Suero, we'd use something like that for everyday light control. Drapery would be to darken the place and cut down on A/C when we are away during the (hot) summers.

Tweaked left is like this - I lose the upper access path but clearances elsewhere are better so probably worth it.

Us a blackout shade hidden behind the Roman shade for insulation and light control, and use center pull draw draperies on the sliding door. The wall with draperies at the sliding door would look odd, I believe, if the draperies when pulled went only to the edge of the sliding door. If the draperies will span the wall, you might as well have them open from the center.
Use the same fabric for draperies and shades.

To cover sliders, that will be a lot of fabric stacked to one side. Personally I don't like that look and would go with 2 panels.

Appreciate your input.

Both of you vote to split the slider drape. I should note that the balcony access is through the far right nearest the sofa, not as is drawn. I've seen drapery stacked to the other nonopening side, the rationale being one can open the drape partially and get through the door. Would that change your vote?

Hmm. Now I have to get my head around a Roman shade rather than simple panels. For some reason that look has never appealed to me much.

I do think I need a midground between full on afternoon sun and blackout. I don't think I want absolute dark during the daytime when I am there. I also know I will want to see the view sometimes from the desk, so plantation shutters won't work.

So maybe blinds and a stationary Roman shade? Or not stationary -- incorporate blackout lining into the Roman shade and drop it when we are going to be gone a while? Would that be overkill?

(I know nada about sun control. I am in Wisconsin where we crave sunlight.)

The problem with shades on doors is that they have to be Fully Open to use the door, unless you want to duck. I find that a real PITA. and I am short. Plus pulling them up all the way and locking them in the fully open position puts strain on the cord.

Pull the desk out a few inches if you want to split draw and it can go behind the desk. Use a drape that is similar to wall color so you don't have to worry about different amounts of color exposure from one side to the other.

But actually if the scheme is contemporary I have no problem with split draw.

Oh..Ineffable, I hadn't thought through 'moderate' light control at the sliders... You are right that a roller shade can't work there. And the doors won't slide with shades or blinds mounted on the glass insets.

Grrrrr.

When I have visited my tenant always has her center split drapes pulled closed at the slider. They aren't lined so the light blazes through in an odd way anyway. And you have to pull them all the way open to get out through the right side. It's a bit clumsy...

Here I have blinds between the panes on multiple sliders. Not an option there but has me appreciating that it is pretty functional.

Sheers? Explore tinting the glass?

This is what I did for a client whose apartment had full walls of glass to the ceiling line or soffit line on all exterior walls.
Blinds would not work here because of the soffits, and this apartment had a western, high floor exposure:

This wall had a split draw + a one way draw.

Nice, Pal. Is it split because the right drape moves only right (over another window)

Course, I could just swivel my chair to look out. That would solve a lot of issues. Including that DH lying on the longer couch would face the TV....

Better? Passage is a smidge tighter, but nothing is perfect I guess.

No, the window off to the right had a one way draw back off to the far right corner

Have you considered putting you desk behind your long sofa instead of the sofa table. You won't be looking directly out a window, but you will be able to see the TV and converse with people in the room. Also you won't be looking at a wall! You also have two windows you can see.

It appears that Palimpsest's example is using a drapery track. Be aware that a regular rod will have a support bracket which will not allow panels to stack at one side.

if i had the choice, i would much rather be facing the window at a desk i used often!!!

i wouldn't want drapes near the door side of sliders i don't think... especially if it was a door i used often, left open occasionally, or had animals or kids coming in and out of... if i had drapes on the door, i think i would choose to draw them from the left only and would probably leave the door side partially open nearly all the time- unless we really needed privacy- except when we weren't there... for uv light control, i would look into tinting the windows or having a film applied.
for the window by the desk, i would probably be less inclined to have floor length drapes, unless it was a floor to ceiling window similar in size to the sliders.... otherwise, i would probably choose either a roman or a shade/ tinting and cornice/valance...

Actually almost any rod that has a traverse function will have a center bracket that doesn't interfere with the draw. The rods that are just a rod that holds rings or grommets will almost always have a center bracket that interferes with drawing past the center. If these are going to be opened and closed daily or more, I would use a real drapery rod, not something that is basically a pole.

I don't mind the look of the drapes all stacked to one side.

You might also look at other solutions designed for dealing with sliders. Hunter douglas makes honey combs that operate horizontally rather than vertically, and they make luminettes which operate much like the old vertical blinds but are far more attractive. Both can offer light control and privacy. The honey combs are nice in that they stack back very flat, so you could do just a side panel in fabric to hide the honey comb and then pull it across when you need them.

{{!gwi}}

Annie, those blinds are lovely, but I expect just one would consume my budget for the room.

Karens, thanks for the suggestion about moving the desk to behind a sofa. I tried it behind both - by the entry and by the dining - and neither really retains a good view out the window. I could see the TV & converse, but I'd rather gaze out to water. I have this thing about vistas (spent my formative years in a rocker looking at the ocean).

Ineffable, pulling the desk out a couple inches may be the ticket. I'd still be able to mount a monitor screen on the wall and tuck the desktop & peripherals in nearby cabinets. The desk chair can be extra seating, and the larger chair can swivel toward the window for view/reading. Simple, flexible. I like it.

So: Divided panels stacked each side. Think I can mix sheers at slider with blind/sheers at window?

Oh, and while I swore off glass & dark woods for maintenance ease, we may take along our vintage chrome/glass swiveling tables - so convenient for service and visually light. They would solve there being little space for side tables.

That plan looks very nice and by pulling your desk out a couple inches, your view is better!