Les, I was going to suggest the 3/4 cafe style, too. Perfect room for it and solves the privacy/softness issue. There are lots of different sheer fabrics out there with various degrees of transparency. I like cotton batiste for the soft translucent properties it has. Not to highjack the main topic here, but I garden for a living and am grateful that you are taking down your crepe instead of murdering it every year. :) But (if you do not mind) I have to question the sub of a maple in the same spot. I cannot tell from your pic just how close the CM is now. What will be the mature spread of the new tree? Note that the root spread is at least half again that of the limb spread. You do not want maple (or any tree) roots near your foundation. I am constantly telling my clients that they should never plant a tree within 10-20 feet of foundations. No one on a small lot wants to hear that! Sorry for the mini sermon and I hope you do not mind my butting in. I will now stand down from my soapbox. ;)

Yes, I know the post was really detailed. I waffled about whether to put that much detail in it, but felt like I'd covered the basic ideas/options myself but kept running into obstacles that I tried to outline in the post so folks maybe would understand the problems with most of the options I thought of. It was not my intent to make anyone's head explode. Thanks to all of you for your ideas, however. I do appreciate it. Igloochic, I hadn't really thought of hanging glass...that's an interesting option. I do like the Asian look of shoji which might work, maybe in a shutter? Marti8a, I love that pic...they were my first choice, but don't know if I can get a 9' span. Think I will have to visit a decor store that sells shades and see what they say. Thanks, again

Hi Folks - I'm replacing 5 large double windows on my double sunporch. The rest of the house has replacement windows (bought it that way) but I'd rather go full wood/composite etc to replace the sunporch windows. Some of them have rotting frames as it is. Style-wise I'm planning on keeping the same style of double-vertical crank-open windows because I think that matches the lines of the porch itself. I was briefly considering horizontal 'crank-up' windows to give some shelter when it rains but I don't think that would look as good. I am still learning how to comparison shop and find the right contractor/company for the right job. What should I look for in a window company? Do most specialize in custom vs replacement? Anything I should look for in a seller/installer based on it being a structural brick house? Any advice regarding style or how-to-shop for them would be appreciated.

Bay window and garden window. Installed Bay window Installed garden window nycbluedevil_gw: Your window opens out at the top or the bottom? An awning window opens out at the bottom and a hopper window opens in at the top, but I have never seen a window that opens out at the top (although the top can slide down on some awnings). Awning window, opens to the outside hopper window, opens to the interior