SFGate

decoenthusiaste I'd go for fabric roman shades. Let us know when you're ready to do more - I see lots of opportunity for an update and new arrangement. Are these matching sofas or a love and 3-seater? Is there a possibility of tucking TV in the staircase corner and putting the sofas in an "L" configuration?

Darzy How about floor to ceiling drapery on a travis rod? That way you can close it up completely to keep the dark and cold out, or open it up just enough to use the slider? Or, all the way open to let as much light in as possible. Like this slider....

Christine Lema I could do a fabric Roma shade but then mount it on the wall? These are two love seats. I tried an L configuration but one the one couch blocked so much and took away the openness. We have constant flow with two boys and a dog! We watch little tv so I don't care about the tv. Any advice is welcome!

decoenthusiaste I like Darzy's idea of a traverse rod, but you would be covering the electrical switches when they are open because of the stackback to each, or even just one side. Your seating is so close to the FP! I'm wondering about the space opposite it. Can more square footage be devoted to the sitting area since your rug seems to extend past it some? Could you use one of the loveseats in the master, and replace it with two accent or arm chairs? That would allow them to sit facing the FP and open the slider area but not block the room as much as a sofa.

Christine Lema So it doesn't look right to have a sofa in front of the sliding door? I have two chairs I could move in there just to see what it looks like and then post a pic. Should something go in the corner then? Would there be a balance problem with a couch on the left and two chairs facing the FP? I appreciate comments. Thanks!

anitajoyce Plantation shutters arwould be nice or mini blinds for the sliding doors. panels with the blinds would be nice also. If you can, I would move the sofa away from the door and have it face the fireplace. Makes for better fung shui! The sofa looks like it's blocking the doors and flow of the space.

Christine Lema What about this arrangement? These chairs are from my living room and are here just to see if it works. Should I take out couch on the right to open up the sliding door area and use full length curtains?

Carolyn Albert-Kincl Design Yes, I would try replacing the sofa on the right with the two chairs. Then, regarding the draperies, yes traversing draperies could work, either opening in the middle and stacking on each side, or they could all stack on the left so that the light switch would not be covered. However, generations of home owners have reached behind a drapery panel to turn lights on and off, so I wouldn't worry too much about covering the light switches.

Christine Lema Two other possible arrangements

Maria Billingsley of J Hettinger Interiors I did this. A combination of a roman shade and stationary panels. Works great and gives you more options with fabrics!

Carolyn Albert-Kincl Design I'd love to see a photo of both chairs by window, facing the sofa.

garris95 I agree, both chairs by the window and the floor to ceiling drapes.

Miller's Paint & Wallpaper Looking at your family room I would consider doing a Luminette by Hunter Douglas on your slider one way draw to the right. I would mount it up to the ceiling and the Luminette would give you a soft and finished look. You can look at the Hunter Douglas website to see the treatment.

Barbara Griffith Designs I have no problem with the one sofa in front of the door. It is a slider door and the far side, I assume does not open. The sofas look much better in the room and the patterned chairs. If you put drapery on the windows as suggested by Darzy, solid color..neutral. find something higher and bulkier for the TV, move the birds picture to the left of the glass door, remove everything from the top of the fireplace, hang a large round framed mirror over the fireplace and 3 larger objects on the mantle, move the metal piece from the right side of the fireplace to be almost touching squarely the one on the left side, and something new and larger for over the TV. Maybe the suitcase table could be under the TV and a lighter glass table in that location used with the original small chair....Love your rug.

Carolyn Albert-Kincl Design @ Miller's: Would a Luminette work on a sloped ceiling? I thought about a ceiling track for the draperies but was afraid it wouldn't work.

Miller's Paint & Wallpaper I wouldn't mount it on the ceiling. I would mount it right below the slope about an inch below. That way when treatment is up it will just about line up with the wall line at the bottom of the slope...understand?

Miller's Paint & Wallpaper Also Christine by bringing up that Luminette just that little bit more it will make your ceiling feel a little bit higher.

selective If looks like you have two focal points in the room, the fireplace and the sliding glass door.. If you want the fireplace to be the focal point, then you need to beef it up some with a larger picture over the mantel and maybe some floor candle stands on the fireplace hearth. Personally, I would paint it black. If you want the slider and outside to be the focal point, then you need to make some nice traditional drapes extended 6 inches on either side of the frame and up to the ceiling line with a valance like below. Extending the width makes it the main focal point and allows you to open them for easy access in and out. Then the furniture placement will take care of itself with the new look. Good Luck, it's a nice house.

maxwell2115 If you decide to keep the chairs in the family room, I would take one of the pillows off the couch and add one with the color of the chairs to pull the room together.

Christine Lema The brown chairs actually belong in a different space (my living room). I only pulled them in to see about possible furniture arrangements. My big question is if I keep the couch against the sliding door, what window treatment do I go with? I do appreciate advice on all of it however. I need to fix the fireplace area I know. I'm going to paint over the brass and add larger art over the mantle and to either side. I'd like to add book cases to either side of the fireplace. I tried that once, but the freestanding shelves I added did not look right at all.

maxwell2115 I would put some type of a blind on each window. A drapery is too heavy a look. You have a lovely view out that window. Use the window treatment for privacy...during the day you can leave the blinds or shades up and enjoy the view and light.

Carolyn Albert-Kincl Design I would prefer a drapery on your window, which would be open in the daytime but would give you warmth and privacy at night.

blindsdirectcanada I would not recommend Roman shades if its a door you use often . Romans can get really heavy and have a very large stack so you would have to duck when you go out those doors. I would recommend Ripplefold Drapery it comes in whats called a SK track which makes the drapery traverse really well.

http://www.blindsdirectcanada.com/drapery-toronto/panels/ripplefold-drapery.html

flgrandma i don't know about your drapes, but I like your family room much better with white furniture.

Barbara Griffith Designs For the glass door I would do simple drapery panels with the rods off the window so they can stack off the glass and not interfere with opening the door. A solid color similar to your wall color and hang them at the ceiling. You need just the softness of the fabric, not another design element.