows and a view...Why not? Put the money into great drapes!

If you like the Supreme antique satin material by JCP, you have a couple of different options you can go.

I know you said you did not want to bother with the rings, but if you do want operable drapes then you can get them for your window with made-to-measure pinch pleats: http://www3.jcpenney.com/jcp/ProductsHOM.aspx?DeptID=25437&CatID=41763&CatTyp=DEP&ItemTyp=G&GrpTyp=ENS&ItemID=133eb27&ProdSeq=6&Cat=made+to+order&Dep=Window&PCat=Drapes&PCatID=28498&RefPage=ProductList&Sale=&ProdCount=32&RecPtr=&ShowMenu=&TTYP=&ShopBy=0&RefPageName=CategoryAll%252Easpx&RefCatID=28498&RefDeptID=25437&Page=1&CmCatId=25437:28498:41763
To make sure you order the correct amount it might be worthwhile to do a professional window measure. I did this through Calico Corners for my LR/DR (of course, they cost much, much more than these). They will determine what size drapes to order to get the look you want. If you want the drapes to stack back to either side of the window when open, they can determine how far back to stack them. You can attempt to do this yourself (as I did with my bedroom). I do have some links saved off it how to account for the overlap and side returns, but you'd have to guess the thickness of the stack. If you compare how I hung mine and fivefootzero's you can see there are a couple of different ways to hang on rings. She used the clips and a type of rod where the drapes cannot be fully closed whereas I used drapery hooks and mine can fully close. Both have a decorative rod. There is a more expensive option I used in my LR/DR is to get a traverse rod with "fake" rings. This rod is VERY pricy and a custom rod, by Kirsh, though I think you can buy cheaper in standard sizes. Let me know if you want more info on it.

Other choice is the backtabs and stationary panels using standard sizing. In general I find JC Penny's drapes to not have as much fullness as some of the better brands (as I compare to CC, and Restoration Hardware). For such a wide window if you want some fullness, I'd suggest two panels per side. You could try it out and always exchange two if you ordered too much.
http://www3.jcpenney.com/jcp/ProductsHOM.aspx?DeptID=25437&CatID=28502&CatTyp=DEP&ItemTyp=G&GrpTyp=SIZ&ItemID=130dcee&ProdSeq=2&Cat=thermal&Dep=Window&PCat=Drapes&PCatID=28498&RefPage=ProductList&Sale=&ProdCount=21&RecPtr=&ShowMenu=&TTYP=&ShopBy=0&RefPageName=CategoryAll%252Easpx&RefCatID=28498&RefDeptID=25437&Page=99&CmCatId=25437:28498:28502

val - drapery style. ... hmm I like silk, satin, tafetta. i have some bronzy/gold (they're called linen) tafetta curtains in my bedroom that actually might match my LR. They're pole top though. Maybe i'll hang them up over the weekend just to take a look. When you say "get a couple of stationary panels, take them wide to frame the sides of the window so that when they are open they come to the edges of the windowframe" you mean the insides of the panels, when open are at the edge of the window. like that's where they start? not covering any of the window?... I remember someone did a photoshop with my curtains and extended them really wide and people didn't like it. .... decorative support center - i need to get out more because i'm not sure i ever saw one. this sucks. even if i pick a color i don't know what size or how to hang them right. i need some photoshop. Should i not do pinch pleat? I guess with the antique satin ones you can hang them three different ways. i can see that i need fullness.

customdecorator - let us know what you pick for your LR! and show some pics.

mlraff - I have considered not using the sheers. There are no houses in front. i have a pretty big front yard (well, there's no grass yet so it's not very attractive) and there's a road on a hill out from that. a few cars drive on there. I just feel exposed (mainly at night) with nothing on the window! ha. I don't know if it would throw glare on the TV or not. it's a flatscreen.... I didn't want blinds so i thought the sheers would be nice. However, i'm not thrilled about how they look. also when i hung the rod for the sheers, the support rods (i think there's two of them) mess how they hang. obviously they have to go around the rods so they're fuller in the middle. just something else i didn't think about when i hung them. They were cheapies I found at wal mart for five bucks a panel. Glad they were cheap because one of my cute kitties put holes through a couple of them.

fivefootzero - thank you for posting the pics of the vintage gold! i like the color.

terriks - i may just do some more investigating this weekend and not buy anything as i'm still confused with what the heck i want. I mentioned to DH last night that i was buying new curtains..i got the response,"what??? you just bought them? What's wrong with them??" :) poor guy.
I like the copper brown la scalas and I like those ones from target. Wondering about the red though. Getting the right shades seem to be tough.

I also think i'm going to take the valances down this weekend and just leave up the side panels. just to see what i think of the "panel" look.

now, if i end up buying something along the gold/bronzy lines...do they need to exactly match my accent pillows? when i had the green pillows for awhile they weren't exactly the same color and they both had sheen. looked really bad in pictures. That's why i was concernerned about too much shine.

here's my bedroom curtains
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ya know.... they had these at bed bath & beyond when i bought my bedroom curtains and my sister kept telling me i should buy them. green with gold stripes. wonder how that would've looked. here i go again thinking totally different ideas. grr.
i think they were like $60 a panel though and i would need four. they were like a heavy tafetta type material though
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also was taking more pics in the LR last night.

my panels as they are now and in all the pics are 25"w each. this pic is showing what 40"w would look like (antique satin drapes)

i don't know what all this means ha, i was just trying to create a visual in hopes that someone else would. :)
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how far it sticks out from the sides at 40"
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terriks - was looking at those curtains again. don't you think the copper brown would be too dark? i have that big entertainment stand near it and other dark wood.

what about these? is the price for these for a pair of panels? or are they individual?
http://www5.jcpenney.com/jcp/ProductsHOM.aspx?DeptID=25437&CatID=28504&CatTyp=DEP&ItemTyp=G&GrpTyp=ENS&ItemID=140f05c&ProdSeq=14&Cat=rod+pocket&Dep=Window&PCat=Drapes&PCatID=28498&RefPage=ProductList&Sale=&ProdCount=43&RecPtr=&ShowMenu=&TTYP=&ShopBy=0&RefPageName=CategoryAll%252Easpx&RefCatID=28498&RefDeptID=25437&Page=2&CmCatId=25437:28498:28504

they're way cheaper than the others. would it look bad to not have "pinch pleat" as long as i have the right fullness and weight?

i really like the bronze. just don't know how it would look with my pillows. i probably shouldn't have bought shiny pillows.

the amber gold is waaay too yellow for me. if i went with a gold it would have to be muted like the "vintage gold" appears.

if you click on the picture and then click "other views" it shows what appears to be all the colors. it also shows them on rings. am i missing something with this?

I would get thick curtains and hand them on rings (or anything that will let you open and close the curtains).
JC has some of their pictures with double rods where the panels are stationary but the sheers open and close (this way you don't need so many panels).
I love the green striped panels but I'm not sure the stripes would work with your sofas. I would go plain.

mlraff - so that jc penny link i posted i can use rings with? just buy the clip ones and that'll work?

i'm going to head out to the mall at some point this weekend with samples of my LR and check out some colors.

In one of the pictures on the link, "other views" they have curtains on rings. That way you can close them whenever you want.

Eventhough I love the copper, I think it might be too dark. The amber gold, might be too yellow, but it looks like it matches your pillows, plus a soft golden yellow on the walls would look beautiful. Call you store and see if they have them in stock and go in with one of your sofa pillows and one of the new ones you bought.
The bronze is also very pretty and "safe". I think it matches your chair doesn't it. With these you could paint the walls green.

The price is per panel. With these panels you will need probably two panels on each side.

Don't forget to check the "outlet" link on the left side of the screen. They have alot of options there that are cheap.

I have the BT w/ olive curtains. I think mlraff's bronze looks wonderful w/ BT.

mlraff - do you have a better pic of your curtains? the lighting in the pic is hard to see. are they as dark as they look?

ttodd - your curtains do look really nice with the baby turtle. are your curtains silk? are they pinch pleated?

what about these? http://cgi.ebay.com/DRAPERY-PANEL-GOLD-48-X-91-WASHABLE-POLYESTER-VICOSE_W0QQitemZ110254492289QQihZ001QQcategoryZ45515QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

ok this is the last i'll post for awhile. wheels are still turning. what about the linen color in the supreme.
this is just to show the color
http://cgi.ebay.com/Linen-Khaki-Supreme-Drapes-JCPenney-100x84-NEW-200_W0QQitemZ370053115802QQihZ024QQcategoryZ45515QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

there's a pair on ebay. 50 x 84. my rod would have to stay where it's at. but each panel being 25" would be the width my panels are now. linen's a neutral color...
thoughts??

ok i lied. here's pics

linen too light?
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vintage gold (bronzy looking)
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I vote for the vintage gold. (I'll take a better pic of my curtains tonight but they are very close to the vintage gold just a different fabric).

mlraff -think it would look better with the supreme rather than something silky/shiny?

i like the idea that they're lined and thermal also. the side panels i have up now you can see through during the day and it really changes the color.

and green walls..?

should i really rase the curtains up? does my window look that squatty?

I like the Vintage Gold.

My curtains are cheapy polyester/ rayon something & tab top (which I hate).

You don't HAVE to raise them. I just like them high to make the ceiling look higher. The ones you currently have hanging should go up because of the valance that's all.
You also don't want your curtains to look "small" compared to your entertaiment unit. I like the supreme, but on a very long rod to be able to open them and show off the window. You will be fine with the 84" if you need $ to buy extra panels.
What do you like? Shiny, heavy? I wanted thick shiny, silky curtains. So I bought the silk taffeta. They had the weight and shine I wanted. But what do you want?

i like shine, i like heavy but don't know how that looks with shiny pillows. again, the green ones i have are shiny and when i had the shiny green pillows (that didn't quite match) i didn't like it. if the golds don't match i'm just wondering if it's going to look all blah again.

here we go with the size again...if i buy ones that i can shut. do they look stupid/too bunchy when they're open? they would be open most of the time. if money were no object i would just buy them all and see. DH handles the actual writing in the check book and it drives him nutz when i buy tons of stuff then take it back :) trying not to do that.

thanks guys for helping me on this. i really appreciate it!!

take a look at this rod from jcpenney. This was what I had in mind. If you buy drapes to actually close all the way, you're going to need 200" of drapery. That's alot. If you can buy that then fine. If not, then buy the double rod, and you only close the sheers and leave the panels in place. Or you can have both (panels and sheers)opened.
Of course these rods at your lenght can cost a pretty penny also so maybe we're right back to where we started.

Take off the valance and take a picture of panels with sheers. Maybe you can keep what you have.

Here is a link that might be useful: jc

how much is a pretty penny. til i'm done investing money in this, had i of just waited i could've bought this...

ok. let's say they stay open. side panels stay open. i the fact that they're already bunched for some reason is making this very difficult for me.
i'll take the valance off over the weekend and see what i think of just the panels. i probably won't be able to buy the different rod right now as DH is already having a cow about the curtains.

Here is the only double rod I found at jcpenney that was over 100".

Here is a link that might be useful: rod

Firt off, how wide is your window? I have an 8' wide window in my LR that I had custom drapes made by Calico Corners and a custom measure--paid way too much for them, but learned a lot in the process. They stack back fully on each side. I just measured and the stack is about 22" per side which I think looks about right, though at the base they fan out a bit since they are really full. They are fully operable, pinch pleats. Here they are just after installation:

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As you can see they are designed to stack back to the sides of the window--even behind the window trim, though in my dining room there was less room on the sides to accomodate the rod, so the stack only cleared the sides of the window (not the trim):

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Note they are also installed closer to the ceiling as they ceilings are 8' and I wanted to raise the eye. See the little silver things on the rod? Those are supports which I still need to paint the covers. Mine are that way as it's a traverse rod that I can fully open/close contrasting with fivefootzero's wooden supports (she has two). With the wooden ones you cannot pull the drape beyond the support, hence you have very important decision to make do you want privacy or not? You can still get privacy without going custom, but your response will help me better frame what to say next.

Stationary panels are just that--they are dressed in attractive folds and left that way. You may be able to ope/close them, but they don't have that same look you see in the pics unless you "dress" them. Pinch pleated drapery are meant to open/close and the folds fall naturally withoout any "dressing." If you just want to do stationary panels with a really wide window some elect to install two shorter rods to either side of the window (there is an example above) instead of seeing the really long rod dividing the space. If you opt for stationary panels, I think this could be a good look for you.

HTH

just got done taking the valance off. i've discovered a couple different things.
1. the window already looks bigger just from removing the valance.
2. i do not like how poker straight my panels are. they're thin and blaaah.

whatever curtains i end up with must be thick and full. i like the fullness of mlraff's curtains. so that being said i seriously think i may want to go with tafetta? after really looking the supreme ones look like they hang really straight. do the la scala jc penny ones don't look very full to me either.

mlraff - you're aren't pinch pleat..they're pole top correct? when i was out shopping for my bedroom curtains ALL the tafetta ones i saw were pole top not pinch pleat. I think i might like the skinny, straight looking pinch pleats on a smaller window.

I don't think i can go with nothing behind the panels though. don't think dh will dig it either. would a different color sheer help? haha getting ahead of myself again.

I do want a beefier rod. I may be stuck with the black one for now. There's a wooden one at lowes i saw by allen and roth (i think) the rod's twisted and it's dark wood. had big ornate ends and that fancy hold thing for in the middle. the pole was pretty thick though so i'm assuming you could only use the rings. don't think a pole top drape would fit over it. considered buying this rod for in our bedroom but didn't really know what i was doing (how many of this and that) and it was pretty pricey until you added everything up.

can someone photoshop? a higher rod or the short ones on the end or something..:)

i've been trying to load three pictures of the curtains since i took the valance off and this computer isn't cooperating. grrrrrrrr i'm at a dial up.

val - your house is so pretty! what color do you have on the right wall?

mlraff - i'll look at the rod later. i'm about to scream with this computer. hopefully i can get this to load!

thanks guys!

Can I suggest that you start a new thread for this? This thread has become too W I D E to read easily because of some reaally long links that were posted.

Sorry I still haven't gotten a better pic yet but I just wanted to answer your question. Yes mine are on a rod not pinch pleat. I also have two 50" panels on each side.

Just my two cents, but when I was looking for drapes I did not find the fullness that I was looking for with JCPenny. I know you are more interested in the rod pocket style which I think will be fine since you do not need them to be operational, but I did want to mention the pic I posted above is a bit misleading. My pinch pleats are very full and fall in lovely folds at the bottom now that the cord at the bottom was taken off. That was there to get the folds to fall in the right place. Fullness I think has more to do with the fabrics and lining. For silks I prefer an interlining as well.

If you are looking for a silk tafetta, then there is nothing I like better than Restortion Hardware. I was sooooo close to putting these drapes on my windows. If I did not need them to be functional I would've put them in without a second thought. I think the Thai Silk would also look nice (it's a bit more nubby, less shiny). Pottern Barn also has lovely silks in a rod pocket style. I would definitely check either of those two places as well.

Are you planning to use two rods (one for sheers and one for drapes) or a single rod with both drapes and sheers shirred on the same rod? Do you need the sheers to be operational? If so, then you may need to do pinch pleats for the sheers. The fabric is really very delicate and can easily tear/snag. Initially I also was against pinch pleats (but needed something operational and ultimately came to the conclusion that was what I needed).

My wall color to the right is Behr False Cypress paired with BM Wilminton Tam. I did not suggest it to you earlier as it's a bit dark for 4 walls and I seem to recall you said you had a Northern Exposure.

Here is a link that might be useful: Restoration Hardware drapes