Just had some made to measure curtains made for the dining room in our terraced cottage but now I'm regretting the choice, even fully opened, they're blocking some light coming into the room from the sash windows. As it's the 'back room' of the terrace I need to make sure I let as much light in as possible so it's not 'dark and pokey' 
Plus, opened, the curtains stick out into the room a bit sucking out some of the space from an already small room.
Should I have gone for something like a roman blind instead?! 
To confuse matters even more, we're having (quite unobtrusive, but it will still be there IYKWIM) secondary glazing fitted in a few weeks time. I don't know how it will look and whether it will need to be hidden if its not discreet enough.
If this helps, I'm very,very minimalist at heart but still want to have a 'cottagey' look to our little house. It will all be eventually painted white with cosy sofas and rugs and a woodburner and wooden flooring throughout. I just need some advice about how best to 'dress' my sash windows