You lucky duck! Such beautiful woodwork! Sheers hung inside woodwork or roman shades? You don't say if privacy an issue.

Wood horizontal blinds, same color, and inside the frame..!!

The dark wallpaper and dark wood trim just makes the area look heavy and... well... dark.

If it were me... I would consider removing the wallpaper and going with a white or off-white paint color, then add some woven wood / bamboo shades or some stationary curtain panels on a wood rod in a similar color as the trim. We have installed rods on bay windows like this numerous times.

http://www.houzz.com/projects/817175/velvet-draperies-on-mitered-wood-poles

Thanks for your comments inse, miacometlady, SMDESIGN, and South East Installation Solutions, LLC.

As I mentioned, this was a quick photo taken at nearly 10PM last night. Only shortly before I posted this message. If I were to take a photo during the daytime hours, you would see just how bright it is. I will come back to this thread with a daytime photo as quickly as I can. I usually don't have time until later in the evening :)

Though, until then, I've attached a few images I've taken over the course of the last few months to show how bright it actually is in this room, as well as the color of the wood in natural light. No editing was done to any of these photos. The wood is cherry, though uncertain of the stain as it is original to the house. The last photo is obviously not focused on the parlor or bay windows (I was showcasing my cactus :) ) but you can see the amount of light and the old valances that once were on the windows.

miacometlady, privacy isn't really an issue in this room. If this were a bedroom, it would be. But it is a front parlor, which will, in a few weeks, have custom build bookcases flanking the walkthrough into the formal dining room. It's really used as a place to chill in the morning with some coffee and the newspaper, or entertaining company with some drinks.

If you don't need privacy, and you enjoy the sun streaming in, then I would leave them plain and unadorned. The wood is lovely, and doesn't NEED anything else.

If, however, you need some light filtering or draft insulating, then either inside mounted roman shades or curtains mounted just below the ceiling would be the way to go. Don't attach anything to the trim that would hide it. But, I love unpainted wood trim.

I would try an elbowed bay window rod placed high with solid panels on the ends and shears in the middle. If you need more light control you could also mount a roman shade inside the window. I think panels that are lighter than the wallpaper background but not as light as the flowers would look nice.

If anything, I agree with a light roman shade. But I would live with it for a little while and see if you like it with nothing. I can understand it feeling bare after removing window treatments that were there fore a long time, but my preference would be for the windows to stand alone if you don't need privacy.

[https://www.houzz.com/photos/prospect-park-west-modern-living-room-new-york-phvw-vp~402075[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/prospect-park-west-modern-living-room-new-york-phvw-vp~402075)

Inside mount Balloon or Austrian shades could solve your problem.