Hi Mary, sorry...the curtains don't work due to the ledge. What about something like Roman shades that will be a much better fit for the window?

Agree…panels are wrong the window and the ledge.

Try instead a tie up valance in a great fabric. Then, should you need privacy, you can drop it.

This one is from etsy and is $50.00. Looks great with the wall canvas and your leather sofa.

Are your curtains rose, teal, grey? but does it look a blend in person with your art, etc.? If so, I'd cut and hem them to hang at ledge...my opinion, just to try it....

How deep is that ledge? The only way that floor length drapes could work there is if you had a curtain rod with a deep return, so the drapes would hang in front of the ledge. Like THESE HERE AT THE LINK.

But then, you would have light coming in from each side above the ledge, and they wouldn't look good. I'd hang your curtain rod at almost ceiling height, if you want 'drapes', and have a heavier fabric such as what Judy G shows above, and hem them to just above the ledge, maybe a 1/4". They could stand to be wider panels than the ones that you show above, too. If you sew, you could make your own easily and line them.

I have to say, I think you would be better off doing floor length on a different window. These are nice curtains, save them for another window. I like the idea of a Roman shade for that window. I would use the ledge as an opportunity for a garden type window, with lots of plants. I would tile the ledge along its length, too.

Raising the curtain rod out or up wont help. If you bring it outward so that the curtain doesn't touch the ledge, then you will have loads of gap on the sides of the curtain and light will pour in.

My opinion is to either get blinds or if you really want to keep the curtains then cut them so that they land above the ledge.

Curtains Examples:

Blind Examples:

can be put inside the window aswell

You would need at least two more curtain panels, possibly three, to make them full enough. I agree that they should come just to the ledge, not lower.

Also, the curtains should extend past the rod brackets all the way to the decorative finials on the rod.

I really like the ideas of light blocking blinds for this window.

In this situation, I wouldn't choose a patterned curtain. I'd choose a heavier textured fabric in a similar color to the wall. Raise the curtain rod to almost the ceiling, then have the curtains just touch the top of the ledge. Like Faiz Q's first picture above.

Your ledge prevents a long curtain from looking proper. And with the baseboard heater, you can't go to the floor anyway.

A shorter curtain will be less expensive. That will give you the additional budget to make them properly full. They should be more than double the width of the window.

Thank you everyone for your feedback! I think my plan is to return these ones, and either look around for a more suitable curtain or sew some. I'll raise the rod to the ceiling and widen it, then have the curtains come just to the ledge. It's not perfect, but we're in a rental, and it will be a lot better than it was!

I really liked the look of roman shades, but unfortunately I think they're out of the budget- especially as these windows don't seem to be the standard sizes the shades come in, so it would have to be custom, which I'm not willing to invest in in a place I don't want to be long term.

For curtains, I liked the idea of the pattern because it has a nice red/rust colour in it and a blue, which are the accent colours I'm trying to pull in to the room. I find the room to be quite dull- doesn't get a ton of light, has wall to wall beige carpet, and white walls. I want to pull some colour in to it and liven it up a bit! I'll be looking to get an area rug at some point too, so maybe I'll do something with more of a pattern for the rug and plainer for the curtains. So if I've resigned to having curtains, I guess my next question is, do I go a similar colour to the wall (white/off white), or a solid colour (which one?), or different pattern...?

Thanks again everyone!

May I ask what width the coverage would need to be for the window[s]??

They're 37.5" tall and 56.5" wide

You can sew a roman shade:
Simple Roman Shade

I have roman shades and I find them a pain to raise and lower. I prefer curtains. In addition to the window width itself, you'll need to cover some of the wall with curtain when it is open. Say about 10" on either side of the widow. So that gives you about 75" of width that you need to cover. Depending on the fabric you use, you should allow 2.5X the width, for fullness. That's 187.5".

If you sew, I'd just use rings that clip or sew on the top of the curtain. Most drapery fabrics are 54" wide so you can use it cross ways and avoid seams. You need about 5 yards.

sewing is a great option; but these days, the price of fabric can end up being more $ than the shortest pair of store bought drapes, hemmed yourself. and the ready made ones can be returned (before hemming) if you dont like the color when you get it home, once fabric is cut you own it.

shop by price for the least expensive - correct width panels you can find that you like, compare it to the yardage you'd need to sew from scratch.

and i agree, hang them on rings, it makes it so easy to open and close. you can purchase a curtain tender, or make your own with a length of dowel with a hook screwed into the end, then you dont need to climb up on your couch.

You can also buy curtains with the grommets. Mount them close to the top of the wall near the ceiling. I'm going to suggest shopping at Penny's for curtains. I visited the store, touched all the fabrics and ordered what I needed on line. This way I got the size I needed and they were lined. With a discount code, they were a good deal and I got free shipping. They have a great selection.

How about ceiling mounted curtain rod? Check out IKEA for both hardware and curtains. Are you allowed to drill holes?

Also, there are DIY instructions for non-sew Roman shades.

A pair of matching shower curtains would be about the right width. You'd have to hem them.