Hoboken, I see that you have solved your problem in a lovely manner with the cafe height plantation shutters with 2.5 slats. This is what I have in my home, and I love them because we can still get the light, yet have full privacy when needed. Yours look great, BTW. I was going to suggest that if you were still wanting something more to “soften” the look of the windows, you could add a fixed fabric covered valance above the windows. You could place the top up at the ceiling height, and have the valance end right at the top of the window trim, thus not sacrificing any light coming in. What you’ve done thus far is just lovely.

They are only three months old so look new. Absolutely no problems and the quality is very good. They operate very smoothly. I did custom order through Penney's. I first did my internet research and had several quotes online. The sales rep was able to beat all my quotes. It was nice to able to see the various blinds in person, then I brought home the sample books to match color. That proved difficult with the tiny samples but I wanted neutral and am happy with the results. You have the choice of separate head rails like I did, or a single head rail. They are easy to clean though I have not needed to yet. I haven't decided if I will put my drapes back up as I'm enjoying the clean look right now. Mine are 3/8" double cell, 40"x72". Each blind was $268 +tax. The top-down/bottom-up function does increase the price but I feel it was worth it for my application. Here is a link that might be useful: Cleaning Instructions

The wood blinds are what we did. I would think about what kind of light and/or privacy control you may want -- and that can vary depending on the season. I get sun coming in at such a low angle in the winter that it can be the most annoying light problem we have. Blinds allow you semi-privacy when open and can be adjusted for some light control with a view. Because they are heavier, it is not suggested to leave them up for extended periods. I had in the past, but with the long windows in my FR, these are heavier than what I'e had in the past and the guy we bought them from said open, don't raise them for light and view. Raise them for cleaning and put them back down. Shades vary by type, but tend to give you filtered light or no light on the portion they block. The top down shades there now do look nice -- like an internally hung tailored valance, but they block light and trees from the top but allows you to see the table and anyone sitting at it or what is going on in the yard even if seated. If you leave them mostly open and get enough light, they may be fine. If you would rather see the trees and sky and screen the furniture, you light like a bottom up version. Most of those also give you the option of raising them and going top down. That is what I plan to put in my MBR.

Shutters do not seal out the drafts as well as roman shades do, esp with insulated fabric. So the question really is one of where you live. Do you have to shut out more heat from the sun when it's hot? Or do you need to insulate more when it's cold. I'm in the NE and cold is definitely the bigger issue for us. Another consideration is the view. Even when open, the frames around the shutters block a lot of the light and view vs. the romans that will essentially clear the entire window. Also romans offer an opportunity to add color, pattern, texture, softness and noise deadening to a room vs. shutters which are traditionally just white wood. Roman-type shades come in a variety of styles so there are a lot more to choose from: flat roman, relaxed roman, cloud, balloon, pleated, tulip, hobbled, austrian, banded, shaped bottom, etc. Shutters do provide better light control for how much sunshine comes into a room and night time privacy while allowing outdoor air to circulate in the room. They are a better solution if you like to leave your windows open but need privacy. I was in a B&B once that had shutters over the sliders to the outside which was all nice except that some were loose and the only way I could get them to stay open to the light was to jam a book in between the slats. I also detest cleaning slats. To me it's right up there with tom sawyer's picket fence painting. So while my preference for many reasons would be romans, YMMV.