As you have noted, the Houzzers can recommend paint and window treatments, but nothing more. You will need to provide pictures of each wall in the room so everyone can a sense of the entire space.

You have a nice fireplace! How about faux white wood blinds like in the picture! You could add window seats under the windows on each side of the fireplace and white board and batten type panels above the fireplace. This all would add some character to your nice room.

Thank you all! Such wonderful ideas. Eye to Eye..love the photoshop..thanks for the visual. Love all the great suggestions and pictures posted. You all are wonderful.

I have the same windows, I opted for the one drape on the side, but did them right to the angled wall, thus exaggerating the width of the windows and I love the effect .

If at all possible replace the carpet with medium-tone hardwood to ground the room. This will give you more flexibility to create balance since currently the hearth fades into the carpet and blends too much with the fireplace. You can then blend pattern and personality into the room with a rug, art and drape panels, and add neutral solid color furnishings.

Tricky because of the way the windows are up against the mantle and the hearth seems to extend slightly under the windows. Also, floor vents will blow on draperies if they need to be closed.
Perhaps inside-mounted roman-style woven wood shades (when in raised position, will have a horizontal rectangular shape to reference the shape of the prominent stones in the fireplace.) Use a pecan color to blend to the gold-tones in the fireplace, and use a loose-weave version that allows some visibility to the outdoors when lowered. You can put the cords on the opposite sides (outside edges) of each shade to keep everything symmetrical.

I see tailored window treatments like white 2" thick wood blinds with a contrasting tape. What are the window TX's like in other rooms? Do you want it to blend with those?

You have a beautiful fireplace and garden! I see simple white sheers (1 per window), a mirror instead of the usual picture propped up on the mantle, and white or antique rocking chairs in each corner to maintain the feeling of symmetry. You have so much natural light that playing it up would really make the room. Congratulations on your new house!

I will have to attach more pictures. Camera is recharging! Thanks everyone. PS, we don't have treatments on anything yet.

Beautiful fireplace with side windows. I have a very similar set up in my living room. Over 20+ years of trying various treatments, I finally settled on sheers - with your colors recommend black rods installed as close to the ceiling as comfortable. Sheers should be long enough to come same height as your hearth. You don't want them to go all the way to floor because of the registers. If you want to make the look really lush, the rods should go from the edge of the chimney to the corner. Sheers can be comparatively inexpensive so I splurged with multiple panels to "fill" the space. I use holdbacks installed about 8" - 12" back from the edge of the window and just above the center of the height (my fireplace is off-center in that wall with 8" of wall on one side of the window and 20" of wall on the other, so part of my style is to try to balance the off centered fireplace). They are very simple and I can either let the sheers hang straight for privacy or loop them behind the holdback for a soft, full drape and more natural light - and so I can enjoy the view out the window. As for color, personally I prefer a soft white, which goes with the molding in the room, but it will depend on what you have for furnishings as well. Love the stone on your beautiful new fireplace.

Thank you!!!

These are some really good suggestions, I love the woods, have them at my home and do not cover the windows. It is so refreshing to sit, inter, walk into a room and see nature. My only change would be to soften the mantel. The white seems a little too glaring.

CURRENT HOUSE - I plan on using the furniture from this picture, which is my current home. I am buying new everything else (artwork, curtains, pillows etc.).
The fireplace in the new house is gas and doesn't really generate alot of heat..maybe that is why it is so close to the windows..not sure..but that is how they built it. We are still residing in our current home until the new one is finished.

I was agreeing with side panels to the ceiling until I saw the pic of the two story room. The extra tall room needs some grounding. Therefore I would advise to have the panels relate more to the "first floor". Mount them on dark rods that align with the top of your TV over the fireplace. Even if you opt for sheers, I would still do stationary side panels to either side to frame the fireplace elevation.
If light from the upper windows is not an issue, just leave them bare, treating them like the cool architectural feature they are. If light is an issue, use simple translucent shades mounted within the frames, with remote controls (will require electrical wiring).
Good luck with your beautiful room!

Actually, if you are going to install tv above fireplace, you may want to wait to put in window treatments until you get a feel for how much light you want coming in when watching the tv...put up a rod and temp drapes to play with options

Don't take the light out! It will feel like your in a room breathing 'mold-spores'. Light kills mold-spores.

Agree with Laura on this. Leave the celestory windows unadorned https://www.houzz.com/photos/blount-design-traditional-living-room-atlanta-phvw-vp~31264

I love the light coming in, looks like LIFE is in this room! The colors are soft, would love to see how they respond to the different lights. This is beautiful.

To Laurie, referring to judyg photo, where would you put the tv in this room, if your client wanted it in this room?

Also, all, take into consideration that these windows don't have any trim to speak of, so may not look as complete as the photos you see elsewhere...

Whoa! Two gorgeous stories tall - forget my idea of sheers to the ceiling - LOL! Although we do have 9' ceilings - that's nowhere near your 2 story height. I agree with Laurie S Woods ASID that using the curtain rods - and lots of sheers - to define first story would help ground the room.

Do you mean where to locate the TV in the photo posted by judyg? Can't see the whole room but would not recommend it over the fireplace, as the fireplace has very formal architectural details. With clients, I try to arrange the furniture in the room to avoid placing the TV above the fireplace. In what I can tell from the model home pic that Darla posted, I would recommend the TV be on the wall opposite the fireplace.

Fact is, the windows and fireplace are a bit out of scale with each other. If you paint the fireplace and hearth area white, it will significantly simplify things for you without lessening the impact of the fireplace. Once the fireplace is white, you can stand back and see how you want to cover the windows. Something simple, not drapes would be my guess. Good luck with it.

Darla, think function ..........
What will you use your Living Room for? Occassional entertaining or T.V. viewing, etc.?
What do you want your window coverings to do? Provide privacy, light etc.

As it appears that the window frames are in very close proximity to your fireplace mantle, I personally would consider an inside mount Roman Shade. Why? Because they are extremely versatile and functional, plus they will suit most decors. The choice of your fabric will dictate how they look and the style you choose. ie: Accordian, relaxed, stage-coach etc. also they can be operative from the bottom up if that is your wish. IF you can't sew and must opt for custom made, they take less material and labour should be cheaper than if they were full drapes/curtains. Actually even if they have extra detail, they are quite easy to construct. Good luck on your hunt!

I had this in my ideabook as a great way to handle tall, two story ceilings in a comparatively limited space. No reason to mess with the grasscloth, I just like the wide moldings against that lovely warm taupe paint. Perhaps you could adapt it a bit to use that kind of plain, wide white molding as trim around your windows. Don't know if some variation on this would appeal to you - I just thought it was a simple, dramatic look -

Try 2 or 3 inch plantation shutters. Open - you will get plenty of light. Closed they will offer great privacy as well as temperature control. Lowe's sells some that actually qualify for energy credits. They seal out warm or cold air. Also easy to clean! You can have them installed so they fold completely off to the side of the window if you choose. Whatever you choose - good luck!

Eye to Eye did a great rendition. I was going to suggest sage with that lovely stonework. Absolutely lovely!And functioning panels on either side is perfect. Enjoy your new home!

Some of you with great eyes: look at the natural stone on the fireplace, the beautiful woods, nature from the windows! Do not add more white! Use a color conducive to the soft grout in the stones to paint the mantel. Keep this room with an outdoor natural theme, yet that could be traditional or whatever. I love the room. I have 10 foot ceilings and transoms with no window treatment, my woods do all the decorating. good suggestion was made to place narrow panels from the top of the first floor on the outer sides of the windows. That could make things soft. Looking at some of the pictures on Houzz, I see seagrass, that would be a wonderful color, also sage (Lt). on the walls and ceilings.

Some of you with great eyes: look at the natural stone on the fireplace, the beautiful woods, nature from the windows! Do not add more white! Use a color conducive to the soft grout in the stones to paint the mantel. Keep this room with an outdoor natural theme, yet that could be traditional or whatever. I love the room. I have 10 foot ceilings and transoms with no window treatment, my woods do all the decorating. good suggestion was made to place narrow panels from the top of the first floor on the outer sides of the windows. That could make things soft. Looking at some of the pictures on Houzz, I see seagrass, that would be a wonderful color, also sage (Lt). on the walls and ceilings.

Thanks Laurie, I'm struggling with the tv versus fireplace in my household and want to keep them separate ;)

As far as the stonework in the fireplace (besides hearth), it could just be the photo, but a) looks like synthetic, not natural stone, and b) unnatural colors that repeat unnaturally, like color-blocking-- vote for painting white or covering altogether ;(

Marlainekeenan...this is a brand new build. House isn't even completed. Fireplace and stone are brand new. It it called Seneca drystack...not sure what you mean by outdated unless you are talking about my current fireplace?

Many times it's hard to identify a type of stone from one region to another. I've found a couple of pictures of veneer that are called Seneca to compare color, texture and size variation characteristic of natural stone. The bottom line is that if you are happy with it, great! If you decide you don't like it, or you think there may be issues at re-sale, since you are still under construction, there may be time to address it with the builder. BTW, you have Ashlar, not Drystack. Pics are also of Ashlar, which refers to the style of stone that's been worked into rectangles of various sizes to fit tightly together.

I've been trying to think why it looks un-natural to me, and I think it's because each color seems to be of the same size -- the darkest are all very similar, the rusts are all very similar, etc. Perhaps they didn't mix their pallets very well...

Company is called heritage stone and they called it seneca drystack but you are right, it does look very uniform. Pallet wasnt mixed right..i agree.

I have a very similar situation and went with 1" wood shutters. I love the look and the function.

After seeing your furniture and full room layout,I would agree with Laurie Woods for dressing your windows. I have seen a lot of suggestions for sheers, but I could see drapes that have your wall color as the background with a pattern print that pulls out the colors in the fp. A neat modern floral print or geometric would work beautifully. I would pleat the drapes with rings and hang on a dark wooden rod.
Your new home is beautiful and I know how excited you are to get in there and make it yours. Good luck and remember, if you love it...it will work!

I'm posting this photo because there is an opportunity to bring in pattern and color in your draperies. If you were to mount inverted pleat valances so the hems come to just where the window begins and take them from the inside edge of the windows and out to the perpendicular walls on each side and then hang single drapery panels in same fabric to follow the width of the valances and to clear each window with the stack on each side, you will have accomplished several things. First you will have widened your window and given ballast to the room on your first level of windows. Second, you will have color and pattern to off-set the leather pieces. Additionally, I would do the translucent shades on all the windows (to include the lower windows already addressed), and if it is in the budget, have everything motorized.

Your fireplace and mantle need to be addressed IF you are not happy with either one.

Hi Darla,

This is a nice bright room. I am not sure if you mean it to be a formal room or a family room. I am a fan of permanent flooring, and I would be inclined to remove the rather nondescript carpeting now and install a medium/warm shade of hardwood flooring (not too monochromatic) to warm this generous-sized space up.

I agree with Eye to Eye Interiors that the walls would look good painted sage green. Pictures, mirrors, curtains, etc. all stand out better on darker coloured walls.

Instead of a TV over the fireplace, how about a nice heavy mirror with a simple wide gold frame over the mantel? You can easily find them at antique auctions.

For window treatments how about roman shades, reed shades, pleated shades, or wooden horizontal blinds within the window frames for simplicity's sake and ease of dusting? I agree with the other writer who suggested that the blinds on the upper windows be controlled by remotes, or if privacy and brightness isn't a problem, don't cover them at all.

Alternatively consider not too formal floral-patterned lined curtains with a light ivory background mounted on reasonably substantial wooden poles. The poles should extend beyond the lateral aspects of the windows, but not quite touch the perpendicular walls so that when the curtains are open they cover wall and do not interfere with light entry from outside. I agree with Dianne Thomas's suggestion of installing the curtain rods at the same height as the top of the TV (? mirror) to visually break up the height of the wall. Don't let the curtains touch the floor, I know it's popular, but in my eyes it's a decorating mistake! It could be a fire hazard if curtains touch the heat registers, people might run the risk of stepping on them, getting them dirty and (worse) accidentally pulling them down.

As for the fireplace, how about painting the mantel one of the colour choices from the fireplace's cultured rock facade? Presently the white mantel draws one's eye to the rather thick application of white grout used between the rocks of the fireplace. I prefer the look of tightly stacked rock to this type of application, but it's done...so do what you can to minimize it. There is another type of way to finish the fireplace facade, and I will attach a photo of the back of my house as an example so you can see how the mortar hides the rocks more which showcases some rocks rocks while minimizing others that aren't so showy. It's called "re-pointing" the rock, and is common when restoring rock houses in Europe. Your colours are nice, I wouldn't dream of painting them as somebody else suggested. Finally I might substitute darker tiles (?taupe or dark grey) for the hearth to offset the lighter stone colours of the fireplace. Perhaps this colour could be repeated when repainting the mantel.

Enough from me. Bon courage, and don't compromise your values just because you're tired at this stage. It's worth it to pay attention right up until the last detail is taken care of. Then you can relax and enjoy all your good decisions.

I see that your sofas are a reddish brown leather, so I would stay away from rust colors. You might consider painting the trim and mantle to bring the dark color around your room. This seems very popular now and helps to lessen the stark contrast of heavy furniture and light walls and carpet. If you want to look out and still have privacy at your windows, look into the Alouette blinds and shades from Hunter Douglas, they are like a sheer and a blind at the same time, and very lovely at windows like yours.

Thank You Katherine! I will look into those blinds and I am also considering moving the TV onto the side wall instead of above the fireplace as suggested. I have taken everybody's input. I am going to go back to the builder and see what they can do about the fireplace as it was not how I imagined it to be. Also, They are going to be laying our kitchen floors which are expresso birch. I will have a professional come in after they are done and my house passes inspection and stain the mantle to match as the kitchen and family room are connected. In fact... I will show a picture of the model home for an idea of how the rooms connect. Thanks again everyone. You people are fantastic!

Simply one panel on each window, put the rod half way from top frame to ceiling and have the curtains cover the wall all the way to the side walls...it will give the impression your windows are very wide. Put tiebacks if you like, but make sure the curtains hide a little bit of the moulding.

I like this idea from Studio NOO Design.

Would you line the panels? I make all my own curtains, and I love lined curtains....but they don't have to be fancy or heavy. I usually line cotton with loosely woven muslin that I prewash so it doesn't shrink more than the curtain itself when washing.

Anyway, really I am a fan of set-in blinds except where I have shutters. In those rooms I hang sheers on thin black or dark brown rods.

Darla, I hope we will get to see the final product !

Yes, I will post an after for sure. Our move in date is November 9th. I looked up the Hunter Douglas Alloutte shades and saw a video for it on youtube and this may be my solution as they pull all the way up and can just look like untreated windows. I could also add curtains to the sides, just like suggested just for decorative purposes only.

Hi Darla,

Re: blinds

I had a big house by a lake once, and I didn't do anything about the windows for several years because blinds are expensive, so I wanted to make a choice I could live with for a long time. In the end I put in top down/bottom up pleated shades (warm light brown/beige nubby linen look). They have a one inch footprint and while open you can dust them with a wand. They have a dust repellent finish so dirt doesn't settle in.

For privacy I used to lower the tops of the ones in the kitchen which was the approach to the house. In summer I'd lower the tops of the dining room shades when the sun was in our eyes at dinner time. With the low profile blinds I could still put things on the one foot deep window sills. I put the same colour throughout the kitchen, dining room and living room. The rest of the time they were up. It's a nice, clean application.

I don't know anything about HD Allouette shades, but I did see a lawsuit against the company while trying to see what they look like. Are the similar to the Silhouette shades? I considered Silhouettes, but they looked fussy to me, wider footprint and more formal.

Here's another pleated shade application in my sun room in my other house. The flooring is cork over an unheated plywood floor, nice underfoot, easy maintenance. I have the same shades all through the living area of the house except in the bedrooms where I have room darkening shades.

I'm no interior designer, but continuity of flooring and blinds make for a nice flow somehow.

Best wishes!

My interior decor experience started many years ago in textile decor, window treatment, matching bedding, slipcovers... I would suggest you to make final decision for window treatment after furnishing the room, when style is defined. I personally was considering customers wardrobe as well (color and style preferences). Sheers and drapes soften the overall look but think safety first, "flying" fabric beside the fireplace is not recommended. Place TV in different places to find the best spot, however if TV and fireplace are in different spots TV always will be winner of attention. In color wheel secondary colors are orange, green and purple, I prefer tints of those colors. Suggested by many readers sage walls are very calming and added coral (peach) plus little lavender (cushion, picture, vase...) should look great.

Thank you French Decor & Marie. Once I am moved into my real home, and my real furniture is in, I will re-submit this question if I am still hung up on it. We went with a color called studio taupe from sherwin williams as it was "safe" and neutral. We do plan on painting it in the future. Most of our furniture is autumn colors - reds, browns, beiges, creams, whites. We opted for Shaw chic ivory carpet in this livingroom because it is a personal preference. I like sprawling out with my kids on the carpet watching cartoons and playing cars. Our the main hallway, kitchen, foyer, morningroom and diningroom will all be hardwood espresso handscraped floors. The wood on the mantle will be stripped of that undesirable white and stained to match our dark floors.

Hi Darla,

I think you are right to move your furniture in and decide on finishing touches later. I looked up "studio taupe" and I love it. I could live with that forever. I painted using a colour similar to "fawn" which turned out to be a good colour for small spaces because it looks different everywhere depending on the light. You have big spaces, and so darker shades are a nice option.

I like the idea of sprawling out on a soft surface with the children while they are small. Is "scraped wood" similar to a "distressed" finish? If so I think that will disguise dust well. I am a bad housekeeper, so I need all the help I can get with surfaces that don't show up animal hair and dust.

Will you please post photos once you move in? I don't think you are hung up on the window coverings. That will fall into place. You got a lot of advice you didn't ask for, and I apologize for my suggestion of removing carpet.

Congratulations on your lovely new home. I think you have put a lot of thought into it.

Best wishes,

Marie-Odile

Thanks everyone! I will do a repost when all is said and done.

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I love roman shades because you can leave them up for a valance effect or down if you want to block the sun or people looking in. They look modern and you can add draperies too if you want a more formal look. You can buy custom sizes at stores like Lowes (if you are not a do it your self person, you might not think of going there. They also have shutters and blinds They also have area rugs.) JC Penneys has a great website for home decor items. Usually, it is a lot easier to go and there and find all the sizes you need and a variety of colors if you dont want the expense of custom. You can also take a peak at them sometimes at the store before ordering sometimes. Hope this helps.

Thank you all...very informative!