yes, i agree. i'd do just a bit higher, so that the top of the rod would also be above the doorway on the left and the built in on the right. are those center hinged french doors? you'll need the drapes to be further off the sides of the doors then, so you can open them.

You begin by drawing the room, and using a measuring tape, you add the dimensions. You post it here. You include the size of hearth, windows, and especially the opening to kitchen and hall area. Nobody can see around a corner here. You ask , am I going to have a tv? How many folks will sit, What will they sit on, and where will I put that seating? What size will that seating be? It isn't going to look good, or be passable to foot traffic, with much more than a sofa, and two comfortable chairs. Take the sectional word out of your head, from the looks of the photo. You ask yourself, how do I want the room to feel- what's my style? And the first thing you consider, BEFORE running to any store, is unifying the hardwood and eliminating the edge to edge carpet in the space. Then you consider losing chocolate brown walls : )

I've got one these right now. It's a beautiful space, but temperature regulation is an issue. Watching TV is an issue, too. The sound is lost in the room and we have to turn the volume up quite a bit to hear. As a retired appraiser, it makes more financial sense to floor the second story portion. While not a wow factor choice, it increases your useable square footage and will result in a corresponding increase in valuation. The point is, there are a lot more factors involved and unintended results of the decision to go with a 2-story high space.

Every last thing in the room is tan or the color of "dark of night" and you are worrying about lighting a tree? Put some "light" and color on the floor via a generous area rug. . Put something on the windows, which at night are black holes sucking the light from the room and make all look harsh, versus relaxing. A single table lamp may give " all the task light you need" for a bright laptop screen , it does nothing for general ambience in a room. Nor does an uplight near the seating. The bottom line is worry less on faux tree and add more pools of light, lower and near seating. Don't "wash out" all out via the ceiling recessed. You can use as low a watt/lumen bulb as you like in any lamp - standing or table! Add some decor and color. Add some color and texture to pillows to the couch. Take some pictures of the space from other angles at ground level, please? Yes, I realize it isn't what you asked, and I realize as well, the house is new to you , open and there are other challenges like the "Abe" collection. But you won't have a warm and welcoming space minus some contrast between light and dark, hard, soft and some added w.a.r.m.t.h. You're living in the dark, quite literally : )