The bedrooms of my 1951 split-level have windows similar to those. The idea was that it gave you more options for furniture arrangement, because a bed or chest can go under a window. I am only the second owner of my house. The original owners installed short pinch-pleat draperies on all the bedroom windows. I don't care for the look, so I've given some thought to other treatments. I found that I was happier with roman shades, and I'm using woven-woods in the two front bedrooms (fenestration is symmetrical on the outside) and the bathroom. I decided on also using valances (mounted high) in the MBR, with a single floor-length panel to fill a gap where one window is off-center in an alcove. However, in the bedroom that I use as a home office, where neither privacy nor light control (it faces north) requires covering the window, I chose floor-length panels. To my eye, floor-length panels look odd with high windows unless furniture fills the space between them under the window. In my home office, there's a lateral file cabinet. Your sleigh bed will fill the gap the same way. But where you don't want long panels, I think that a shade (possibly fabric) will be best.

Wow - thanks everyone for some great ideas! Funny that painted conduit with finials and painter's drop canvas can actually substitute and look so good. One would have to find them completely seamless however - (some say Home Deport sells them this way) There's so many ideas to consider here. The issue with the old valances are - dated, tacky, giant/bulky, obtrusive, poorly executed - so trying to salvage them somehow just seems to be a waste of time and work IMHO, though some people may love them... I think pulling those down and live with it to see how we use the blinds - will be key. I suspect we will never close them - day or night. If that's the case then all we'll want to do is take them down and dress it up with dummy panels on each side for a nice finished look. That would also save a lot of money. I too, really liked the look of the curtains that go all the way up to the ceiling (1st idea I posted). while you maybe can't tell from the photos, these rooms have high ceilings. Due to the height, custom panels made may be the most economical option. Glue gun, no-sew iron-on hem adhesive, or sewing machine maybe... Canvas material would go well for the panel's look, as would anything like jute, sisal, bamboo - really any sort of airy/earthy "texture" category fabrics. Washable would be amazing! The white tile and red carpets are coming out. In place - dark wood floors, and a tan berber/sisal carpet area in the family room area... This post was edited by karyn on Sat, Jul 27, 13 at 4:59

I'm sorry, I'm all over the place here. I had thought about hanging the Romans in the slider higher, but they're inside mount and short as it is. I never thought of running the casing higher *and* adding fabric above the romans to make them look taller. I'll have to see if we have some casing that's long enough to go the 4" higher and redo it. But DH kind of likes the sign in the middle of the 2 pictures so we may just keep that. So, leaving windows aside, let's try to see what we can do with furniture. Later I'll need help with artwork b/c as I said I never hung any in old house and we were there 14 years. Now, I really want the bay to be a focal point, original plan was to build in bookcases on either side and have a small table with 2 caned Victorian chairs in the bay. But reality (living with extended family nearby) hit and we realized we needed more seating so we bought sofa and loveseat (and then ottoman) instead of just a sofa. We put the tree in the bay at Xmas time. I'm thinking eventually I'd like a (shallow) windowseat there flanked by bookcases but that custom work won't happen until we replace the carpet oh, 10 yrs from now. So, DH and I moved the LS *into* the bay with the ottoman in front of it (also moved the Victrola in from the LR where it clashed with dark wood tables). What do you think? With the back almost against the windows, does it make it a focal point almost like a window seat might? Of course, I should have just saved the expense of putting in the single sill now since you can't even see it. Ah well, it will still be there when we get to do the window seat. We tried putting the LS at the kitchen end but it just closed off the room and was hard to get by the table & chairs (another unplanned but necessary purchase since we had at that time been living 3 months with no island countertop, eating off a folding table and folding chairs - it took 6 more months to get countertop and I still have to finish the last barstool).

Thanks pal, 2pups, and olychick....I think you all gave me some good ideas. I'm going to proceed making the outer, decorative curtain with the large grommets and keep the liner inside using the small rings with ball bearings on them. Right now we have two curtains attached to the same set of rings so it didn't occur to me that most people probably won't even close the decorative one. Its main purpose is to add some color to the space as well as to hide the rather unattractive liner. I love the idea of adding a second panel to the other side but this is a very small bathroom; almost no room between the edge of the shower and the toilet, so having a curtain draped there wouldn't be very practical. Thanks everyone; I'll post photos when it's done :)