I think wooden blinds would work better for you

wooden blinds.

Thanks guys! I forgot to mention that previous to the decade of the cellular shade I went through the decade of the wood blinds. LOL

It is a good idea, and I may come back to it, but I would prefer something more colorful if possible.

Sorry to be difficult!

Flat fold roman shades would be nice and just a little bit of color or pattern at the top of your windows....you could make them yourself if you are good at sewing! Your views are amazing....I wouldn't want to cover that either

Wow, what an amazing view! I don't know what direction you're facing, east, south, north or west. But, you may benefit more from wooden blinds if you get a lot of sun. A room with nothing to off set the sun can heat up fast. As nice as that may be on a cold winter day, summer is very different. You definitely want something you can put all the way up to enjoy the view but put down and control the amount of light entering during the day. Based on the wood you have expose, I would go with the wooden blinds. You may also enjoy some colorful cloth blinds that filter the light, but if it's strong sun, they will rot quickly.

With the wood ceiling and wood floors, along with all the wood trim, I would use fabric for the windows of some type. Start an idea book here of window shades you like and then we can all look at them and tell you what we like. How is that for fun?

Bamboo shades.

wide roman shades can be difficult from "scratch", be careful with the weight of the fabric. Check online for several tutorials using mini blinds as the "bones" behind ur shade. It might give u the stability and structure for such a wide expanse.

I have lined my roman shades with Roc Lon blackout fabric (sold at JoAnns) it is excellent at blocking sun and insulating against heat and cold.

Thanks to everyone for your input! It is really helping me think of options and clarify what I am hoping for to myself.

Sunnydrew - I love your attitude... "How is that for fun?" ... exactly what I am looking for in this home! And I have done rustic (and loved it) for so many years, in so many ways, that I am really drawn to something less wood-y for contrast, bright fabric that can be out of the way most of the time sounds good right now.

Camer90 - thanks for that heads-up about the weight of roman shades. It was that kind of consideration I was hoping to learn about when I posted this question.

N247080 - it is a small but sprawling house, and has big windows facing east, west, north AND south! Frequently at least three out of the four in each room. But the builder put very deep overhangs to maximize summer shade without interfering with the lower winter sun. He says the house stays quite comfortable in the summer, and there don't appear to have ever been curtains hung there. Another reason I was considering DIY roller shades...cheap option while I live with the house and get to know what its quirks really are. But those wooden blinds do keep coming up, I will really have to keep them in mind!

It has been many years since I made my roman shades for the "old" house. I hated all the cords coming down the side (but it was easy to replace cords) and using a cleat to keep them up. For our new house I also have wide windows and am concerned about getting a shade to come up level. I like cordless but with the expanse we have I doubt the success of keeping it level. I have done some quick searches online for "roman shade headrail". This would give the same commercial mechanism that mini blinds have. Most limit you to 30lbs. there was one that had 40lbs as a limit. I think I may still use a mini blind as a backing that way you could still use the light filtering aspect of the mini blind without adding the weight of Roc Lon.

Waiting for the solar shade samples now...it was just too hard to give up any of the views! No neighbors in sight, so privacy isn't an issue. Thanks to everyone for their helpful suggestions. I'll post pictures once I finally get something up on the windows!

we have solar shade (wth chain mechanism) on a slightly less wide window, full west, it works very well. now i can do dishes and not be blinded. HOWEVER they arent so blocking that you can comfortably face that direction at dinner, so i'm glad we kept blinds on the dining room.

Uv film still might be needed

You just need the heavy duty hardware for wide roller shades.

Have you considered Silhouettes by HunterDouglas? They can be rolled up completely into their headers (like a roller blind). When you want some coverage, you can have the vines open which filters the light but you can still see out or you can close the veins for total privacy and better light/sun control. They come in 2", 3" and 4" veins but for your home, I'd go with 2".

Solar shades would be ideal. FYI the dark colored shades are more see-through than the lighter colored ones. Go figure! We have solar shades on our large West facing windows with an ocean view and they work perfectly, particularly with a "cassette" top and inside mount, they disappear when rolled up and don't hide the view when down. Not tremendously expensive either. Wood blinds on that size window would be very hard to operate as they will be very heavy.

Meylynda , by the way, your views are so incredible. I would love a location like that! I look out my back windows and see all my neighbors' back yards across the alleyway.
Someday.....

Melynda, It looks like you do not have a real need for privacy with your gorgeous view and any type of blind or roller shade will reduce the clarity of your view. Window film will give you the temperature control you seek, fade protection for your wood and furnishings while offering maximum clarity of view. Visit www.vista-films.com or www.enerlogicfilm.com to find a professional near you.

This image is our popular Vista Harmony film which offers 54% heat rejection, 99.9% UV rejection, 40% glare reduction and no added reflectivity for maximum clarity.

Yes get that!

Looks like we will be going with solar shades in the kitchen (otherwise I won't be cooking or cleaning during sunsets ... hmmm, maybe I should rethink this...).

But up in this room I still can't bring myself to commit. I may be forced to put up temporary coverings (light curtains or cellular shades) to keep hubby happy (he hates not being able to cover windows) until I find what I really love. Oh well, no hurry. So many good suggestions to keep in mind as I live with the space for a while.

Next step...the built in couch for under that window and around the corner. (More questions to come!)

I agree, solar shades would work well. I have the same situation; I need to wear sunglasses in by house! I really dislike curtains (OK, I HATE them!), and I too am sick of cell/roman/wood/bamboo blinds. So I'm going with solar shades, one nestled behind the other tucked up under a very simple valance. One shade will filter the light so I'm not blinded, the other will block it (for bedrooms).

The only other thing I can think of, and I really like, are the Hunter -Douglas Silhouettes. They are a combo roller shade / blind / sheer, and filter the light absolutely beautifully.

Gorgeous view you have there.

My LR and kitchen have a lot of windows. Initially I didn't want window coverings. But after living with all those black holes at night, especially in the winter, I realized the need for covering at night to brighten the rooms and keep them coordinated with the deco (as well as reducing the cold despite double glaze). I mostly use roller blinds due to window and door types but the ideas above (solar shades etc) would seem to be a good day/night option for you.
You are right about living with the space.

If you are still looking for solar shades please check out http://www.solar-screen-shades.com.

Solar shades for the kitchen are on order - cellular blinds for the living room (I caved - hubby really wanted something up right away) arrived today. I'll post pictures after we put 'em up!

You can either have sections, or cut one giant piece. Here is some more info on different Rolled Up Shades.

http://www.halcyonshades.com/st-louis/our-shades/function/

Solar or Mecco shades would work well.

The solar shades are up in the kitchen, and working wonderfully. The deep overhangs have meant that we actually get less glare now than in January when I started to work on this...the shades are a nice adjunct for the short time it gets too bright in there. I won't put up the blinds in the living area yet because we are still doing some renovations up there and don't want them to get all dusty. When we install them I will post pictures. I really appreciate everyone's input!

Great, I was hoping for the kitchen pic.

Roller shades well come up to 96"W and 120"H
Please check this... We install a lot of
Www.lumensolutioncenter.com

I can provide motorized blinds that are programmable with an astronomic time clock, up to 144". We can do a retrofit, with batteries -- each to change out, that last up to 3 years. Your windows don't look too wide. So, probably a 4" square fascia would cover blind. You can paint or fabric cover square fascia.

Wow what a view! I think I'd make that end window all the way to the floor and skip the shades. Who will look in, the owls??

@Melynda, I know this thread is old, but curious where you ended up getting the solar shades from?

I got the shades from Blinds.com - they were very helpful.

If my old phone has any pictures I will post them - I ended up divorced and out of the house not long after I moved in so I don't have anything recent.

Roll shade from www.lumensolutioncenter.com Available up to 96"wide . Please contact us with any questions. This will be nice for your room.