how about making them go to the floor instead.... you'd avoid all of the header issues. rearrange furniture so you can walk right up to them. they would have to be tempered glass if they are lower than 18" from the floor i believe.

actually rearranging the furniture and not doing anything with the windows would probably make you pretty happy. i hate windows i cannot get to to see out.

Thanks for the replies, but does anyone know if it 's possible to add transoms? I can't move the furniture because I have (2) 7 ft wide openings into the room. The only other wall is the fireplace wall. Any advice about furniture placement would be appreciated. Here are a few more pictures

Transoms above the bottom windows or the top windows? Remember there are headers placed above each window in the building process.

My husband is thinking of adding columns to the pony walls, and trimming them out. There is about an 8 inch step down into the room, so we need to have something there. I thought about doing the long window treatments but worried they would look too heavy on the wall. As for the headers, I know... But, thought it would be cheaper than re-framing for a whole new window.