If you are planning a remodel, could you change your doors out to the ones that have the internal blinds? That way, you would have no extension beyond the door's edge. You could add a simple, small cornice board to the top that matched the fabric used in your kitchen.

Oh wow! Just saw on the Hunter Douglas site their Skyline Gliding Window Panels. We had the guy here to measure for a Designer Screen Roman Shade in our MB, and I asked him about the gliding panels for a friend who's been looking for something to replace the vertical blinds on her sliding glass door. He said the indiviual panels (that make up the window treatment) come in either 11" or 17" widths. They slide open/closed, and certain "fabrics" are available in that style.

HTH!

Here is a link that might be useful: Skyline Gliding Window Panels

forhgtv,
Thanks for the suggestion, but cost is an issue. The existing door works and is in good shape.
If I went with, for example, french doors, the space needed for opening would be more than the drapes occupy.

cat mom,
Thanks for the link. That idea is worth pursuing, although the photos are not my style. Maybe other fabrics.

bobtheblindguy,
Thanks for the info. Never thought about a common headrail. Great idea. I'd probably take the shades to the ceiling.

Keep those ideas coming. The "remodel" consists of changing cabinets and countertops and removing soffits. Maybe changing the footprint a little. So I need to anticipate as many problems as I can.

Thanks again.

instead of the drapes you have now (to one side), if you have them on either side of the door with them closing in the middle, that will take up less room.

I have bamboo roman shades on my patio sliders.

I have a slider in my bedroom and I put one large shade.

In my living room the sliders are oversized so I have two seperate shades hung side by side, to those I also added the bottom up/top down feature for more light control. I wanted them both on the same rail but couldn't order them that way with the bottom up/top down feature.

I hope that helps give you an idea on how a shade might look over your sliders....

Just remember to measure the width at the bottom of the doors and use that for your width - otherwise you might not be able to lower your shade to the floor past your baseboard molding.

nik211,
oooohhhhh! I like the bamboo. Easy to clean and green.
How are they holding up? I could also use them in the kitchen.

I mounted mine up to the ceiling, hung a dark wood pole that blends in across it, and then hung panels on each side. Makes the doorway (and window in other room with same treatment) look so much larger). We don't regulary put the one on the door up and down. It was from JCPenneys and it was very inexpensive. Here's two pictures, hope they help, I find it very difficult to photograph doors and windows.

{{!gwi}}

{{!gwi}}

Thanks canishel. They are holding up well but I've only had them for a few months now, so far so good.

I ordered them when they were on sale & with a coupon from Blinds.com

beekeeperswife,
NICE pix. I won't be adding side panels because I need the wall space and access to light switches, but the shades look mahvelous.

Beaskeepers what is the brown color you have on your walls. Love it!,
PS: My vote is the bamboo roman shades.

We have french doors in the kitchen and have the hideous vertical blinds for lack of anything else. We like to close them at night for privacy and during the day while we're at work for security. DH hates curtains, and the cats tug on them from when I had my old house.

I really like those Hunter Douglas panels!

We will need to replace the french doors mabye next summer since they are starting to have some issues due to age. I think those with the blinds in them is probably the way to go. Now to convince DH.

oopsie, the color on the walls is a Valspar (Lowe's) color. I had BM mix it for me in the Aura paint. The lighter color is Coastal Villa and the darker color (behind the hood and the fireplace) is Italian Leather, from the same paint swatch. I like the colors, they are a nice taupe. So it's perfect for my space--gray/brown color.

canishel, I too have light switches behind my panels, and I also have 2 hooks to hang the dog leashes! I'm so happy to have these things hidden!

Good Luck!

Beekeeperswife, the next time I am on a tear about discipline, restraint, consistency, circulation, and color balance, I am going to refer to those pictures. Wonderful! Neutral, but with personality. Vibrant color, in the right dose. Carefully chosen lighting. Clean, orderly, but not stiff.
I'll be right over.

brownynsmom-c'mon over I'll be ready. Do you like margaritas? Just got the new frozen margarita machine...oh yeah.

Seriously, thanks so much for the really kind words.

I was thinking of the same idea! I've had a slider in my kitchen, for the past 17 years and never had or wanted drapes or curtains on it. I never wanted to block light or view. Now that I'm remodeling, I was considering adding Roman Shades to the very top, basically as decor rather than function.