Yeah, so, the web sites are next to useless. Forgot - I gave up trying to figure it out on Build.com and went to the Moen site, which isn't much better. After I selected, went back to Build.com to buy. My alcove is 58 & 3/8". If you filter on 'Shower Rods' and 'Chrome' (if that's the finish you want - see link below) you get 11 choices. (Note, if you filter on 'Curved Shower Rods' you only get 1 choice - go figure.) With the link below, you throw out the bottom two because they're tension rods and the double rod if you don't want that. Leaves 8. What's the difference besides the price and the end cap? When you check the description, it will say "adjustable for 5' to 6' alcove" - that's the tube within a tube kind. The ones that say "designed to fit a 5' surround securely" means it's a fixed size and you have to cut it if it's too big. Since 5' is 60", I went with CSR2165 and will have to cut off a little less than 2". CSR2166 is the same only for 6' opening (72") or less. With the curved rods, you don't want to be too far away. Cutting off too much won't work, unless you maintain the angle, although the pivoting mounting on some helps. Here is a link that might be useful: Moen Chrome Shower Rods This post was edited by DreamingoftheUP on Sun, Apr 6, 14 at 16:39

I used a combination of techniques to FINALLY get our curtains to glide easily. Like you, i t was driving me nuts to close and open the curtains every day. We bought a house with blackout curtains that covered a triple sliding glass door—total 12 feet long. There was also a 3 section window that was 11 feet long. The curtains have wide grommets and the curtain rod was 1.5 inches in diameter. We have to close the curtains every night as it is VERY bright and sunny as early as 5 AM in the summer. I tried several different suggestions I found online and finally arrived at a combination of a homemade narrow and longer single rod along with the rolling shower curtain hooks in bronze I found on amazon. I made the new longer and more narrow metal pole without telescoping sections out of half inch metal electrical conduit—about $7 for 10’ at Home Depot. I needed two rods at 12’6” and 11’6”, but could only find 10 foot sections at our local home depot, so I bought three 10 foot sections and a pipe cutter, and pipe connectors to make longer rods. I cut one pole into the two shorter sections I needed to add to the 10 foot section of each rod. I had a couple of pieces of wooden dowels I used duct tape sticky side out and put inside the two sections and the connector so the rod wouldn’t sag at the connection point. I then spray painted both rods with some bronze/brown paint—it took a whole can for the two rods—and I actually went over a light coat of black spray paint I had to get more coverage. I had tried the grommet curtains on the just the more narrow single rod, but it was still sticking a little. So I ordered the rolling shower curtain hooks from Amazon in bronze attaching them to the grommets and then the rings to the rod. IT WORKS GREAT—FINALLY! I still have to figure out the end finials, but can use the curtains for now with ease. Here is the list of things I used for the two 12 foot rods—most at Home depot except for shower curtain rings 1. 3 10’ sections of ½ inch metal electrical conduit—about $7 each 2. a pipe cutter about $18 3. conduit connectors ($2.50 for 5, but I only needed 2) 4. Spray paint (about $8 a can 5. dowel and duct tape—I had some scraps 6. Shower curtain rings with rollers—I got bronze in sets of 12 ($7 each):

Pretty room! How about covering that stretch of wall above the window with a piece of lace? The wall color would show behind the lace & unite the window treatment. Depending on the drop between the rod & the window molding, could simply drape the lace over the top of the existing curtains & the rod, pinning in place behind with those little brass safety pins. If you sew, you could make two buttonholes in the back of the lace's rod pocket where the lace fills the gap in the curtains so the lace could be slipped onto the rod there, and sew the ends straight across the top of the side curtains, so it would hang from them rather than directly from the rod. Even by hand, a simple job. I'd want the center lace to be nearly straight on the rod, rather than ruched, so the pattern would show clearly, with the drop just touching the top of the window framing or slightly below. It would gather on top of the side curtains with them if sewn on. If just framing the rod to window by folding it over the rod & curtains & pinning, I'd keep it straight or just slightly gathered for a tailored look. Would also solve the transparency of the side curtains against the top of the wall by covering it along with the rod itself. Sort of a soft version of a valance box. Searched "lace valance" looking for straight edge ones. The link is to a vintage yet new old stock, unused, Quaker Lace plain valance that may echo the bedspread design. These old Quaker Laces are mostly cotton (80% - with 20% poly so they can be machine washed on gentle with warm water & dried on low), so they have enough heft to do the job & hang well. Made my first curtains out of Quaker Lace tablecloths in this blend many moons ago, and still have them, so can verify their quality. Anything to avoid changing out the rod or rehanging it is a good idea to my way of thinking! Think this would fit right in with the vintage with modern touches blend you have going & add subtle charm. A simple rectangular scarf of another less transparent material could also be used in the same way. but I think the soft graphic of the lace would be most appealing in your setting. Here is a link that might be useful: Vintage Quaker Lace

Romy, I'd have to agree with the shops opinions that you need at least a 1 3/8" rod for a 10' rod. While I seriously dislike big for the sake of Big, and have never liked the oversize furniture trends put forth by the PotteryBarn type places, I believe that you do need to keep your rod in proportion to the size of the room and the length of the rod. Honestly I'd probably be looking at a 2" rod for your room. a 10' rod is a long rod, and you don't want it to look like a pencil. How wide is your trim? Remember that with a round rod you're not seeing 2", or 1 3/8", you're seeing whatever the face is that is visible, and if my math skills were a lot better I'd be able to tell you. I do love the Titanium finish, and I like the Amboise finial better than the pine cone one. Your panels are fixed right, you don't intend to open and close them? When you buy the rings make sure to buy the rings that have another little eye ring screwed into the bottom of the ring, as that is necessary to put the hook into and allow the decorative ring to still hang vertically, not go crooked. You can buy wood rings and paint them yourself then screw in those eyelets, but I'd really recommend buying the ones that go with the rod you choose. Then how much of the ring shows is totally dependent on where you put the pin in the pleat. If you put the pin half way up the pleat so that the turn of the hook is just below the top edge of your drapery you'll get the look in your inspiration pic. You don't need to hire someone to hang them for you. **Make sure to put the pin in the pleat, then measure from the inside of the curve on the hook to the hem to determine how high to hang the rod. Then measure from the screweye on the bottom of the ring to the floor. You'd be surprised how many people who hang their own forget about the height of the pins and the length of the drop of the ring.** Thanks for the link to ParisTexas rods. I'm not finding any provision for curved pieces for bay windows. I'll give them a call after the first of the year.