Use a black roller shade and when not in use you will not see much of a difference from the trim.

I'd recommend having tinted film added to your windows. There are many choices and I'm sure one would fit your needs. We had this done to the windows in our Sunrise room with is on the Southeast corner of our home. Though it doesn't appear you need the privacy, but it does that also.

Think “outside the box”.

If you're going to do shades, then I would do white so they blend in with the walls. I would absolutely not do black shades. But I also would do window film before I did shades.

Tinted window film, that reflectss your best option. I have it on all of my south facing windows..

One option is to put motorized (not black) shades on the wall on top of the windows. That way they don't obstruct the black trim when up and can cover as many windows as needed. Surely not an "invisible" option but practical and probably can look sleek enough as well.

That is a gorgeous view! Suggest constructing a soffit, running wall-to-wall as high as possible, to contain the shade(s).

Thank you so much for your ideas! You've brought up options that I had not even considered... how wonderful it is to have a Houzz Community to help us with our decorating dilemmas!

Those windows are beautiful. I would not cover them up and do the tinted film.

Double check to make sure tinted window film won't void your window warranty.

I vote for the film. I had it on my house in San Diego, and it was effective. That house also had exterior sun screens on the west windows, which were framed small square (like2 inch or so squares) grids that were made of wood. You really didn't see them when looking through the window, but they prevented all but completely direct sun from striking the window. In those upper window I suppose they would be visible.

There are roller shades for exterior use also.

I adore my big due south picture window in winter, but I am in a cold winter area so need the heat gain!

Which window treatment gives you the heat gain? I also need that!

pslang, I assumed that blocking heat was what you needed! Although I was curious as to just how much sunlight could be coming in with those tall trees so close, even when leafless. I crave all the light I can get in winter!

Having no window treatment is best if you want the sun's heat to enter your home in winter. Window film and shades will block both light and heat from entering. I use plantation blinds and raise them during the day, then lower at night for privacy. Batiste curtains will block less heat/light, by diffusing the light rather than blocking it.

I'd suggest looking into tinting the windows, before adding shades. You may not need them.

we love our solar shades, you can choose various densities. don't do black, or white. white will give you too much glare. we went with a grey.

Like your windows, too.

Anything that blocks that view wouldn't be my first choice.

If it is the light/glare is interfering w/your watching television, adding a tinted film to the window would be like looking at your view through sunglasses -- w/no ongoing option to decide when to take them off or leave them on.

If you could add a cornice outside and above your windows and/or side pockets to hide a motorized shade or blinds, you could get some glare relief as needed w/o changing the what the windows look like from inside and w/o mucking up your view when you want it.

If a hidden motorized exterior solution doesn't work out (and if the outside of those windows is anywhere near a door, making building an outdoor living space practical or desirable), you might consider adding a tall/wide natural wood structure outside the windows with a semi clear or tinted roof, with the objective being something you could see through and out beyond but would shade the direct light for much of the day, at least while the sun is higher in the sky. You might want to set a lightweight "post" temporarily and see if you could determine how deep you'd need to make an outdoor structure.

What you build would depend upon what your house looks like from the outside and how you might actually USE the new structure for indoor/outdoor living.

Tinted film on your windows sounds like a good idea, but beware, I made the mistake of choosing the level to control the heat and reduce fading on furniture and hardwood floor. The film did neither. It helped somewhat, but after a year or two chairs were faded and the floor, under the rug, was a completely different color than the perimeter. Another complaint: it changed the undertone of the paint color on the walls. Monroe Bisque became an awful gold/brown/yuck color during the day.

At our home we go by the mantra, "Happy Wife, Happy Life"! :)

Bill, are you freakin' kidding?

Otherwise, I'd do the motorized awning first and the interior shade second PROVIDED I shopped around and found a business that would come in, measure and find a motorized interior shade solution. Look at this google page https://www.google.com/search?q=motorized+interior+shades&source=lnms&tbm=shop&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjajqnV5vHcAhUK94MKHQZ7A44Q_AUICigB&biw=1280&bih=586

I wouldn't want the view to be tinted by film, it's too beautiful.

Hi Bill! It appears that you fell asleep in the '40s and woke up yesterday. Welcome back! You have some learning to do; hope it goes well.

Yep, Bill's sort of out of step.

I live in Iowa.... cold, windy winters! I was hoping that the window treatment would help with holding heat IN, keeping cold drafts OUT, in addition to keeping the glare controlled in the winter. Yes, the main problem is seeing the television when the sun, which is lower in the sky in winter, comes glaring in through the leafless trees.

I'm definitely going to look into something motorized on the outside. Nobody looks at the outside of this wall unless they are walking through those woods. Can anyone suggest a company with which they have had great experience?

Love the idea of adding an external option to block the light because the windows are so beautiful as is. I wouldn't op't for the film over the windows, though.

Oh, Bill. Misogyny isn't funny, and nobody thinks you're cute.

I love the idea of something outside, where you won't see it when up, but I'm not sure that's a practical solution in most snowy places, especially if you don't have a good roof overhang to protect the blinds when rolled up. If you end up with blinds, I'd match the wall color as closely as possible, to make them disappear, rather than go either black or white.

Can you show a picture with the beams in the rest of the room? This might be a non-starter as it could throw off the spacing (and I'm not a pro), but I was wondering if it would work to have another wooden beam, like the one the chandelier hangs from, a few inches from the window wall with a retractable shade installed on the wall side of the beam to effectively hide the shade housing from the rest of the room. It's a long shot but maybe worth considering.

We have a similar situation in our family room. I liked having the big window uncovered but the sun was VERY hot and bright in the morning. We ended up putting in a remote controlled exterior awning. It was the perfect solution. We touch a button and within 30 seconds the sun is shielded from the family room yet our view is not impeded. This also protects our furnishings from fading and the temperature is at least 10 degrees cooler. The company we used has a really good reputation and guarantee.

Chicagoans.... here is a photo of the beams.

Kim,

Can you send me a photo of your solution?

With those windows, facing south, I'd want a concrete and slate floor to absorb all the free heat during the day. And a cat.

I like the idea of the exterior solution. But I'm posting this just to show you what I meant in case it helps. Added a beam near the window wall; my thought is the shade would be on the far side (window side) of it. This would only work if the spacing between the beams would be consistent with a new beam, and if the bottom of the beams is above the top of the windows (can't tell.)

I don't know if this would be more or less work than an outside installation, but with this you wouldn't need to worry about snow and ice on the shade housing.

PS love your chandeliers hanging from the beams!

Bill: My husband is King of this castle which makes me Queen of this castle, as in: Queen Bee, Queen Mother, Reining Queen…there is a distinction : > ) The Queen gets the crown.

Double check to make sure tinted window film won't void your window warranty.

3M tinted window film will technically void the warranty as all film will but 3M offers their own guarantee up to $1500 a window. We did frosted window film on our garage windows using 3M so people couldn't see in and so we got filtered light. No shades to get filthy and nothing to block the light.

Our neighbors put in the tinted film on their windows and are so happy with it. This is not a DIY job, but they have people they work with who do the job.

I HIGHLY recommend the 3M window tinting.

What is your objection to the sun coming in? Is it because it will fade your furnishings, or is it because of the accumulated heat? Do you live in a cold climate or a temperate one?

If it is the light/glare is interfering w/your watching television, adding a tinted film to the window would be like looking at your view through sunglasses -- w/no ongoing option to decide when to take them off or leave them on.

Not true. As I said, our friends put on the 3M tinted window film and her tv viewing is the same as always.

I would also look into the exterior awning idea as a first choice since that's better at controlling the light. The problem is that an awning can't take the weight of lots of snow. Something else to think about.

Is it possible to rearrange the room so the glare doesn't hit the tv?

In some ways it would be a real shame to lose that free winter heat from the south sun.

chartist…good advice…I forgot about the warranty.

Sounds like it would be easier to move the tv to a darker room. Is that an option?

If you live in Western Iowa, I know a guy (from Blair, NE) that is honest and will help you find the right film. He was highly recommended by a friend that works in Blair. Hubby and I were very impressed by his work ethic, knowledge of his product, and skill.
Tinted film can do both, keep your home cooler in summer and warmer in winter because it has insulating properties. We have not been through a winter with our tinted film yet, but I can tell you that it's certainly cooler in our glass walled sun porch than it was last summer. We had to run both the ceiling fan and a small fan pushing cool air from the next room as their are no vents on the porch.
We have a TV in the room without any issues. I will add that we do have sheers over the windows too. I'll open them and check the TV throughout the day and see what that does.

If this is new construction, are the windows not already manufactured with some type of ray blocking technology?

We recently had our upper level deck stripped and the decking replaced. While the decking was off, the sun shone into the glass patio door on the floor below. I had never noticed how the light looked so differnet as it filtered through that glass door because the upper level deck had always prevented direct sunlight. The glow that it cast into the room was slightly harsh and greenish. This is an Anderson door and it has treated glass.

Is your glass already treated to filter the rays of the sun?

As an opinion about your shades----by all means, make them to blend with your walls as much as possible. Any shade that has color to it will reflect that color onto everything in the room, And, I feel quite certain that you do not want that.

wednesday morning,

When the leaves are off the trees in the winter, the low southern sun causes a glare. Also, the room gets cold with all those windows. We live in Iowa. A way to insulate from the cold would be nice.