Window Treatments!

You could do that. You might also find some ready-made ones that are close to what you like and just add some accent panels or trim to make it your own.

You'll also have to decide what the purpose of the window treatments will be. Will they be for blocking sunlight or privacy? Will they just be frames for the windows and not actually be functional?

What style will they be, formal pleated and lined drapes or informal curtains with tie-backs, etc?

If you are wanting formal pleated and lined drapes, they will require a higher skill level, and probably a few practice runs on some for the bedroom windows, before you achieve a quality drape.

If you are just wanting something to frame the windows and not actually be functional, there are many many different kinds and styles of do-it-yourself kits you can find in craft stores, fabric stores and some department stores.

Post pics of the area in question. pics from around the room and any other features you wish to retain would help

Browse through this website to help give us an idea of what type of window treatments you are wanting:

http://www.the-window-treatment-expert.com/index.html

After we have more info, we can help you figure out how to best achieve the look.

Today's window treatments are very lavish. Do you like that? I like a simpler look. You could start with white sheers to cover the windows while you consider what you ultimately want.

I also feel that the window treatment should match the period of the house and the style furniture. Try googling window treatments, curtains, blinds, etc to get an overview of the current market.

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This is my first time posting a pic. Lets see if it works!

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This is the living room area and whoever walks in looks at these windows.
My style is generally clean and simple. I want it to look ethereal and calming, not necessarily lavish. The purpose is to add a focal point for the eyes and to add some color. I do not want to hide the view as eventually a pool will be built and landscaping will be done to beautify the backyard. I also dont want to block the light.
I was thinking sheer panels on a rod that go all the way up , and are tied back with some thing like a string/s of beads. I would do a swag or valance if someone told me it could be done.
lastly I want to thankyou all for the time and interest. I am excited by the response.

Let me help you with resizing that...

Thanks, How did you do that?
The way the photo is taken it loks like the upper windows are smaller. When I look at it, looks like two rectangles stacked up with a little bit of wall in the middle. I am encouraged by my new skill so I will post more pics soon. Plz. tell me what you think of my idea.

I like the idea of shears. I looked for some photos online that would give you some ideas. I watch a lot of design shows on HGTV and several of the designers have had to deal with two-story windows like that in what they call the great room.

Here are some ideas some of of them have used:

This one as is might not be too practical if you have kids and pets that will be going in and out the sliding glass doors. They'd work with some nice looking tie-backs



Here's a similar version of that. The curtains are full height with tie-backs and the bottom windows have a coordinating treatment.



You might also think about having some vertical (or horizontal) blinds installed for the top window and get/sew some shears for the bottom window. That way you'd be able to control the sunlight in the upper windows while not spending so much on a full length wall of fabric.

And here's an example of what you might be able to do with adding some embellishments to some inexpensive store-bought curtains. Some coordinating ribbon was added to the edges of this one:

This article has some good ideas too. :
http://www.essortment.com/home/interiordesign_szrh.htm

Two story great room windows

Having two story rooms in your home, complete with two story widows makes for a very dramatic effect, but having 18 vertical feet of windows can cause a huge dilemma when it comes to dressing them. Having custom window treatments made for your window is usually the most obvious option. Of course, it can be cost prohibitive. Here are some ideas you can use to make treatments for these awesome windows on your own.

You can purchase window scarves in 6-yard lengths and instead of using these as window scarves, you can hang them on a pole and use as a window panel instead. These panels are available in sheer, silks, and velvets among other fabrics. If you normally use one window panel for a window, in this case you would want to use two because these panels are not as wide. Because the window treatment is two stories long, you will want to add jewels, beaded trim, or weights at the bottom to keep them from blowing into the room.

If you cannot find the right scarves to convert into your window panels, you can purchase fabric and sew them yourself. You will need six yards and a few inches for each window panel, and you will want to add lining to many fabrics to prevent fading. All you need to do is measure the length of your fabric and sew the hem and the header. If the fabric does not have attractive side seams, you will need to sew them as well. It would probably be best to avoid fabrics where the sides would need to be sewn.

You can make gradient light curtains panels from a series or coordinating window panels. For example, purchase a normal 6-foot sheer window panel, a 6-foot silk window panel and a 6-foot velvet window panel. Be sure all of the panels are of the same color or coordinate well. Then sew the top of the silk panel to the bottom of the sheer panel, and then sew the top of the velvet panel the bottom of the silk panel. The effect will allow you to have light a lot of light filtering through the top of your panel, a little light coming through the center and maximum privacy in the bottom section. Be sure to remove the hem and header sections before attaching the panels. In the same way, you can make panels out of different color curtains of the same weight of style. For example, you can make a sheer curtain that starts cream colored, the middle section is gold, and the bottom section is green.

In hanging your two story window treatments, you can choose to have them cover the windows or you can hang the panels between the windows to accent them. If you need curtains you can open and close, you best option is to make full window treatments and use tiebacks at the bottom because you will not be able to reach the pole to adjust the treatment.

In making toppers for these windows, cornice boards should be close to the window or you will be able to see the underside when looking up. Fabric window toppers with very large tassels (because they are so far away) work nicely as well.

This is the window scarf idea that they're referring to in that article.

Buy several scarves and rather than hanging them horizontally as shown in this photo, hang them vertically as long panels on the sides of the windows.

Take a look at the window scarves here at JC Penny. They have quite a selection of sheer (ignore that I spelled it wrong in the above post! )fabrics to choose from and they're inexpensive.

http://www.jcpenney.com/jcp/X5.aspx?DeptID=60156&CatID=60449&shopperType=X

Something like this one might be pretty. You could do the horizontal scarf valance on the upper window and the two panel curtains on the sides of the lower window. The embroidered embellishment in the panels comes in different colors too.

http://www2.jcpenney.com/jcp/X6.aspx?DeptID=60156&CatID=60449&GrpTyp=PRD&ItemID=1557e02&attrtype=&attrvalue=&CMID=&Fltr=&Srt=&QL=F&IND=9&cmVirtualCat=&CmCatId=60449

A wealth of ideas to work with, thnaks. I think both me and my husband like the height of this room as the other roos do not have high ceilings. We were thinking that dividing it up into upper and lower windows might take away that effect. What do you think?
Because of so much height I think I should stick with simple Panels with a header. DO you think a valance or a cornice would look nice at the top of the top window or would it be too much.
I will come back tonigth after reviewing what you advised. Thanks so much again!

Okay, Mom, here is a very rough and dirty rendition of what you might consider. All I did was cut various parts of the curtains and valance and then pasted them together in a couple of rough ideas for you. Don't look at the detail (it is a mess) just look at the concept:

The valance looks cool. I still want to make them look like one long window. By putting long panels covering both windows.Plan on going to Library for some How to books today?
HAve you ever stitched Valances or Swags? I think I can handle panels but dont know what it takes to do swags or Valances!

They are just a long rectangle scarf that is draped over a rod.

Later today I'll mock up some more sample photos for you to show my idea for a very long swag framing both windows.