I would do a roman shade for this area. It seems perfectly suited for that application.

I would do one shade which will probably mounted to the window frame. I like solar shades, but a roman shade would work as would a matchstick shade as long as it is lined appropriately.

I agree with nanny-a roman.

Thanks for your replies. If I do one large shade, it would need to mount to the bottom of the top bookcase and would cover all the trim. The center frame piece prevents mounting one large one to the window frame, although I could do 2 shades mounted to the window frame which would leave the trim exposed. What about a solar roman shade? I saw them in smith and nobles catalog. I like the idea of being able to still see out with the solar shade.

Wow, great job on the built ins! I'd do white wood looking blinds and put a valance at the top for some color. Romans don't filter light which is why I'm not so much of a fan of them. With the blinds you'll have a lot of options to filter light but will still be able to see your pretty view. I have them on all my windows and find the wider slats aren't too hard to keep clean. Got the inexpensive ones from Home Depot and they actually look great! (to me anyways! :c)

Whatever you choose, you will have to deal with the crank. They do make a smaller crank, but it's a little harder to use. In one room where I never open the window, I removed the crank completely so that it didn't get in the way of my roll down shade.

You might look at Silhouettes in addition to solar shades if you want more versatility than open and closed. With solar shades, if you get an openness factor that allows you to still see your view, I think you might still get too much glare from the late afternoon sun.

I would do a single solar shade. There is a possibility with two separate shades you would get a blinding ray through the gaps that would be needed for clearance.

I have solar shades underneath and romans on top.
Solar shades block out the sun, but not the view.
The romans are to dress up the window.
You have a beautiful view, solar shades will
not compromise the view.

I never pull the romans down, so the second romans we made
this past winter -- we just made roman valaces that look
like roman shades.

lukkiirish - I didn't even consider the wood blinds, do you think it would be too much wood with the all the bookcases?
fun2bhere - I do like the look of the silhouettes, I think they have them displayed at on of our local stores.
Palimpset - GREAT point about the ray of sun, never even thought of that! We had that issue in our master bedroom where we have roman shades and the perfect light from our neighbors driveway comes right through.
Cliffandjoann - I would love to see a pic, that might be the best of both worlds, texture from the roman shade but versatility of the solar shade.

I had a similar question and I did a soft roman shade in duck from Smith and Noble, mounted on the window trim and using one shade across two windows, to wit:

I would do one of the cellular shades that pulls up to a very tight couple of inches. Mount that on the bookcase that overhangs the window.

I would also add a valance piece made from the same wood as the bookcases mounted on the front edge above the window, and painted to match, that comes down just below the level of the top trim of the window. It will hide the cellular shade when it is pulled up all the way, and give a finished look without covering the window or blocking it with fabric.

Love all your built-ins!

By adding a wood block about 1 1/2 inches in square, and deep, you can mount these wood squares over the window casing trim on each corner, and then mount 1 shade to that. This will offer some projection that will help clear all the mess of the center piece, and locking hardware. You will need to try and find the ideal depth to clear then locking hardware, and have the shade still seat under the crank. Or simply keep the crank unattached and then just put it on when you need to roll open the window.

I would suggest the cellular shade in the top down bottom up configuration. That way , at 5 o'clock, you could put it at the top, and at 8 o'clock, at the bottom, and see out. I have had 3 or 4 of these, and really liked them.

JC Penney will come out and measure for you, and they were not unreasonable in price. I have also ordered them from American Blind and Wallpaper.

Pretty view!

No, ours are just a simple white with a 2 inch slat. I love how they look with a nice valance. They can be cut and shortened so they fit the window perfectly and didn't break the bank cost wise.

I just happened to be looking at these this morning. I think they'd be perfect for your office and they're on sale to boot.

Here is a link that might be useful: Sun blocking shades

I used roll up wood blinds in my craft room....they provide light control but don't give complete light blockage. I hid them under a valance so you only see them when they are down...otherwise the window is open. I got mine at Lowes...very reasonably priced.

I would use cellular to block the sun. BUt, then I would put a tailored valance with tails. That's what I had at my previous home in the office that also had custom built-ins and since it was in the front of the house they gave a nice formal look to the space.

Angel, I'm not at home and can only find this
small pic of the solar shade. The solar shade is
a cream color;
it lets in the view but blocks out the sun.

the second pic is when it's in the down position.
If you want I can take a better shot in a couple
of days when I return home.

In this shot the roman is about 15" deep and the solar
shade in rolled up underneath.

I think Les has the right idea. You need something that pulls up tight. The romans pictured would quickly overwhelm your window.

mtnrdredux - thanks for the pic, that looks great in your room. How was your experience with Smith and Noble, I've never ordered from them but was considering for this treatment.

Les - Thanks so much! I like the idea of a wood valance to hide the shade. So the valance should be wide enough to cover the top piece of trip completely? I'm going to discuss this with my husband as I think this will give it a clean look.

Thanks for the link Chris.
Julie, thanks for the tip, I think it would be so much easier to just take the cranks off or look for a smaller size. They are a pain!
springroz - I'm in between the solar shade and the cellular shade. I like the insulation the cellular will give as well. We got all of our romans from jcpenneys and they were very reasonable during one of their big sales.
Annie - are your shades bamboo? I would love to see a pic.
Jeannie, you place sounds lovely, do you have any previous pics to share?
Yaya - your link takes me to JCp's blinds but not sure which one you were referring to.
cliffandjoann - thanks for the pics. I love the way the solars let the view shine through. Do you have direct sun through that window? I'm wondering if they do a good job reducing the glare?

Thanks everyone! Right now, I'm leaning towards a wood or fabric valance and roll-up solars or the cellular shades. I know the cellulars are great for insulating, how about the solars, any insulating benefits? Also, do the solars reduce the glare or do you think I'll still be squinting once the sun hits this window?

Angel, I have them in our bedrooms. In the master we
have a window directly across from the bed and the morning
sun glares in there with a vengence.
I would ask to try a sample before buying to see how effective they are.

As requested, pics of my craft room with the blind up and down. They don't provide complete privacy or room darkening, but they do provide light control. You can still see the barn when they're down. My windows face south and west so I really need them. Yes, they are made of bamboo. They also make them that are lined with fabric for more privacy if you need it, but I didn't need it.

I am in the South, and my go-to window covering for where light filtering and privacy is needed are plantation shutters. I get the big, fat slatted ones without the divider in the middle (they open from the side.) They are made of wood and can be painted any color (or stained.) They can be tilted to angle the sun out, and they are great at keeping it cooler in the summer and provide added insulation in the winter. I think they look appropriate in both traditional and modern settings.

(And no, I don't sell them! :) )