While I'm at it, should I switch the black chair and the beige chair-- put the beige one in front of the window and the black next to the couch? It's hard to see in the photo but I have a black rocker in front of the family rooms windows.

Please ignore the punching bag -- DH's new toy :) It's not staying there!

I'm not loving the window treatment you have in the family room right now. It doesn't accentuate the wonderful windows you have and is unbalanced with your tall fireplace.

If it were my home, I would add shades (remote ones for the top windows) in a honeycomb Duette style interior mount to all the windows. I would then put floor to ceiling drapes on the family room windows only with no valance but a nice decorative rod. You need to treat the family room windows as one unit and not separate them in half.

You could add a valance to the patio door situation but I wouldn't. I have that exact same setup in my kitchen and I have resigned myself that no drapery treatment would look right and the clean lines of just shades is all I need.

Thanks Susan --

I cannot change the blinds - those have to stay.

I like the idea of tall curtains. I have to measure how long a length I need. I hope I don't need to have them custom made!

So leave the kitchen ones with only the blinds -- that's what DH likes anyway. I just wasn't sure if that room was "missing" something.

I can totally understand why you cannot change the blinds. Can you perhaps get matching ones for the great room lower windows to block the west sun? I know that Hunter Douglas makes remote control ones that run off one control. You could use them interior mounted for the higher windows. A coworker got them for her top windows in her foyer that face the west and she loves them.

If you got matching ones on the family room bottom windows to your kitchen shades that would give some continuity to those adjoining spaces and you wouldn't need the drapes to have to close. That would save you a lot of money in material.

With all the online retailers, I would think it is possible to find drapes. However, it may be pricey even if they are stock. But, I really think that would give a majestic look to your room.

JC Penny has lots of nice ready made drapes. Their custom stuff is pricy even with their always sale but their non custom drapes are reasonable.

It's hard to tell from the photo, but I actually DO have wood blinds on all the windows in both the kitchen and family room. So I don't need drapes to close, just wasn't sure if I should put panels on the ends of the windows to give it more color.

I never have liked the valance in there; I was just looking for a quick fix when I had company coming over.

I will check out JCPenny. I just got a coupon in Saturday's mail for them. :)

Oooops, sorry! I didn't look close enough. Then you are all set! Just some beautiful majestic drapery on that family room wall. If the top windows don't let in enough light to bother you, then stick your money into some impressive drapery!

I posted a link to a site I saw advertised in House Beautiful while ago (no affiliation -- just a great deal). There was a code for an additional 10% off, and they have 120" lined silk panels for $64.99/panel (even without the code). I've never purchased from them, but that's quite a deal! If I find the code again, I'll post it here for you.

Here is a link that might be useful: Lined Silk Panels at curtainworks.com

Your quick fix valances on wood blinds in your kitchen was very creative. In your FR, floor to ceiling drapes will have a very dramatic effect and will take away from your fireplace as being the focal point. If you want to keep the fireplace as the focal point then I would do something less dramatic but still add color, like a cornice with a scalloped bottom. Then tie in the kitchen with a similiar cornice but with a straight bottom. Remote shades for the upper windows is a good idea unless you don't mind having long controls hanging. You can get both cellular shades or wood blinds in remote.

I totally disagree. That fireplace is MASSIVE and directly across from you as you enter the room. You need something else in that room with height to balance with the size and scale of that structural element. And, I'm confused by blindguy's comment about long controls hanging. There are no long cords...just clean and simple. The link below shows that option.

Here is a link that might be useful: Remote Options