The Great Bedroom Window Debate

This April will be coming up on three years living in this house.  THREE YEARS.  It seems like just yesterday we were crossing our fingers for the short sale to to come through.  Then again, when I think about all the projects we've completed in that short time (3 bathrooms, 1 kitchen, 1500 sq ft of wood floors, a new staircase, etc...) it feels like a lifetime.

But there's still one big project that we need to do, that we've been avoiding really, and it's a pretty big one.  

 

 

Yes.  You are looking at 3 gaping holes from our Master Bedroom into our Living Room.  No glass, just holes.  Which means no sound privacy, no light block and overall weirdness.  When we first moved in these holes sported some pretty awful planters filled with rocks.

 

 

Other than removing the rock boxes however, we have done little to fix this big problem.  I hung some "temporary" curtains that have been up now for nearly two years, which is embarrassing really.  The problem is that we just can't decide what to do.  And we've been using that excuse for years.  So I've decided that the best way to get over this hump is to ask for your help.  I need you guys to tell me the best solution.  Here are your choices:

1. We fill in the holes partially and install modern horizontal windows about 5 feet up.  Something like this.

 

 

(Forgive the really bad mock ups.)

Pros: 

• Leaving these interior windows (that can tilt to open) will allow the air to circulate through the house as originally intended, allowing a place for all that hot air that rises to the peak of the Living Room to escape, making the house more efficient. 
• Placing windows here will give something interesting on this long skinny wall of our room, and also something interesting on the long, tall wall from the Living Room.  Otherwise both of these walls might feel expansive and bare.
• These higher windows will let in a lot of light (the Living Room has a craaazy amount of light that floods in) but still provide us with privacy as you'd never be able to see more than our heads.  It would be easy to install blackout shades on them.
• We can still look out them to keep an eye on our kiddos- which is a strange benefit we've come to love. 

Cons:

• These windows will cost a good chunk of change- and is it worth it to pay for windows that don't even go to the outside?  Will future buyers (if we ever sell) want to buy a house with windows from the Master to the Living Room?

 

So that leads us to choice numero dos.

2. We drywall in the interior windows entirely, and instead knock out windows on the wall with the bed out to the backyard.  Like this:

 

 Or this:

Pros: 

• Windows to the outside will allow for light and some great cross ventilation from our slider, bringing in more fresh air to this room.
• How beautiful would that bed wall be- huh?

Cons:

• A lot of money, (at least double the first plan,) as we're talking about transforming 2 full walls. We'd need scaffolding to drywall in the Living Room, and again to put in windows to the backyard.  Remember when Bath Crashers did that before?
• We'd have two really long blank walls.  The bedroom is long and narrow, so I'm not sure that we could put any furniture against this wall.  And at 20' long, we'd need a pretty good plan to fill it with art, (that would be one massive gallery wall.)  The Living Room wall would raise up two stories to... nothing. Would that look weird? 

 

So that's where we've been for two years now... stuck.  I can't take it anymore, and we need your opinion.  Would you choose:

1.  Modern horizontal windows to the Living Room, or  
2.  Modern vertical or horizontal windows to the backyard? 

Why?  Any other suggestions that I haven't thought of?  Please do me the favor of leaving your comment below and helping us through this two year road block.  I need all the help that I can get!