Please help me dress my mullion windows

[geordiepidge]

We're about to move into our new house and I'm at a loss for how to dress the bedroom window. The house is 18th century and has very rustic mullion windows which I don't want to hide, but the bedroom faces south east so gets lots of light in the morning. Any ideas? Apart from eye masks

[Geneticsbunny]

I would go for venetian blinds I think.

[PickAChew]

Why not curtains? They'll be pulled right back, during the day, when you're actually looking at the windows.

Anything inside the recess is going to obscure the shape.

[dudsville]

I think curtains would look best re the era. Those windows, sometimes a segment needs to be replaced, so if you had something in the recess it would occasionally potentially need to be removed for access.

[geordiepidge]

Thank you, I did think curtains but what about the radiator? Would short ones look ok so we still get the warmth when the curtains are shut?

[Fatted]

I'd say some curtains. Set the rail a bit higher and wider than the window to 'frame' it and that should also help so the curtains don't cover the radiator.

[AgathaF]

Definitely curtains. Held back from the sides of the windows during the day and finishing above the radiator.

[OhMyGodTheyKilledKenny]

Curtains with a blackout lining.

Anything in on on the window would spoil the look of them whereas curtains can be pulled right back.

[Blackgrouse]

What about a roman blind fitted outside the recess and a few inches above the window? You then wouldn't block much, if any, of the window when the blinds up and it's above the radiator.

Personally I think if you go with curtains they should be floor length, window sill length looks a bit old fashioned.

[Blackgrouse]

The blind in the pic is fitted a few inches higher than the window, when up fully it skims the top of recess. As long as you take the blind a few inches past each side you can't tell it's fitted above the recess.

[Knittedfairies]

Full length dress curtains with a blind as suggested by Blackgrouse

[MikeUniformMike]

Short curtains unless you move the radiator. I would get thermal lining if the window is draughty

[PickAChew]

Short curtains look great with wide, shallow windows. I know they get a bad rap from people who like long, flowy curtains but the proportions are so much better.

[MikeUniformMike]

I have long flowy curtains with radiators under the windows. It's not practical.

[Errrrrrr]

I have mullioned windows and long curtains. Can't bring myself not to! We have such deep window sills that in the winter I roll the bottom of the curtains up and rest them on the windowsill as i close them! Depends how dedicated you are to curtains though...

[wowfudge]

Those mullion windows are themselves old fashioned, and lovely. Curtains longer than midway between the sill and the radiator are pointless imo.

[geordiepidge]

Thanks all, I think we're going to go for Roman blinds mounted a bit higher than normal and falling to just below the window sill so I can tuck them up when it's really cold 🙂