OP again. Since we have the KALLAX bookshelf on its side under our window, can we actually hang curtains that only come to about 1 inch above the bookshelf? I have no design sense, so I'm not sure whether or not I can hang curtains that don't come to the floor. (The furniture is both below and on the sides of the window, so I can't hang the curtains wider so that they come to the floor.) I hope I make sense here.

Both work. Depends on your trim. We did Home Depot cellular cut at the store inside mount. They block the majority and curtains do the rest.

OP here. Thanks for the replies. Should we get inside-mount or outside-mount if we want the shades to block the most light?

Blindsgalore has black out roller shades
http://www.blindsgalore.com/WindowProduct.asp?id=709440

You could also do blackout roman shades, either off the rack from pottery barn or custom from smith & noble.

Home depot has black out cordless cellular shades that work well (we put curtains on top). Most of the online and stores were very expensive.

I really like our cellular shades -- we got the mid-range spring window fashions ones from Budget Blinds (he has several options but only showed us a couple). I love them because they look and feel more like fabric than other versions I've seen. Next Day Blinds' seemed more paper-y.

We got some Hunter Douglas light-blocking pleated shades for the kids' rooms. They do a great job.

With the 2-hour OPM delay this morning, we realized how bright our bedroom (and some of the kids' bedrooms) get in the morning, and starting Sunday, this is going to happen even earlier every day.

We need some blinds for our window because there is furniture that wraps around the window, so I can't put curtains there.

Any recommendations? Since this is our forever house, quality is far more important than price.

That window is east-/south-facing, so it gets a LOT of light in the morning.

TIA!