I have a window exactly like yours, with a valance that just goes along the top. Keeps the room really open.

I know very little about window treatments, so take my thoughts with a grain of salt. But if you like a cottage style, and informal to boot, I think you want regular panels, the kind that would hang from rings. (I don't know what that style is called.) I'm not sure about a valence at all. Perhaps panels alone would give you a cottagey- look.

Are you planning to paper the whole room, or will the walls remain as they are, and is that white paint?

This is just my personal taste, but I prefer window treatments to be similar to the wall color. So if it were my house, I would be looking at simple stationary panels in some sort of white/ light cream/ light beige. Is that a door on the left or a functioning window?

Removing the wallpaper would give you more freedom with choosing fabrics, colors and designs in the room.

Are the window treatments just for decor or do you need them for light control and privacy?

Cottage look to me says casual and relaxed....I think of a simple valance gathered on a rod with a header out of a print or geometric fabric that coordinates with the wall paper. Cottage to me says multiple patterns and prints in a room....

For cottage, I would not use panels and a valance. A little too formal.

I'm sort of anti-valance, they block light and are immovable. That bothers me, I always think, "If I wanted a smaller window, I would have had one put in." Panels can be drawn to the sides completely so they don't block any light, so I would go with panels.

Since your sofa is from IKEA, have you checked out the Aina curtain panels? They are linen & have the cool rod-pocket-tape at the top that helps them hang beautifully (when they are pushed back they ripple evenly and move easily). They have them in white and natural (and gray & pink, which would not look good in your space).

I have the gray ones in my home office and I love them. They are casual and only $50/pair (which isn't bad for linen). They are unlined & stack back into a small space, when you open the panels each one takes up 6-8" of curtain rod. I'd guess you would need 4 panels for your window, so $100 & you'd be mostly done (still need a curtain rod & to hem them).

I was told to hang curtains higher and wider than the trim to make the windows look even larger. My six foot windows appear to be eight foot wide, but my curtains still hang at 84".

Mine are similar to yours and I have wide wooden blinds with panels on each side. My sister has matchstick blinds with panels on each side that I like even more. These would match your other wood tones and bring out your beautiful floor. Do you need privacy or light control?

Hi. Thanks for all the great advice. The curtains are mostly for decoration. I would like them for a little privacy though. Would you suggest a neutral or white curtain?

White with a simple red trim would be nice.

Thanks again. graywings thats a window on the left. I would love to remove the paper but its in such great shape and is on the whole length of the dining room wall and part of the back wall. its a kitchen dining room combo typical in split levels.. we just knocked the wall down between kitchen and dining room. the wallpaper is waverly lookout mountain, I probably will go with a neutral curtain and maybe in a year or two take down the wallpaper.

You can do a valance like this one...only I'd probably leave off the jabots.... and then you can put a shade underneath for privacy at night.

[Traditional Living Room design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional-living-room-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_718~s_2107) by Boston Window Coverings Finishing Touches By Dianne