what blinds with cafe curtains for a very large window?

[PinkCamelias]

I have a window with a decorative surround like that one on the photo (that's not my room). It is very large, 2.75 m tall and 1.6 m wide (without the surround). We are on a busy street and need some covering for privacy, and also to obscure a view on an apartment block opposite. I don't like to cover windows, so I am struggling with this :(

What would work best - a linen cafe curtain covering the bottom third, and a relaxed linen Roman blind; or the same cafe curtain but with a roller blind? I would like to be able to open and close the blind, so in winter when trees along the road are bare and we are very overlooked it could be pulled down, and stay up when trees have leaves. I would prefer a relaxed Roman blind, but I am not sure if it will look ok pulled up with all the fabric folds due to its length. Does anyone have such large blinds and could share their experience? Or shall I get a roller blind for a cleaner look? I am not sure if it goes with a cafe curtain, though, and I need this in any scenario.

The room is painted cream and taupe and the woodwork is cream too. I always choose white blinds and curtains, but I think that I should go for off white here?

Also, currently we have curtains, taupe like on the attached photo, but long (pooling on the floor), that were left with the house. They are lovely, but I am not sure if cafe curtains, a blind, and these curtains would not be too much?

Depends very much on the purpose of the room and how you use it. In a bedroom I would think about different things (darkness, privacy) to a living room (where you would be more interested in maximising light, so something like voile might be more appropriate)

Thanks @Kwamitiki, I forgot to add that this is a living room, so I do not need blackout blinds or curtains. I want sheer linen, but I am not sure where it is better to choose a minimalist simple roller blind, or a more dramatic relaxed Roman blind.

We've got an up and down blind in our bedroom, it's concertina style and you can lower it or raise it or anywhere in between, so it can be top half only like a roller blind or bottom only like a cafe curtain, completely open or closed too.

www.blinds-2go.co.uk/top-down-bottom-up-duo/20566/duolight-cotton.html

I’d use a voile curtain which allows in light during day and lined curtains during night.

There’s no space for a double curtain track between the window and the surround.

Could you fit a curtain wire instead of a double track and have the voiles on that?

I could, but I think I prefer the look like on this photo. Also, there’s a sofa under that window.

can You hate a photo of the actual room and window?

I haven't had any experience with relaxed roman blinds to comment on the length/fold issue but agree this is a really great look. Dressing a window like that is a nice problem to have!

Thank you @Offcom :)

No, unfortunately it is not possible to take a photo without very identifying details - the window is so big, that you can see the businesses and etc. on the street outside.

It is a period house, tall ceiling, moulding, cornices etc.

Without seeing it I’d say shutters.

I would also change the curtains to a bold pattern. Doing this will also help if you choose a neutral blind

A slight wildcard but we've found these double (voile/opaque) roller blinds great for a room that faces onto the street - versatile, but take up little space in the window recess. They give a number of options for managing privacy and light, as you can obviously vary the height of the opaque layer behind the sheer layer (and doing so alters the overall look too): https://www.dunelm.com/product/luna-and-sheer-duo-roller-blind-1000243538?defaultSkuId=30894495&branchCode=0660&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Blinds_Blinds_%5BGOO-LIA+PSB-BLINDS-BLINDS%5D&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=1602966876&gbraid=0AAAAADGqyX1SOGkRs1oGiSgdofp6E8MGp&gclid=Cj0KCQiAy6vMBhDCARIsAK8rOgngFakLVMhJ-NRNb0zIe5t8wUc6NA-VYUTE5x-4oo2yiuyWY65nX4UaAh03EALw_wcB