apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Roman shades - one for each window, in a solid fabric contrasting with the wall color - maybe a dark navy?

I'd also recommend roman shades, in white though. Ikea has a great set, we love ours.

I think solid roller shades (expecially solar shades, which allow you to still have a bit of a view, but still have privacy) would look the best, but having nine windows may set you back quite a bit, not to mention having to open and close nine separate shades all the time.
I would also go along with a single curved rod, ceiling mounted (like hospital curtains) with panels that could be pulled closed for privacy. Also could be expensive, but it doesn't have to be. I have heard good things about Curtain Fair for custom rods.

Plain white roller shades, preferably spring-mounted rather than on a chain so as to keep it streamlined and simple. Blinds.com does them well and affordably.

Get the Candice Olson books. There are ideas in there for windows like this...

I do not like the idea of a hospital track, which is going to *feel* like a hospital track, and will look terrible when the shades are drawn, and merely obtrusive when the shades are open.

I would also do roman shades. If you are at all handy with a sewing machine, they are super easy to do yourself.

I'm not usually a fan of curtains, but it strikes me that collection of windows is gonna look REALLY busy with a little shade or set of blinds mounted to each . . . individual . . . window. I say go with the curtains mounted on a hospital-style track. It won't feel very hospital if you go with plush drapes in a pleasing color, or perhaps use two layers, sheers with heavier shades in front.

I would do the curtain thing- in a sheer white curtain from floor to ceiling along both walls-this will wrap the whole room in a single 'look' taking away from the busy repetition of the windows!!
BB

I would go with roman blinds in either white or a complimentary color. As long as you use a solid color, they will definitely be less busy than what you see now. I just moved into a new apartment and have "only" six windows in my living room (though not so nice and uniform as yours). I think roman blinds work really well when you have a nice moulding around the windows and I plan to use off-white ones myself.

Hunter Douglas Silhouettes!!! These are the most beautiful window shadings out there...in my opinion. You are going to have to spend some money on them, but they are worth it. The roll up completely if you want them to go away and they roll up into a concealed headrail. When they are down you can either have the vanes open between the sheer panels or tilt them closed for complete privacy. I love for a variety of reasons and put them in almost every clients home.

A hospital track would be another option but that's either open or closed. Check out the Hunter Douglas website.

For whichever you choose, Eddie Z's sometimes offer a buy one get one free for their own line of window treatment. They also have a 30 day guarantee. If you're not satisfied with what you choose, you can reorder something else at no charge. Roman shades are nice in woven wood. They have so many styles to choose from! The tightly woven ones keep complete sunlight out, while sparsely woven ones are the opposite. You can add a lining to allow light in while maintaining privacy. I suggest a very light brown bamboo shade that lets light in. I ordered a tight woven dark brown treatment for my bedroom, and I have trouble knowing whether it's morning sometimes!

Good luck!

I recommend Smith and Noble for the best variety of shade styles and materials--they have everything, from fabric to bamboo to those sheer blind things with the vanes inside, and the prices are very reasonable for custom blinds.

In choosing blinds, here's what I'd be thinking about: How can I get privacy at night without having to adjust 9 window treatments on a daily basis? Because you know you're going to get tired of doing that. For me the easy answer would be top-down shades--the kind that can be lowered from the top rather than just raised from the bottom. I'd get those in either a pale linen or a light matchstick bamboo (or ivory honeycomb for a less costly option), lower them to cover just the bottom half of the window, and then leave them alone 90% of the time.

Curtains are also a good option in that room, because there are a lot of angles there that some fabric would soften. If you decide to do a continuous drapery (def. the best curtain option with all those windows), I'd still be thinking about getting something you don't need to open and close all the time--something open enough to transmit light during the day but with enough substance to give privacy at night. Not a synthetic "sheer," but maybe a light linen or a wool gauze. A higher-end drapery shop or an interior designer can hook you up with some of the really nice semi-sheer fabrics being made for modern spaces.

I thought of Roman shades myself. Or rollup shades. I also think that having a shade for each individual window wouldn't be busy. You're going for shape and texture in the room, not pattern, so a bunch of white roman shades in the windows would just add to that shape.

I agree that separate blinds for each individual window would be too busy.

I wonder if painting the window frames the same color as the wall (not a standard approach, i know) would help make that wall look more unified. You have great windows and views, but it feels like the frames are what's on show here and the windows themselves are getting lost. Painting them the same color might make it look more like just a nice wall of windows... then I'd go with the long hospital track curtain idea.

I would do a solar roller shade as someone mentioned in a previous post. Check Smith and Noble online....or we did shades from Silent Gliss. They were available at Eddie Zs. A bit pricey, but they have a great look and block out the sun.

Definitely plain white roller shades or Roman shades fitted inside each window. (Bamboo could also be very nice, and more organic.)

I think curtains would just be way too busy, and I'm a curtain lover. The only way that would work is if you had a giant swath of curtain divided on the far side of each window wall that you could pull all the way across, and that seems very expensive and impractical.