Think if you need heavier curtains for winter I would have them on the inside wall, pushed right back so they don't encroach on the window at all (sort of hung to the side) and in the same tone as the wall so they blend in. Personally I would let them look in as it's a lovely window...failing that maybe hang a sheer on the lower window so you can still get light and the shape at the top??

I too thought shutters would block out too much light, but the look when fitted is so lovely, and with wider size slats, the more light they let in. The pics below have small slats but its the same style of bay with shutters. Also don't have the push rods on the front if you want a cleaner look. Having the slats split so top/bottom open separately like pic below is also good if you want privacy without shutting out light from the top. High gloss shutters also reflect light into the room and shutters seem to go with any look, period or contemporary.

Hi Jen! Ah thank you. Well we haven't actually exchanged on our own sale yet (3 months!) and we gave up waiting so completed early on our purchase so we can get in and make it a bit more homely before we move in, ha ha. Fingers crossed for yours - it's awful at this time. No one wants to move just before Xmas Not thought about those temporary ones. We aren't living there for a few weeks luckily so thought if I get the sorted asap, I wouldn't need anything up. Worst case I will just get some cheap curtains and a pole if I have to, ha ha

Are there going to be spotlights in other parts of ceiling in the room? I assume so, so it would depend on how spread they are etc. I wouldn't just have spots there and nowhere else in the room, think that would look weird