Run blinds or curtains half way up the windows.

I have a bedroom window that faces my neighbors dumpy side porch. I am thinking about covering the window with a decorative frosted window cling. Check out this AT archive on window clings... http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/la/window-coverings/strssel-design-privacy-window-film-029095

Also, you could design your own window film with this website:
http://sticviews.com/articles/custom-window-stickers.aspx

or - Any blind that has a top down-bottom up feature.

I would seriously consider window film for the lower portions of the windows since there is probably never going to be a time that you're going to want to see that view. I think my favorite is Emma Jeff's, even though it is pricey.
http://www.designpublic.com/shop/emma-jeffs

Top-down, bottom-up blinds would also be a good choice.

i agree with janice871, just run blinds or curtains halfway up the windows. you can find some good examples on smithandnoble.com.....

I'd say leave the view alone for a few months (or weeks at least) and then decide after you've lived in the space how best to adjust the window treatments. I think industrial behemoths are kind of cool to look at. You might find the steam/smoke trails and lights kind of interesting after a while.

I also think if moving in you are thinking "oh I hate that view, I have to cover it up" you are already setting yourself up for some misery. If you can instead accept it or find something positive about the view from the windows, you'll be happier with what you've got... even if you decide to go for some fancy window scheme.

But maybe I'm drinking too much zen kool-aid this morning....

My husband and I have a lovely bay window in the front of our apartment, but we're on the ground floor and didn't really want all of Brooklyn looking into our apartment as they walked by. Like you, we wanted to save as much of the light as possible without sacrificing privacy, so we went with single cell translucent cellular blinds with the top-down bottom-up option. We still get a good amount of light through the shades though you cannot see through them at all.

We used Shades, Shutters and Blinds online since our windows were odd sizes (they're extra tall at 75") - they wound up being the cheapest for what we wanted and we were pleased with the quality given the price. If your windows are a standard size, Target and Home Depot both have good affordable options.

I agree with jayme, leave it for awhile. When I moved into a place with a view of a parking garage I thought, "ugh," but at night the symmetry of the lines and the light is really cool.

I can't see anything in this photo, I wish I new what the property looks like. If possible I would block it on the outside, either low hedges in front of your house or taller hedges on your property line.

I'm with jayme. I'd be delighted with a view of an oil refinery. Industrial chic!

I think blinds that run on the lower half of a window always look really chic!

Its hard to see the outdoor space in the photo to know if you'd have room, but what about planting some trees to obscure the view? That way you wouldn't have to compromise on light. Tall cypress trees might be nice and are good in the CA climate.

Use top-down, bottom up shades. A major manufacturer of them is Hunter-Douglas.

If that's too expensive, buy a conventional window shade and mount it upside down. By using a large window shade handle, kite string, small eye screws, and small cleats you can mount the shade upside-down with the roll at the bottom of the window. The shade itself is then supported and kept taught with the string threaded through the eye screws at the top of the window and tied off at the cleat. It's an excellent and cheap solution when you want to screen a view or maintain privacy without blocking out light.

It looks as though the view you're trying to block consists mainly of the bay window portion of the room. Perhaps you can find some great channel-back chairs or other tall chairs and a wonderful table so that the focus is on the vignette. Add sheers to the window and you've got all the light you want, the view obscured, and a lovely place to read, sip tea, or enjoy a visit with a guest.

why would you want to live in a chemical drenched area...consider moving

Jayme is right. Give yourself a little time to see how the light travels across the room throughout the day. That's a LOT of glass to think about.

I'm also lining up with Jayme. I have a friend with a beautiful home on a hill with a panoramic view of a bustling area that's very commercial. I used to think "what a shame" about the view, but, because I stopped by often, I frequently had a glance at it. In time, I stopped viewing it as an eyesore and began seeing it as a fantastically busy, colorful and interesting hub, and now I just look forward to visiting and seeing the world as it goes on, looking like a children's picture book, outside. So, I would also suggest that you don't deny yourself the view at the start.

@thegoldfishmafia, oh, because oil refineries never have to pay any attention at all to the EPA's requirements...

You could get a sheer-ish fabric and paste it up with some Elmers glue diluted in water. It works pretty well for me, although cutting it to fit the window was a bit of a chore.

"I think industrial behemoths are kind of cool to look at. You might find the steam/smoke trails and lights kind of interesting after a while. "

Exactly - Besides if you cover up the view, you won't get first-hand notice of the chemical explosion which will require another evacuation of Contra Costa County...

agree with those who suggest living with it a while and trying to embrace the view. I look over a commercial area (past a greenbelt) and like it, esp. at night.

In a previous apartment we had very large windows and wanted lots of light without sacrificing our privacy. We used "Gallery Glass" which is basically puffy paint for windows. You can make any designs you want and it will still let the light in. (We kept with clear and frosted/white paints to keep from looking tacky)

http://www.plaidonline.com/apGG.asp

I think you could combine some of these suggestions- wait a few months to see if you can live with it. Then try a film. I live in the SF and have VERY close neighbors- I have film on my windows halfway up because the up down shades were not in my budget. This way I can still see out, still get light. I got plain film from Ikea - it was like $5 per roll. Very reasonable. Its not pernament and super easy to install.

I would hang some sheers. Find some that will let a lot of light through, but not a clear view of the oil refinery.

I was reading "The Big Ass Book of Crafts" and there was one fraft wherethey took felt(i know i know), cut the shapes of leaves and sewed rows of them together in long strips. With the light behind them they look almost like real leaves. It might take some work but its really cute actually.

I love the look of a big, overgrown garden. You can get a ton of big plants and flowers and create a gorgeous plantscape outside to mask the view :) I also like the idea of getting some high-backed chairs to create a cozy nook there. Good luck!

I agree with others—wait, and see if you can plant bushes or trees outside later. And if you can't, bottom-up blinds.

Next time, attach a bigger picture that isn't blown out right where we need to see, please.

Anna Dorfman over at Door Sixteen recently discussed Ikea's Enje Roller Blinds, on a post about her new kitchen. Perhaps this would be a good option?

http://www.doorsixteen.com/2010/01/07/apartment-kitchen-progress/

There are some filmy/opalescent/translucent papers out there that are just *gorgeous.* There are several Paper Sources in the area...go in on a bright day and pick out some that you can still see lots of light through. Max price $8/sheet...mostly less. Bring a few home, tack them on the window, and see which ones block the view and let the light in. A starch based adhesive like Methyl Cellulose should come off the windows when you decide you're ready for a change.

And, don't limit yourself to the white/silver papers. Lacy colors, or delicate washis might do the trick. Make sure you check the flat files...that's where the larger papers are probably stored.

A couple of dense and dramatic, fluffy green plants strategically positioned in front of the window (on the floor or on the window sill) would draw attention to the inside rather than the outside. I think this is a much better approach than trying to block the view with curtains or window film.

It may be a great house but it's still located by an oil refinery. Curtains are the least of your worries.

I'd love the view. My grandparents live across the lake from a Nuclear Power Plant and I have always loved watching the steam and catching glimpses of the place through the trees.

They light up in the most beautiful way at night.

I don't know if anyone is paying attention to comments on these reposts but here's what I'd do. I'm a plant person so I'd use planters, plant stands or benches and fill the bottom half of the windows with plants. That's what I'm doing now since my stupid neighbor placed a gigantic wood pile covered with a bright blue tarp in the worst place possible. Sorry, I know, I'm a little bitter.