apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

You could use shutters, but they can be more costly than blinds. Another option would be to get wider faux wood blinds which are usually very affordable and clean much easier than the wood blinds or metal blinds. They also look very up to date and quite nice. If the blinds aren't enough you can always add a scarf valance drapped over a nice fashionable curtain rod on top. This is great if you want to keep as much light coming into the room as possible. It wouldn't look as plain as just having the blinds hanging on the window.