I think it would be helpful if you posted a picture of your room. What are your other window treatments in the room currently? Nothing? I think it looks best if they are the same if function allows for that.

Drapes are beautiful but for french doors they must be mounted high and the rod must extend enough on either side that the drapes can be pulled back to allow for the doors to open. The windows must coordinate and have the the rod be mounted at the same height---does your architecture allow for all of this? How formal is your room?

bump. We will have a french door flanked by a window on each side. Because of hurricane regulations in Florida our french doors must swing out. I was thinking of mounting curtain rods above each window and the door that would extend out far enough to draw the curtains completely open to expose the windows and door when I wanted all the sunlight to come in. The idea I have is to mount the rod 6" or so above the trim and have the curtains all the way down to the floor. Will this work if the curtains are closed and someone wanted to sort of pull it aside to go out the french door? Hope this makes sense. Thanks for any help you can give.

it would work if you put a small block of wood on the wall before you mount the bracket for the rod. That way the curtain will float out further from the wall and make it very easy to slide aside. You could also purchase one of the wands they sell to draw the drape easily. Google drapery wands.

Our family room has the same: french doors flanked by a window on each side. We have woven woods on all, with plans for curtain panels, which will be rather narrow, by necessity, and will be strictly ornamental. The woven woods block the glare and protect the wood floors during the hours of direct sunlight, but provide little in the way of nighttime privacy...a thing we don't need, but you may? We love them.

What's a woven wood?

cindy, go to Smith and Noble or Hunter Douglas, for example, and look at natural woven shades, or woven wood shades. Also, use the search function on this site ( Home decorating): type in woven wood shades.