Thank you so much for your input. That is what I was afraid of. I am just not sure of the cost (and have been afraid it will be so expensive) (we are going with a lined Drape) but think that is the way I will have to go :(

I would use ivory curtains with no valances.

Agree with hatetoshop about the length of the drapes and phuninthesun about the color.

check out your local dry cleaners, many times they do tailoring as well, and hemming panels would be in their abilities.

Half Price Drapes do easy custom...you choose the length and they have good sales...free swatches.

I would totally do a sage green...

Anyone can hem drapes. You don't need to pay. It is sewing in a straight line. Ask a friend to help you if you don't have a sewing machine, or do it by hand. You can google youtube videos. Additionally, I believe there is a certain kind of iron-on tape so you can hem them without sewing. I would check at a local fabric store, or Amazon.

If budget is an issue, I would check out Ikea for drapes. They come in really long hard-to-find sizes, and the quality on many is quite nicer than you'd expect. I have used them where I like to have plain white, due to the long sizes.

Even professional designers adjust to the situation rather than follow a stiff "rule" of rod placement. In my personal home I have a bank of windows along the living area wall and my rod is hung to accommodate 84" drape panels because my open floor plan includes a dining area set of windows that can only accommodate 84" panels due to a slope in the ceiling. Having all the panels hung at the same height makes the space better. Hang your rod where your panels fit!

Grommet top drapes are a more modern style. I don’t know if I’d tie them back, but rather let them hang straight down. You can buy iron on hemming tape at Joann Fabrics or anyplace that sells sewing supplies. Not sure if WM still carries much.

Yes, there is iron on tape that you can use to hem with just an iron. All the curtains I've ever gotten at Ikea have come with it, but I'm sure I've seen it at fabric stores as well. Easy-peasy.

I would choose a curtain to match your trim as close as possible. With the plum and green and white trim, you have a lot going on color-wise already, so small wonder it it driving you crazy to find something that works on all the walls. If white sounds too boring, you can mix it up with texture, or sheen, or a white-on-white pattern.

IMO I wouldn't let "standard size" drape panels dictate where I hang the drapes. Hang the longer drape where you have the rod now and hem them appropriately using the iron on tape. No sewing required. I like the idea cawaps proposes about using textured white rather than color.

Personally, I dont think you need drapes at all. Nice white wooden blinds or shutters would look very nice here.

Mrs S Hemming unlined drapes is easy but she's getting lined drapes

^then have the drycleaner's alterations/sewing department do it. It's not expensive.

The drapes that you show are a little short.....if you took the hem out, would they be long enough? You could sew some sort of facing on the back to make the drapes hang correctly........ Otherwise, I would just put the rod lower so that the drapes just kiss the floor.....making sure all the drapes in the room are hung at the same height.

Agree with Mrs. S. about Ikea drapes. I'm looking there for my family room as I have three tall windows and I cant spend much. If you need lined they have blackout, which are not lined, but thick enough so that very little light shows through. If you must have them lined, they sell add on liners that seem easy enough to do...

https://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/categories/departments/Textiles/10654/

Thank you all so much for taking the time to input your comments. I took a piece from each. I am not 'tieing' the drapes back. We installed some holdbacks with matching finials (to the rod) and will need to let light into the room now and then. I thought it would be a more formal look with them held back sometimes. I could just slide them open but not changing that at this point. My husband has been taking hardware on & off...fixing the hole and using touch up paint. Now I am returning the drapes you see and in search of new. This whole process (which I have no time for and starting to lose track of the final cost) is driving me insane. and he has been very patient with all of the changes until I get it right.

I have been following this thread since you first posted. I don't know when you got the advise to cover the semi circle windows with flat drapes, but I think that is the real issue here. I can't help but go back to the original problem. Your windows are beautiful. The half circles are designed/intended, to not be covered up. No film, nothing--but your windows should never have been put on a home with standard size ceilings. The semi circle should be high enough privacy with them unadorned is not an issue. The rod should be placed just below the semi circle, no valance just a flat length. The issues you are encountering are caused by trying to make something fit that was never designed to. I too thought the hemming of a flat piece of cloth is a simple task. Most malls have an alterations business these days there or a dry cleaner often does mending. Save yourself the aggravation. Find the drapes you like and have the properly hemmed.

arcy, thank you for noticing that she covered the semi circle window. I never saw that in her photos. I thought the window she was showing with those drapes was a square or rectangular window. You are exactly correct. The semi circle window changes the whole aspect of window treatments and shouldn't be covered.

If if you’re going to pull the curtains back, pole pocket style would look better than grommet. I second the comment above about www.halfpricedrapes.com . Most curtains and sheers can be customized for little extra cost and they send free swatches

To arcy-gw and Denita-Thank you for your input. But to answer your questions as to why I am going this route, I will explain.

I first went on this site for suggestions and was advised to place my rods above the atrium windows to give the room a more formal look and also because you are correct-these windows should not have been placed in a room with lower ceilings. However, since they were it has been a nightmare trying to get it right and the sun pours in that room in the afternoon. So much so you cannot see the TV screen. Just when I think I am on the right track I read completely different suggestions. I know I do not have to go with them all but I sought them out on here in the beginning because I am totally confused on how to dress these for length & color and still stay in a budget that is not custom drapery. And because they were put in a room where they should not have been. I love the Atrium windows-just, not in this room. So I am on the internet searching for a Blackout Drape, 108" long (that I will have to have hemmed) either a White or White background with either plum or green. And if I find something remotely similar to what I am looking for....they either come with Silver Grommets (and I am looking for a Brown tone, I don't want Silver in this room) or they have 7 and I need 8 panels, or the color is not right...I am literally ripping my hair out with this room and cannot wait for it to be done! I have attached the original photos of what I had in the room (which I absolutely hated by the way) and wish I could move on to my next project. I have been hanging and returning for weeks and do not have the creativity or the patience for this. And also, the builder chose the larger window that we are unable to place shades on the bottom window due to the construction of the window (it obviously should have been placed much higher in a room.)

Thank you bowzdins. I remember your original post now.

This has got to be very frustrating for you Bowdzins! I think the hemmed drapes are going to be your answer. I would call some local cleaners or alterations places first, tell them you need 8 lined panels hemmed, and find out cost. If it is out of your budget, get a nice set of unlined and do the iron hemming method mentioned. But don’t forget to factor in your own time costs to make sure the savings is worth the hassle of doing it yourself.

I have been avoiding putting up my own window treatment dilemma for exactly the reason you’ve mentioned-becoming more confused!

Have you considered putting woven shades up instead of drapery? The drapery looks really heavy on these windows. Lowe’s has them and the are quite reasonably priced. A tortoise tone could look very chic in this space. Keep it simple. Drapery is going to cost you a bundle no matter what you do.

Something along these lines.

bowzdins, You're doing fine. Don't be frustrated. In my mind FUNCTION comes first. It would be silly to sit there trying to watch glare instead of television, and getting a sunburn from the arched top of the windows. I don't blame you a bit, nor think it's a bad decision, to solve the problem as you have, and on a budget, no less. People like me who comment don't live in your house, and are trying to help, but only you can know which suggestions work for you and your house. Most commenters are here to cheer you on, and see your space become "better". I love it when we get to see the "after" photos.

Look on your local Craigslist under services for a local seamstress. That is what I did, $15.00 for each unlined panel.

I had a similar problem. I bought an extra curtain panel for the fabric. I took out the hem and sewed a doubled piece to extend the length. Matching your pattern might be difficult with your fabric but the panels don't match across anyway.

Thank you for all of your input. I truly appreciate ALL of the suggestions however frustrating this process may be. To Flo-the builder chose the larger window that we are unable to place shades on the bottom window due to the construction of the window (it obviously should have been placed much higher in a room.) The windows do not have a wood frame and there is also no way to hang something straight across them. To Mrs. S-I completely agree and appreciate everyone's comments and realize they are trying to help. I am in search of the right color in the 108" length at the moment. I found some finally-and the site had 7 instead of the 8 panels I needed....ugggh...and the search continues!

I'd at leasttry the hemming tape before paying someone to hem the curtains, it worked great for all mine. Under $5 at Walmart

those curtains you liked with silver grommets....can you use bronze nail polish to carefully paint the grommets?

I also think you could hem the drapes, I have to alter most of my clothes and if it's a simple hem I do it myself....nobody is going to get on the floor and judge your hemline.

So maybe redi made drapes are not going to work for you....

Possibly you could find some fabric you love and use clip rings to hang on the rod?

Our local fabric store has a list of seamstresses that will make custom drapes for you out of fabric you choose from the fabric store and they provide the liner. It has always been a lot cheaper to do it this way and get a more custom look.

I just wanted to add that drapes are their own sort of hell for anyone...I hear how discouraged you are, but this is what it's like for most of us. You're not alone!

When I start to talk about drapes, my husband literally gets up and leaves the room.

I still urge you to look at Ikea. Mostly decent quality for price, not too much variety that you leave with a glazed look in your eyes...They are (unless you're lucky) hem-it-yourself, so you don't need to struggle finding a length. And insane prices.

Just my opinion, but grommet top is an informal look...

I went through probably 5 sets of drapes in my living room before I got white wooden shutters...I have them in every room now, I realized I just don't like curtains!

You can mount plantation shutters outside the window. They mount a frame and put them in. Get someone out and work with you to determine if this is a solution. Have you gone to a fabric shop or a Hobby Lobby and looked at fabrics? You could sew or use the iron on tape, panels and then use rings with hooks and make them exactly the way you want. Just do a 5" hem at the top and get some iron-on interfacing to give it some body then hem the sides about an inch and then hang them up on the rings with hooks and mark the hem of each panel to size. Pin each panel with a number so you get them back up in the proper order. You see the floor is not perfectly level. The drape should just skim the floor or carpet. No puddling. There is always sales on great fabrics and you could do this quite inexpensively if you have the time and energy.

What about Roman shades or a bamboo roller? Then lowered to cover the arch. Then panels on either side. Like this but with a shade as well.

so it would end up like this.

I really like Annette's suggestion. And the earlier post who stated, "form follows funtion". Regardless of the type of window you have, you have a "function" issue, and so the "form" should follow. You can enjoy your pretty windows from the outside of your home, but the inside issue needs addressed for you to live in your home. I do believe that raising the curtain rods does raise the eye, creating the illusion of height. Using a shade to fill in the space between the panels would allow you to use less panels and have them for effect only (never intending to actually pull them across to shut out the light). You could have a roman shade that is functioning, a motorized shade that you can adjust by remote, or an actual pull shade depending upon your budget and your design preference. Lots of great input from this community. Best wishes for a successful resolution to your issue :)