At this age you should just ask for favorite colors, and then you pick the complimentary covers. Real privacy demand won't happen until about 11 - 13, so right now just concentrate on making it beautiful. If it is pretty and functional, they will love it! Buy furniture pairs so when you do split them up they each have basics. Advice about dividing the room generally is good, but you don't want big sister declaring any territory! There is a crown detail you can do over a bed that includes curtains down on either side - can provide privacy when you sit up in your own bed - consider this as they get a little older and won't pull it down while hijinxing. If it is beautiful and the textiles are in a color they love (or two colors that work together, like pink and lavender on a spring green or taupe wall &/or turquoise and spring green on a buttercream yellow wall ) - then they will see that they can also be different people who are harmonious together. At 7, she is old enough to pick a great color, but don't ask the 5 year old - her taste is changing daily - just surprise her with something all her own that works with sister's pick. I like the look when people select soft goods that match except for color and find one great print accent pillow that ties colors together for both beds. Stay with neutrals on furniture - you can paint out different stuff so it is tied together with pale gray paint. Think mostly about function - Add shelves and cubbies that hold baskets for stuff - stuff changes but they always have it. If you have room, give them each a desk as they approach 5th grade.

Ozbern: we had a similar dilemma, lovely backyard and then they started tearing down bungalows and building four story townhouses all around us. I built a single depth pergola along the back property line, the beauty of this is not only the privacy, but it brings the scale of the yard down to make it feel more intimate when we are outside. We also added a 10' x 10' (little over three meters) pergola right up against the house where we had a wall of windows. Will try to find that photo too. We have coral vine now growing in it. Dies in winter, comes back in spring. You can always do more contemporary details if this is too casual.

I'd like to suggest that the most important thing here is more about who is using the room. If It's a child's bedroom use lovely children's curtains - there's so much around and any pattern could pick up the wall and floor colours. If a guest room and not used often I'd suggest a beautiful velvet or good quality Linen and forbid the little ones from going in to that room!!!!!! alternately a blind attached at floor level could be raised or lowered so the view is still there but with privacy from waist height perhaps. Good luck. Bee

Wow - what a view! Yes definitely take the curtains to the ceiling it will add grandeur and frame the view even more beautifully. You can get a custom bent track made that will take the curtains around the corner so the window is not obscured when the curtain are open. Contact your local interior designer - they'll know what to do