curtains for French doors

[Bama]

I'm making curtains for my living room windows and I'm trying to decide how to handle the French doors. In the past I had curtains on the windows with sheer panels underneath and used the same sheers on the French doors, just covering the glass panes. I'm not planning to use sheers on the windows this time, so not sure how to dress the French doors. I want something covering them during the winter. What would look better? Solid, matching panels covering the glass panes with rods at top and bottom ? Or hang a rod OVER the doors and make floor length curtains to match the windows? It gets cold along that wall in the winter time and I could close them on cold nights.
I am not great at decorating, so I welcome all suggestions.

[MartySews2]

Lori, if you're not planning on using the french doors, then treat them as a window and have all of the curtains matching. Otherwise, use solid panels with a rod at the top & bottom. That's my take on it but then, I'm not an interior decorator. My kitchen & laundry room windows are still waiting for some type of covering after 30+ yrs.
Marty

[sewingmom]

Lori., the photos you have posted of your home say that you are a good decorator and I think you should go with your gut inclination. You might want to look at some window treatments online or in catalogues to give you a better feel for what might work.

[LeapFrog Libby]

You have not said what is on the other side of the French Doors. Is it another room? or is it the outdoors. I would think that makes a great deal of difference..

[lendube]

Sounds like outdoors, Libby, since she said it's a cold wall. I'm not much of a decorator either but I'd google "french door window coverings" and take a look. You could have one variation for winter and one for warmer weather.

[HeyJudee]

I think it would depend on whether both doors open and whether you use both doors. Myself it's almost like having a patio door...except that the doors open rather than slide. I have vertical blinds on my patio door but they are not great for keeping out the cold. If you have room on both sides of the doors for drapes to hang, I'd probably put drapes on a rod that is long enough that you can draw back away from the doors when you want the light or to use the doors. Then you can draw them closed at night when you want to keep the cold out.

These are some ideas that I found. I kind of like the one hanging from the rings...but it's not really practical for being able to use the door, IMO.
http://www.bhg.com/decorating/window-treatments/basics/window-treatments-for-sliding--french-doors/#page=4

They also have rods that you can swing the curtains back from the doors...but you'd probably see the wrong side when they are swung back away from the doors.

Being from the cold north...I have insulated drapes in my living room. I've had them for years...bought them when I was in an apartment that had old windows. The drapes are 144" (12 ft) wide and are on drapery hooks that slide across a 10 ft rod and extend well past my 6 ft wide window. I open them wide in the daytime and draw closed at night. They really help to keep the cold out on the long winter nights.

Edited: Just thinking of when I bought them... back in 1987...and what I paid for them...a 50% off clearance bin and they still cost me $144. But I've had them for...25 years. Egads...I guess I got my money's worth. And it shows that I don't redecorate much...

[Bama]

Sorry, I should have said that the doors lead to our back deck. They both open but we only use one side unless we need to open them wide to get furniture or an appliance into the house. The one door is usually only opened when the cat wants in. She rubs her paws on the glass and we hear a squeak squeak squeak. .
There's about two feet of wall space between the sides of the doors and each window. I like the look of the curtains in Judy's link, but not sure if it would just be too fabric on that wall. Our ceilings are not as tall. I was also thinking of doing tab top curtains for the windows. Decisions, decisions.

If I did curtains with a rod above the doors (treating it like a window) for winter time, what could I do about the rod if I take the curtains down in warm weather?

[MartySews2]

Lori, you could put sheers up for warm weather as it would give some protection from the sun.
Marty

[Pudge99]

How about a valance for summer? Mount the curtain rod high enough that the door can open freely under the valance.

[sewingmom]

I would drape sheer fabric over the rods in the summer and hang sheers on the doors stretched tight from top to bottom. But I have always liked the old movies with french doors open and sheer fabric waving in the breeze