A little privacy, please!

Before he got that Fox game show gig, Jeff Foxworthy got rich off the whole "You just might be a redneck if..." schtick. Well, I don't think I qualify as a redneck but Im sure I'm in some other derogatory camp. Why?

*** insert dramatic evil sounding music here ***

My living room still doesn't have window coverings!! Oh, for shame.

We've been fully moved in for nearly a year and my neighbors can still see me watching The Bachelor or playing Wii. I'm sure they have had enough. Hell, they probably know the color of all my pajamas by now.

At first, I wasn't concerned. I was working on getting a scrap of furniture in there. We all know how long that took. And then it was other things that had my concentration. But all of a sudden, it dawned on me that my temporary blind eye to the bare windows has gone on far too long.

(Thankfully, my living room is about 10 feet above sidewalk level so its only the neighbors who are on the same floor in their house that can see in. And my windows have some sort of coating that reflects the light during the day so you can only peek in at night. But still, its a little silly at this point.)

At first I thought I'd put up shutters allowing the light to come in while allowing privacy from wandering eyes. That was until I got a few estimates for the shutters I wanted. I just about collapsed from sticker shock. Scratch that idea. (I did look into those internet companies that sell cheaper diy shutters but it seems like you need a doctorate in carpentery to even get a straight answer from any of those companies no less actually order the correct size with the appropriate hardware).

Fabric shades was another consideration but because of the height of the windows, they would need to be custom made. I could probably sell my kidneys on the black market to pay for them but they would create a permanent darkness in the room I'm not too crazy about. The room faces north so the light isn't that strong to begin with and the best quality light comes from the top of the windows. The last thing I want to do is cover the tops of the windows permanently.

Blinds are not an option. I intensely dislike them. Apologies to anyone who loves them - they are just not my thing.

So that leaves me with draperies. They can be opened or closed with ease, sheers can be added to allow privacy without blocking out all the light and they provided a little insulation. And after spending a few winter months here, I wouldn't mind that at all.

But what kind??? Any readers out there expert window dressers?

Do I do something neutral like a gold that doesn't contrast too much? Do I try to find gray draperies to offset all the beiges in here? Do I do black drapes for more drama? Or do an entirely different color as an accent? While I think some colorful drapes might look nice, Im leary of making that sort of investment as I don't plan on buying new everytime I tire of an accent color. But other than that gut instinct, Im a bit at a loss here.

And what about finding something beautiful and budget friendly? I need 6 of them in 108 inch lengths plus sheers and rods. I'm getting woozy just thinking about it. Custom drapes are out of the question and budget entirely. Restoration Hardware has lovely options but the drapes alone would cost me $3000. Really, Restoration Hardware? Really? Are they made of solid gold??? Pottery Barn is slightly better priced but still pricey for a limited selection. JcPenney seems to have a reasonably priced option but Im not sure about their colors or quality. I'd rather not order from a random internet company so that rules out most of my google searches. Gah! Now I see why I've been putting this off for so long!

What do you think about style, color and source? I could use all the help I can get!