I have this problem with strong sun in my front windows. Sheers alone will not reduce the fading. You'll need blinds of some kind. I have wooden blinds. I'm sure they'll fade over time. I just hope they fade evenly :)

I used to have sunscreen roman blinds in my master, you can pick the little holes in the material in % of light filtering, more or less depending what you need. I could still see my backyard through them, some days I would leave them down. I would think sheers could do the trick but it's more of a commitment, imo.

A couple of other ideas to think about:

UV window film. They have some now that isn't tinted. It would help cut down on the UV, but not the light.

Outside awnings. If your house is of a style where they would look appropriate, there are all sorts of window awnings available now.

Some combination of window film or awnings along with your window treatment might get you both the light blockage you need along with a look that you like.

i know the smith and noble catolog have a product called solar shades...made up both as a roller shade and roman shades i believe....i have looked at them and am considering them for bath and sitting room. it looks like they're sheer/semi-sheer and supposedly block a large amount of uv rays...come in different colors, etc.

You need some type of solar screen. I've seen them in restaurants and they work very well at keeping the view yet blocking the sun's glare.

You should call and see if they'll send samples of the material so you can see transparency.

Here is a link that might be useful: Solar Screens

Thanks for all the quick responses. I hadn't thought about window film or awnings. Awnings are historically correct for the house so both options are something to look into.

I have solar shades in a computer room in the house and they work great but I worry that some of the choices look too commercial. Levolor has one that looks more like fabric and I have not checked on the Smith and noble options yet so maybe I could still get that to work. Thanks for the help.

I love our solar screens. You can buy the fabric at Lowes in their screening department during the summer months. We've replaced all our window screens with them. During the day they even provide some privacy as you have to be right up next to them to see in, but you can see out perfectly.
I believe AnnZ was talking about the roller shade type, but ours replaced our standard window screens.

How about a sheer shade under the panels. You can go with 1 shade per window to control light better or 1 shade over all over all 3 window (trim to trim) which will be a very clean look.You can diffuse the light or block it out. Hunter Douglas brand is call a sihouette (pricey). Other companies may refeer to them as a shangri La or just sheer shading. Also I have seen the window film on many windows and you have to really look at it to tell it there. They do a very good job at blocking out the UV rays. But the sun light still shines through strong.

skyedog -
Did you decide on a treatment? I have this exact same issue and was thinking of a roller shade in a semi-transparent material. Curious on what you decided on.

Hunter Douglas' Silhouettes are a great way to treat these windows, as they eliminate a great deal (I think it's like 86%) of the UV rays when the vanes are open for complete view through, and almost 100% when the vanes are closed. Pricey, but excellent product.