Quite a dilemma. Upstairs 1. Plantation Shutters. - You would have to investigate motorisation options for the cathedral portion of the treatment as you would need some way to open and close them. Periodically they would need a dust and/or wipe which is problematic given the height of the upper cathedral portion of the windows. 2. Split Verticals. Custom made verticals for the cathedral portion of the windows above the existing curtains and verticals replacing the curtains below. Once again motorisation would be an option up above, but verticals are not going to provide the same block-out and insulation benefits that plantation shutters would provide you and would present the same challenges (re cleaning), and aesthetically would not be as pleasing imho. 3. If you are able to still purchase the same curtain fabric as is currently in use across the bottom of the windows, then fixed cathedral curtains could be an option. 'Pinch' or 'Pencil' pleated curtains on a fixed track or headboard. This solution affords you the benefits of salvaging your existing investment in curtains. An important consideration is that the fabric be fully washable and/or dry-cleanable. The solution while still requiring some ladder work is much simpler and efficient when it comes to cleaning as removing the cathedral curtains from the tracks is a three step process - take down, wash/clean, put up. 4. A heavy tint of the cathedral portion of the window would seem an easy and would provide some insulating benefits in relation to heat but not so for cold. Depending on where you are this may not be as much of an issue but that is a lot of window surface area that is currently inflating your heating and/or your cooling bills, so an important consideration in whatever solution you turn to is going to be whether there is a positive return of your investment in terms of reduced heating and/or cooling. 5. Option five presents possibilities of a hybrid solution maintaining elements of your existing curtain investment, but adding a 'look' that would not sacrifice the cathedral portion of your windows to being permanently blocked as is the case with option 3. Of course, a lot is going to depend on the place of your doors and from close examination of your photograph it looks like you have two sets of doors either side of would make this solution impractical, if not unworkable. This is a good example of the application of fixed cathedral curtains with the use of tie-backs affording the benefits of aesthetic appeal and without relegating the upper gabled windows to being permanently closed. Downstairs Downstairs, there would appear to be more options. Closer examination, however, indicates that you have two doors either side of centre. The question then becomes what sort of doors are these? If they are simple sliding doors, or are they bi-fold/stack-a-doors? The options for downstairs could include: 1. Roman blinds. - Thermal lined Soft Romans. The issue with Romans is going to be whether or not you have the room above the windows to draw up the blinds so that you down't have to duck to go outside. Romans typically will draw 30cm/1ft from the top of the window. - Having the room above the windows to facilitate a higher mounting position would allow you to treat the entire window with Roman Blinds as an option in keeping with your open plan living and an implied desire to move away from curtains. 2. Curtains, Curtains, Curtains! - I would have to agree with @chookchook2. Curtain window treatments can be very modern and complete your vision of a modern open plan space. Modern fabrics with bold colours and/or patterns used with or without sheers and using either decorative rods or a single pelmet (box cornice) to tie together the curtains and provide added balance in relation to the shape and form that is projected by the window treatment when viewed from within the downstairs area. Overall, you have simply wonderful, though challenging windows. I would have to agree with @jbantick that 'best' and 'economical' do not usually run together well in the same sentence. Depending on your location, the benefits of reduced heating/cooling costs by selecting a window treatment solution that is going to produce a positive ROI over time should be considered before ruling out a more expensive options.

People are either not getting the correct advice or not listening to good advice when using consultants. And pool consultants should be included here. The garden beds that are being left between pools, decking etc are far too narrow. Home owners are then looking for the magical plant that only grows .5 metre wide. This is impossible! To get the appropriate height with the required width of .5 metre is just not going to work. Ongoing pruning will be required and people can't be bothered.And please understand, bamboo is NOT the panacea for width problems as so many think. If you want healthy plants, then you need to allow for garden beds to be a MINIMUM of 1.5 metres wide to allow for a plant to grow 3 or more metres tall. 2 metres wide is better, but most won't allow this. If the yard is too small to accommodate a pool or large expanses of decking then my suggestion is to rethink how you manage the site.

We have been in the Window Treatment industry for over 30 years. - In all that time I don't think I've seen such awful plantation shutters. - I really feel for you. I would suggest you contact the Blind Manufacturers Association of Australia (BMAA): Blind Manufacturers Association of Australia The BMAA actively promotes standards across the industry in this country, have a members code of ethics and have established conflict resolution processes for members. Your supplier may not be a member, however, they may be able to assist you with arranging an independent inspection. Which would be helpful should you choose to pursue the matter through Queensland Consumer Affairs. As to a solution to the light problem. - No there are not many suitable options open to you in my opinion. Plantation shutters are not designed to provide total block-out. There will be some light seepage regardless of the quality of the blinds though it will be minimal in comparison to the light seepage evident from the images you have provided in this thread However, high-quality shutter blades close evenly and the effect of a small amount of light seepage across the top of each blade is supposed to be pleasing and part of their appeal, in the right space. At the very least the supplying consultant should have advised you that shutters are not suitable as a block-out solution. Most shutters can be ordered and supplied with or without a box frame. Usually at no additional cost. The advantage of a box frame is that it can prevent any warping of the shutters once fitted and provides a better light seal not only around the edges of the shutters but provides the additional support to the entire shutter, keeping the blades aligned over the long term. The downside for the installer is that shutters with frames take longer to install because any gaps around the frame must be filled and corked which means fitting takes longer. - It is not uncommon or unusual for a window to not be perfectly in-square, regardless of the age or expense of the property the shutters are being installed into. The issue with roller shades placed behind the shutters is twofold: 1. In nearly all instances, the solution is not possible as the shutters are set into the frame and there is not sufficient room in which to install roller shades. 2. Assuming it was possible to have roller shades fitted behind your shutters, it would defeat much of the aesthetic appeal of the shutters. While you may have them raised during the day; when lowered at night you would not see the shutters or the minor light leakage (which can also provide a pleasing effect when viewing the window from the outside, at night, without compromising privacy) This may not be important to you depending on which side of the house the shutters have been installed. I would pursue this further with the supplier after first talking to the BMAA. You have invested heavily in a plantation shutter solution. - In trying to find a block-out solution - You are negating many of the reasons people select plantation shutters over other window treatment solutions. You selected plantation shutters for their aesthetic appeal and the positive impact they would have lent the ambiance of the spaces in which you had them installed. The problem needs to be fixed and not masked. If block-out is a must have for you, given your circumstances, then I think oklouise's solution is one worth pursuing. However, I would also suggest that if the shutters were performing to spec both in terms of the physical product and its fitting, you would be satisfied with the degree of block-out that the shutters would be providing you. Nancy

As an aside I'm surprised as a southern neighbour that your neighbour's extension was deemed compliant with side setbacks regulations- it's quite imposing isn't it... My advice is that your extension in terms of style should have absolutely no influence from the neighbour, rather it needs to follow and draw direct reference and cues( in regards to scaling and articulation) from exclusively you own residence, which recall from a previous post is an impressive Federation frontage. Think about the flows of the spaces - probably on balance better to keep it as per the layout you have developed, rather than flip alfresco & living - a southern alfresco space boxed in by a pool that will be even more overshadowed is less ideal - better for an alfresco to connect directly to rear yard