Why do my expensive-ish curtains look crap

Why would anyone choose to live anywhere other than a Victorian house with original cast iron radiators and floor-length thick velvet curtains!? Surely people who don’t live this way must be mistaken? I could never risk being whispers “council-property like”.

8k for curtains!!! I can’t imagine that ever being worth it.

what @xsxsxsxs said with bells on!

Agreed. I'd prefer to have my living room curtains hitting the floor, but I need the heat, so I've shortened them.

I think you need at least 2x window width. Anything less looks mean. OP, if you didn't measure properly, I'd consider going back to curtain maker and ask if they can add a panel for you.

Too short, short curtains always look cheap. Needs a steam, not enough hoops. Needs gathering. Weights would definitely help. For perspective on cost, a friend paid 8k for curtains covering that width but full length from John Lewis at least 10 years ago. Nice material, fully lined and insulated. If you didn’t pay for something with 4 figures, you didn’t get proper made to measure quality curtains.

While most people probably prefer pencil pleats pulled up close, it is not essential and you can manage with a slight gather. My mother only ever made her curtains with the width one and a quarter times the window width. She made her first curtains just after the Second World War when fabric was scarce.

Also when tying up the three strings don't knot them in such a way you can't untie them should you ever need to release the pleats.

I don't love the length, but it's difficult if you have a radiator in front of the window. I would iron them, but steaming will be fine. Then gather as advised.

I would also consider lining them if they're not already lined. And if you have a sewing machine, that won't take long.

For a nearly 10ft wide window, cropped curtains is always going to look a bit like “council property” like. Personally I don’t think short curtains ever look luxurious or expensive, there’s no grace about them.
I can understand some peoples stance on them blocking the heat from the radiator, but I’ve never felt that my rooms aren’t warm enough and have always had long curtains.

Cheap Dunelm ready made blackout curtains in a spare bedroom but you can see how gathered they need to be to look vaguely decent.

Yes that is what it looks like to me, for a 9,5,foot window she needed to buy minimum 19ft wide. It looks to me like it’s not pleated /gathered right as that’s the width required to fit the window, ie if she does what she’s supposed to they won’t shut and will be too short.

maybe I’m wrong, but it would be very obvious the curtains needed to be gathered as there would be a load of material bunched up on closing.

on a separate note, I’m no fan of short curtains, or curtains at all. I prefer blinds, but some folks like them short.

If you live near Wokingham I'll pop round and help you sort them out!

OP - these curtains are the correct length. It's to do with distribution of heat or something.
Is that one curtain or half of a pair?

OP, don't worry about how much they cost - what matters is whether you are happy with them (and you're not).

I have had all my curtains made because my windows are funny sizes, and I also wanted them to be heavy and thermally lined (house is also cold). They are all floor length, because I don't personally like short curtains - but whatever length you like, I agree with all the PP who say you need to gather them more, and you need about twice the number of rings. The creases should fall out, and if they are weighted (as they should be, if made to measure), that will help. You definitely don't need less width - skimpy curtains look mean.

If it's hard to gather them, I recommend you stand on the end of the strings and then do it - otherwise you will feel as if the strings are cutting your fingers in half.

I think you should move the hooks up a row so that they are on the middle part.

Gather the tape to create a better top line.

Add a curtain hook every 3 holes, added to the middle row on the tape to create a better distribution of weight and gathers.

Iron them before you put them up and they will look so much better.

OP, who measured the windows for the curtains? I am a bit concerned that when you gather those curtains at the top, they are no longer going to stretch across the width of the window. Also, what kind of lining do you have in them? It takes decent lining for curtains to hang properly.

Some people are just such dickheads aren't they?

Why is someone saying "they'd look better if they touched the floor" a dickhead? The OP has literally asked for opinions on why they don't look good. For the "curtains to the floor" posters, that's a big part of why they don't look good surely?

I’m also a bit concerned you haven’t got enough material looking at the photo.

How wide is the window (including the bits you want covered each side) and what width of material did you go for? With pencil pleat, you need at least twice the width and possibly 2.5.

Large Windows can be a pain. I always buy two pairs from Dunelm or somewhere in that price bracket off the shelf. Once they are hung you can't tell it's not one pair. As any made to measure I see and like are at least £1000.00 .

The more fabric the better generally, if you don't have enough fabric it can look like you've hung a tea towel.

The problem with that length curtain is it looks a bit like the bottom has been chopped off. Can you add more rings? The curtains in pic are made to measure and I think pinch pleats can look better. Edited to add these curtains are almost 15 years old, I wouldn't spend the equivalent today.

They haven’t been gathered properly but have you bought the right width? They should be double at least the width then you gather them to make them structured using the strings at the top. If that’s them at the width that closes, they are thr wrong size op?

I like the fine pinstripe on them.

It looks to me like they haven’t been gathered at all, just the weight creating random folds.

Of course, we can’t see the top - since you mention hoops, I take it they are pencil pleat?

Providing they are, you need to take them down and gather them properly (as illustrated by the poster who has put up a picture of her new curtains).

It’s easy to Google online how to do it - just make sure you tie the threads at one end before pulling (if they aren’t already tied) so you don’t yank them straight through.

Hopefully the curtains are long enough that you can put proper pencil pleats in and still have them wide enough for the window.

Once you’ve got the folds right, then steam.

Also, ignore people who say long curtains look better. I do agree and if I ever build my own house (only if I win the lottery), I’m putting the radiators in locations where they won’t be covered by curtains but until then, I have sill length curtains that don’t stop heat entering the room.