I'm a big fan of bosporus flax and love your pillows! I don't know that using only valances would look terrible, but IMHO I think that panels would look better. I recently made bosporus panels for my guest room, and love the way they look. (Before I'd just had faux wood white blinds with very sheer narrow panels. I even plan to make mine wider since my window is really a little big for just one 54" panel on each side and I should have made them wider.) With your situation, I think I'd just pull the furniture (is it your sofa?) out from the wall a bit (6"-8")so that the panels could hang behind--or perhaps put your current layout on here and see if there are other ideas about how to arrange it. Without seeing the room, that's my suggestion anyway and I look forward to seeing whatever you make from your bosporus flax fabric--I'm sure it'll be pretty.

Buehl, I like the openess of your window area. Looks like a lovely view out the window. Love your kitchen, redroze. :) Thank you kitchenaddict. :) My granite is honed and textured Colonial Gold. Needsometips09, my dining light is the Veranda Round Chandelier from Pottery Barn. They do carry a linear version, but not rectangle. Restoration Hardware carries a similar rectangle style in three different sizes, however, it is pricier. Here is a link to the smallest version: http://www.restorationhardware.com/rh/catalog/product/product.jsp?productId=prod1154252&navAction=jump&navCount=2 Fallingwaters, my whole house is one room! Ha ha. Well, except the bedrooms and bathrooms, of course. The kitchen from the refrigerator to the back wall and from the window wall to the side French doors (see new photo to see what I am talking about) is approximately 18 1/2' x 13 1/2'. The dining area is approximately 7 1/2' x 21'. Very long, but there is main traffic to the back of the house between the table and the dry bar. The TV room adjacent to the kitchen is smallish at about 12 1/2' x a little over 12'. We plan on doing an addition in the future and this room will nearly double. The living room that is adjacent to the dining area is a nice size at approximately 14 1/2' x 22'. All of the rooms are open to each other, so it really is one giant room. No formal space. I don't mind formal space, but our house is actually only 1538 s.f. and I wanted every inch to be used and it is! Maybe after we do an addition I'll want to put a wall back up, but I doubt it. ;) Here is a picture of that side French door I was talking about: And here is one showing most of the house (except the TV area): Here is a link that might be useful: Pottery Barn Round Veranda Chandelier

Thx for the suggestion of doing panels instead of valance. The window with plantation shutters also I think would need the same treatment - yes? Put those on to block view but do not want to block view out of the triple window as it provides needed natural light.

The architect/designer never expected the arches to need covering. Drapes hung from the level of the valance would be my choice. Blinds leave a cheap/unfinished look that never goes away. Valences are 'out' and never work as these are used.