These are beautiful windows. I will assume that this is the west side. You may want to consider having window tinting film installed instead of an actual window treatment per se. It would be a shame to cover the dividing horizontal wood sections. The window tinting will shield your carpets and furniture from sun fade as well, look for a product with good UVA/UVB. Another options or to increase shading is to attack it from the outside by using a louvered type awning in natural wood and span the entire window. Are the windows on the north of the same configuration (each section divided into 3 parts)?

Thanks for the quick reply! You are right, this view is the west side. We already have window tinting with UVA/UVB added so previous owners did good in that regard. The north side is exactly like the west. The north side view shows a small butte which is a public space and folks can look into the house at night when walking on the various trails. I don't think you see much, but it might be nice to have some privacy. I like the idea of the awning, or some type of exterior screening treatment, but the dilemma is that the outside of the house is just as beautiful as the inside!

Hang the curtains above the highest window; to have some made without filing for Bankruptcy, try Rose Brand in New York...they have beautiful fabrics for stage curtains (synthetics and natural) and very reasonably priced (up to 15' wide).

Okay, this may be too expensive a solution, but it looks like you have a soffit above the windows with a recessed ceiling in the middle of the room. Do you know whether there is piping or other structure in that soffit? Because if not, you could get a wall to wall blind system built into the soffit, with an electronic control for lowering the blinds when needed. We considered doing this (too late) in a room we built with wall to wall windows and transoms much like yours, but we didn't have enough room above the windows. However, it looks like you might have the space for it.

(Note: We still haven't solved the problem in our room, five years later. I stubbornly refuse to cover the beautiful architectural details, either inside or outside, with visible blinds or curtains. But we don't have privacy issues, only afternoon sun).

HI -- Draw drapes for the whole wall with under sheers or blinds. Check what Hunter Douglas has for you . Beautiful windows, so I would not attach anything directly to the window frames or on the glass.

Hunter Douglas Silhouette verticals. You control amount of light and privacy and they stack to the sides very tightly.

HI - Thanks Irisheyes --- that's what I couldn't remember - Silhouette's

All those "ette" names get confusing....Hunter Douglas Silhouettes are a horizontal fabric blind, wrapped in sheer fabric. When they are vertical, they are called Luminettes. I believe that is what Irisheyes is suggesting. :)

Hello pjmcintosh54, Marie Here. I am a Hunter Douglas Dealer, and there are videos on youtube for all the types of HD products. May I suggest you watch a couple of them to decide which ones best suit your design style, then call a local rep to come out a measure, as well as show you the various types of fabrics available. Truly a gorgeous product, it actually adds value to your home upon resale. Here is the weblink for Silhouettes, you want to also check out Pirouettes and Luminettes for your windows.
Silhouettes are horizontal lines (squares of fabric), Pirouettes are most costly but have the same look as Silhouettes but give you the option of opening somewhat when vanes are lowered. Luminettes are vertical slats with overlay of sheers - very elegant look, open and close just like standard drapes. All are available on motorized and/or remote.

I would use vertical blinds. I love mine and you can get them wide so that you can stack them back to show the beautiful windows and then close them for privacy.

The windows are too beautiful to cover.....I would check again with the window tint company and see if more could be done ....

I like the idea of some kind of covering that rolls or otherwise comes down, but hides behind the soffit when opened all the way. Covering those windows would be a bad thing. I have walnut blinds, the kind we used to call venetian blinds, now they are plantation blinds. They go all the way to the top. The trouble with the wide tall windows is the weight of the blinds makes them too heavy, so you have to have a set for each part of the window or they won't go up right. Maybe the wood slat ones that fold up like french blinds, or you could have the french blinds made in a beautiful fabric, which would be lighter than the wood.

Install wall to wall poles above the center window with nice sheers that you can open on the sides. I would not put any kind of blinds since they will hide your beautiful wood frames. For black out needs, install a double pole with a fabric curtain in front of sheers, lined with black out. Your windows should be the main focus in the room, so choose a nice pattern.

Thanks to all who have commented! These are great ideas. Here's a couple of additional comments. There is a soffit (or what I refer to as a coffer-ed ceiling in the middle of the room. The previous owners installed a huge projection screen and the projector sits in the soffit, hidden of course. The distance between this coffer-ed ceiling and the windows is about 4 or 5 feet, so it would be hard to install something into that feature. Although, you guys have given me a great idea, to house the projector screen, the south wall (with very little windows) has a wood "shelf" of sorts the projector fits into when up. I am thinking if I can to make two more of those type of wood features above the windows, and then have curtains or blinds that come down (remotely) to provide some light blocking and/or privacy. Thoughts? I'll try to find a picture....

That is exactly the kind of solution I was hoping you'd be able to do. It's what I wanted to do for our bank of windows, but we just don't have the room. This way nothing will interrupt the beautiful architectural lines of your windows, but you'll achieve the privacy and glare reduction you need.

Do not assume that you are protected by window film that is over 5 years old. Unfortunately some manufacturers cut corners by only putting UV absorbers in the adhesive layer and not in the polyester which will last much longer. 4-5 years of normal sun exposure will render inferior films useless for fade protection. Like most things you get what you pay for.

A good window film professional will be able to test your windows and film for UV blocking effectiveness. We replace lots of window film that looks ok on the window, still blocks heat and glare but virtually no UV protection. Quality window films from Vista and LLumar will still block 90+% of the UV rays even after 10years of exposure.

There are also many new options in window film with improved technology to stop more heat while allowing more light into your home. Dark films are no longer necessary to achieve high heat rejection. Protect your furnishings and keep your view with window film.

Beautiful windows and beautiful view!I would recommend three shades that are mounted at the top and get pulled down. Honeycomb shades or roller shades are a great solution and provide tons of insulation. They also stack up tightly so you don't lose any of your view. It is not the most economical route but you will be happy with the result. I would do one small shade on each side and one big shade in the middle. Good luck!

There is very economical window film that i recommend! It is called Veilish, i recently bought that product and used it. It's a window film made with fabric material. It is semi-transparent, so it can provide indoor privacy without blocking the view outdoors! I think you love it.