I have long curtains with wide valences on my windows in my LR. Behind the curtains I have drop down solid blinds. At dark I lower the blinds with strings but do nothing to the curtains. My d-i-l has told me that valences are out-dated. I like them because they cover the top of the blind.

I am thinking about taking the curtains completely off and just having new room darkening blinds put on each window. The sun shines through the blinds I have now. So when the sun comes up early as it does in the summer it gets bright early. Plus my son put landscape lights out front of my house so after dark they brighten the windows.

I have always had curtains, so I don't know if it would seem really bare.