Just got rid of curtains, nets went too - got plantation shutters now - love them. Yes mine is a 10 foot window (north-east facing bedroom). Originally, the (1963) house had big Crittalls single glazed metal edged windows (bought in 1981). I quickly had the windows double glazed. Two years ago, I had a higher spec double glazing fitted. The plantation shutters have been designed to have two single sets of louvres at each end (my window configuration looks like yours) so that you can "get in" to open the windows. For the middle clear section, there are 3 (equal) sets of louvres (one bifold, one single). I chose the classic "up and down" rods for each section of louvres for easy opening/closing. The whole lot is set in a framework that aligns with the INSIDE window ledge. I could swing the louvres back against the wall - but I don't. BTW There is an extra strenthening vertical rod as 10foot is rather wide. Am I missing the windowledge with its ornaments? In a word, no. The room looks more stylish, with cleaner lines. You can still have trad curtains too but am not bothering. Downstairs (the lounge), the (non opening) picture window pane of the front window luckily mirrors the middle section of the bedroom above it. The side window in the lounge (yep more windows) with its 2 opening windows has a 3 pane configuration: a bifold set and a single set. Haven't got shutters in the kitchen - felt it would have been too much - got roller blinds and roller blinds that fit within the double glazing framework of the double doors. So, right round the house I can adjust the rollers or louvres according to where the sun is.

We are building a similar design extension and are south facing. We did make some design changes after last year’s super hot summer. Here’s what we have done to hopefully avoid cooking in future: - solar control glass - made sure there are at least two opening bits of glass, including one in the ceiling of the extension to allow hot air out - Ideally you also want something openable at both front and back of the house (and obviously doors open in between) to allow a through draught. We just about have this though not as good as I’d like. - we are also providing wiring so we can install two awnings, one over the back sliding doors and possibly one over the largest (very large) skylight. May be overkill and we may not need the skylight one but good to have the option. The back door awning also provides privacy and shade for the outdoor dining table. As an alternative to awnings you could use internal blinds for your doors and/or skylights.

You can get a wide enough kit. I’ve seen them up to 2.4 m wide, such as this one below. https://www.curtainsandblinds4homes.co.uk/Deluxe-Roman-Blinds-Kits-Cassette-1-1-Ratio-upto-6Kgs/Roman-blind-kit-cassette-240cms. I’ve recently finished one that’s 210 wide & it doesn’t sag in the middle at all so a bit wider should be ok. Just a pain to join the fabric for a wider blind. However, as the window is quite low, I wonder whether long curtains might provide a better finish. Agree that eyelet curtains wouldn’t create too much bulk & look nice stacked back at the side of the window. I found eyelet curtains much easier to make than Roman blinds!

Hi Ellie, that's why I want the back door and the fixed window to match, in height/width, so not disjointed like you see. It was going to be completely taken out & french doors added. Now I'm planning that the door & 'window' to be side by side but with the soil stack part of the wall remaining in between, but one will be the back door the other fixed. The plan is to have them both just completely glazed not a half n half door like it is currently.