Hi Darla, Re: blinds I had a big house by a lake once, and I didn't do anything about the windows for several years because blinds are expensive, so I wanted to make a choice I could live with for a long time. In the end I put in top down/bottom up pleated shades (warm light brown/beige nubby linen look). They have a one inch footprint and while open you can dust them with a wand. They have a dust repellent finish so dirt doesn't settle in. For privacy I used to lower the tops of the ones in the kitchen which was the approach to the house. In summer I'd lower the tops of the dining room shades when the sun was in our eyes at dinner time. With the low profile blinds I could still put things on the one foot deep window sills. I put the same colour throughout the kitchen, dining room and living room. The rest of the time they were up. It's a nice, clean application. I don't know anything about HD Allouette shades, but I did see a lawsuit against the company while trying to see what they look like. Are the similar to the Silhouette shades? I considered Silhouettes, but they looked fussy to me, wider footprint and more formal. Here's another pleated shade application in my sun room in my other house. The flooring is cork over an unheated plywood floor, nice underfoot, easy maintenance. I have the same shades all through the living area of the house except in the bedrooms where I have room darkening shades. I'm no interior designer, but continuity of flooring and blinds make for a nice flow somehow. Best wishes!

http://houzz.com/photos/1813261 It's treacly hard to know how to deal with this window but I thought if you used the curtains and no it's not gonna look crowded look at the first picture three next to each other and the one by the stairs try this tricky solution

I would suggest just having a nice sheer fabric window treatment added. This will add some ambiance to the space J Design Group, Miami Interior Designer - South Beach - Sunny Isles - Coral Gables - South Miami - Miami - Pinecrest - Williams Island - Modern Interior Design Firm in Miami, Florida - Ocean Front Contemporary Decorators - http://www.JDesignGroup.com

It sounds like you're using this for,aesthetics versus fnpunction. Do you need to draw the drapes closed? Do you need black out?