Window dressing for sliding doors with 2' difference in height

Mindy DuFlunker
by Mindy DuFlunker
Design oops. The dining room sliding door is 6' high and the living room sliders are 10' high. They can be seen at the same time. Any ideas about a window treatment illusion?
  17 answers
  • Lori Jackson Lori Jackson on May 20, 2016
    How tall are the ceilings?
  • Nadine Nadine on May 21, 2016
    You should put up art or wall panel above the shorter slider to balance it out with the taller slider. Then get curtain panels the length of the taller slider for both sliders
  • Betsy Frahm Betsy Frahm on May 21, 2016
    Perhaps a box shaped valence on each so that the bottom edges are even. One will be wider height wise but above the valence on the shorter window you can either put art work, a decal with your favorite saying, or simply paint above both those valences the same color as the fabric on the valences.
  • Mother Mother on May 21, 2016
    I'd bring the taller one down to match the shorter - but NOT by boxing it in. So as not to lose any light. All you need to do is get a roll of self-adhesive, patterned, translucent film (I don;t know what it;s called in America - it's called 'contact' here in the UK and comes in various widths and patterns. Don't get a plain frosted one, though. Get something more interesting,like a 'cracked ice'or 'teardrop' pattern - whatever suits your decor. ) Simply run it across the tops of the doors. No fuss, and nice clean lines.
  • Jean Myles Jean Myles on May 21, 2016
    I would hang the rods for both sliders at the same height and chose curtains/ verticals as close to wall colour as possible. If you hang art work or sayings above t he shorter set of sliders you will call attention to it
    • See 1 previous
    • Jean Myles Jean Myles on May 22, 2016
      @Mindy DuFlunker Hi They will look fine . Not sure what kind of rod you have but if it bothers you paint/ spray paint the rod as close as possible to the wall colour. If you never close them just use short rods for each curtain. I will try to post a picture of my curtain rod 12 inches down from the ceiling. Nobody ever notices the difference and mine also stay open most of the time. I cant get a better pic too shady at that end of the room . Sorry
  • Johnchip Johnchip on May 21, 2016
    Build a box valance 6-8" deep for each. Paint or stain the same, (a neutral or match walls if paint, a shade off or stain if wood). Choose a nice a light weight, gauzy, simple or plain fabric to drape inside each. Use the short window valance to display a few nice pieces that match up to the height of the other valance. (a nice 'pair' of 'architectural' pieces', objects, obelisks, vases, pillars, on each end side would work nicely with a shallow piece or two in between.) (You could always box valance them to the same height, one coming below the large window the other above the shorter, but I think they would be too large and bulky that way and look a bit forced.)
    • Mindy DuFlunker Mindy DuFlunker on May 21, 2016
      @Johnchip I agree about the forced look. But the idea about hanging art above the short slider is a great idea.
  • Debi53 Debi53 on May 21, 2016
    I absolutely agree with Jean Myles. Treat them both as though they were 10' tall and hang curtains close to your wall color. Your eye will go to the line of the curtains and not the difference in door height.
  • Nancy Vestal Nancy Vestal on May 21, 2016
    Make the 6' door look taller by adding 1x3" wooden boards up the sides on top of the existing wood door trim and across the top leaving wall space in the middle like a board and batten wall treatment then add crown molding at the top of both the board and batten and 10' doors to tie them in together. I did this to some windows and it looks great.
    • Mindy DuFlunker Mindy DuFlunker on May 21, 2016
      @Nancy Vestal Tell me more. Right now there is no trim only drywall. I plan to case the inside. I almost understand what you are saying. I am going to learn to be a trim carpenter. (trial and error and utube) I am going to case all the windows and put crown molding in the bedrooms.
  • Ann Beach Ann Beach on May 21, 2016
    I'd remove the wall between the living & dinning rooms. Work your window treatment as Jean Myles & Debi53 stated and place a tree where the piont of the two rooms meet.
    • Mindy DuFlunker Mindy DuFlunker on May 21, 2016
      @Ann Beach I really want to remove the wall, however that is the only electrical outlets (2) for the living room. The living room is the one with the tall slider. But what a great idea you had.
  • Sandra Allen Sandra Allen on May 21, 2016
    That might be a load-barring wall so I like the illusion idea best.
    • Mindy DuFlunker Mindy DuFlunker on May 23, 2016
      @Thank You Sandra Allen it isn't load-barring, just drywall, however it does provide electric outlets to the living room. I am thinking about covering the bottom with bead board and pennying the top.
  • Merrelljoyce Merrelljoyce on May 21, 2016
    Hang an interesting valance from the ceiling. It should cover only a little of the shorter door and a lot of the taller one.
  • Nancy Vestal Nancy Vestal on May 22, 2016
    Mindy, if you go to pinterest and look for fake window transoms or board and batten walls you will find what I'm talking about.
    • Mindy DuFlunker Mindy DuFlunker on May 23, 2016
      @Nancy Vestal I found the fake transom. I think the a mirror one with trim around it will work. I assume that i need to make it so the top is the same height as the 10' slider.
  • B. Enne B. Enne on May 22, 2016
    I agree with @Jean Myles You could always add a long framed mirror as a valance / transom-type look on top of the shorter door, if you feel a need to put anything above it.
  • Rita Rita on May 22, 2016
    OK I think a cornice board might do the trick. If you place one directly above the glass on the 6' door to give it height, and then place one right at the top of the glass on the 10' to shorten its height. Make each of these boards measurements the same in height. Then the fun part will be choosing the design that you would like and color(s) to make them beautiful. I hope this suggestion was helpful.
  • Mindy DuFlunker Mindy DuFlunker on May 23, 2016
    so many wonderful ideas, thank ya'll so much. I will send pic's when completed.
  • Nancy Vestal Nancy Vestal on May 23, 2016
    Yes you do. I loved the mirror idea also, but I had 14 windows that we did the treatment to so I just painted the trim and wall all white and it turned out great. Since it's a door that you're treating I think the mirror would be wonderful.
  • Shojdik Shojdik on May 24, 2016
    Use illusion with different length window toppers