apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Hang them at the ceiling - and if the panels are too short, sew a band of contrasting solid color velvet onto the bottom so that the panels reach the floor.

I lean toward hanging them at the window divide as your photo suggests.
The decorative upper window was A) meant to be seen B) meant to allow for SOME natural light while still providing privacy.
I believe that was the way these windows were meant to be dressed. It'd be like a lady dressing up in lovely clothes... and then covering her face with a towel.

If the upper window is drafty (and I doubt it - since it doesn't open and close) then cover the whole window if you are concerned about warmth.

I think you have the right idea.

Agree with at the ceiling, but if you what them below the upper window use a white rod so the rod doesn't stand out when the curtains are open

I like the height you've got going too.
I would try to use a wool or wool blend to insulate
a little. the weightier fabric will be nice on the eyes too for
winter.

I would also hang it at the ceiling and get floor-length curtains, but I would also make the bar wider and hang the curtains just so the inside edges hit the sides of the window and don't cover it. Then you can close them as needed. Very pretty window :)

I would kill for windows like this, just so I could do what you have done in the picture. A white rod may look better, but you're definitely on the right track.

I think you already nailed it. Bring on the fabric! The mouldings and transom are too nice to hide.

Ceiling!
-- and mounted outside the window frame on the sides (so the window looks bigger and the curtain can be opened for unobstructed natural light).

I love where you've hung the rod. I would hang curtains that just touch the windowsill. Lovely window and woodwork - why cover it all up? Perhaps velvet in the cooler months and a light cotton in the warmer months.

I wouldn't go ceiling height since it would require drilling plaster. Which sucks.

I like where they are at now. You will get great light filtering in over the top!

Ceiling to floor hands down

Yeah, I vote ceiling to floor...the way it is now makes the ceiling look low and claustrophobic.

Firstly I was surprised you even had to ask this question, and then I was surprised at the number of people who said hang the curtain rail where it is now. I'm sorry, but I think that would look terrible.

And since I presume you are not going to have your curtains closed during the day, leaving the top window clear for natural light to come in is not an issue. Drilling into plaster should not be a problem (I don't know why anyone would think it would be).

Put the curtain rail above the entire window, where it belongs - but please get a more substantial rail rather than this wiry one. And get the kind of good quality curtains such a beautiful window casement deserves (they don't have to be ornate, but they should make a feature of the window). If you swag them back (again, this doesn't have to be ornate) then they will not obscure your lovely window casement.

I agree with clickchick - the top of that window was definitely meant to be seen. So it depends if you want to go with what was meant to be done or the modern thing of just hiding the whole damn window which seems to be popular. I can't stand floor to ceiling curtains myself though - incredible waste of fabric when most only needed half to two-thirds of it.

I agree with idontdobeige. A really wide, more substantial curtain rod with long curtains hanging on either side of the window will not obstruct the light, will make the ceilings look higher and will allow you to shut out drafts completely when you pull the curtains shut. A black bar in the middle of such a pretty window just looks weird. Happy decorating!

ceiling
to floor

It depends on the rest of the wall and what you are going for. If you want to make the ceiling appear higher, etc., then you'll have to move it (ugh, then the pain of patching the holes). But, if you would like some light from that transom, then I would proceed with what you have started. You won't really know until you get a curtain up there too.

I actually prefer curtains just above the windows down to the floor, instead of all the way to the ceiling.

Oh, and I forgot - I like curtains off to the sides of the windows mostly covering the walls instead of the windows or frames. So the curtain rod should be several inches wider than the window on either side.

Thanks everyone for the great advice! We have 10' ceilings, so I'm not worried about making it feel claustrophobic in the room. I'd never even thought of using a white rod, but now that some people have mentioned it, it makes perfect sense! If I decide to keep the rod in its current location, I will definitely switch it out. But I am also really liking the idea of mounting the rod wide and just above the window. It's true, I won't need that natural light when the curtains are drawn because it will be dark, and I can still show off the pretty molding and transom during the day. And if I do decide to go that route, I suppose filling a couple of holes is a small price to pay for a good looking room! Thanks again!

I would either mount a "surface mounted" rod like you have at the flat part above the transom and below the crown or use an inset rod (that goes from jamb to jamb) with a short panel curtain just over the bottom window. I think curtains hung above the window are fine if your trim simply wraps over the top of the window, but when there is a "finishing" element like a crown, it looks silly.

there is a such thing as a "curtain nay-sayer"? who are these people, and is there a 12-step program for such an affliction?

I know it's late for a comment, I hope I'm in time. I had the same problem. Beautiful upper window and moldings but very cold winters. How did I solve it. A Jane Austin Movie! Curtains floor to ceiling and outside the moldings. Then replace the blind with white folding shutters. That way on nice days you open the curtains relieving the entire window and but the shutters provide privacy and well as matching nicely with the 109 year old home.

While I am a floor-to-ceiling-curtain-hanger (all of our curtains are hung at the ceiling height), in this case, clickchick is right. The decorative window is meant to be seen. I also agree with the white, un-obtrusive rod...