Why do my expensive-ish curtains look crap

But why don't they cover the full window?

Why are there 2 radiators right next to each other? Was it 2 rooms originally?

Some people are just such dickheads aren't they?

The curtains just need a steam and they need to be gathered. They will look lovely.

We are renting atm but the curtains are full length and constantly look shit because they are tucked behind the bloody radiator! Absolute nightmare

They would look much nicer with some pleats at the top to give structure.

Some very good advice already. Steam them, gather them. Remember you can also raise or lower the actual curtain pole if the length isn’t quite right.

I've got lined and interlined curtains at my front windows that sit between the sill and radiator. It would be ridiculous to cover the radiator up! I'd also add I work in interiors.

If your windows are 9.5 feet wide, you need 19 feet width of curtain material for pencil pleat heading - the heading should stack like a row of pencils sat together like the image I've added. I'd say you've seriously undermeasured and you haven't gathered the tops at all.

With some more gathering and extra hooks if you have any as well as a press, they’ll look fine OP.

It's quite a tedious job I think, pulling the tapes, figuring out which horizontal line to use, then getting all the pleats even. Once you've done it then it's not something you have to re-do, so it really is worth spending a bit of time making sure it's just right.

Come back and post when you've gathered the header OP. That and a steam and it'll look lovely :)

I just got made to measure curtains that cost over £600, local fabric company who measured and fitted them for me, put up new curtain rail etc and didn’t leave until leave until they knew I was happy with how they looked and hung. Did you order made to measure on line? It probably would have been worth getting someone to fit them for you to get the hang and gathering right.

As everyone else has said: Tape at top needs to be gathered. Do not cut the string when you gather the curtains. You can get YouTube videos on this.They also need to be steamed. You could also look up A YouTube video on ‘how to dress curtains’. This involves pleating them and then tying with tapes. You then leave them for a week or two and after that they will hang naturally in those folds. I occasionally redress my curtains when I go on holiday.
Definitely don’t shorten your curtains. It is total rubbish to say that made to measure curtains need to come to the floor. You can have them to whatever length you want. I usually make my own curtains but I have had 3 pairs made to measure: 1 pair full length and 2 pairs to hang just a bit below the windowsill.

I think if you want curtains to look expensive they need to hit the floor, I've had shorter 'more practical' curtains & never loved the look of them

Oh what pretentious rubbish

Floor length curtains look dirty to me - and over a radiator they say style over substance

which just goes to show that different people like different things

The only way for curtains to look good is to hit the FLOOR. This length is hideous

Made to measure from where? And what type of heading did you get - pencil pleat? We have just had made to measure from Dunelm - had to pull the string ourselves to make the proper pencil pleat.

As per PP, iron / steam

Pole directly through the top as opposed to using hoops? Can then do the trick with foam padding in between each loop to make them look fuller!

Or more hoops.

Im about to change mine from full ceiling to floor to cafe style ones to allow more light and not cover half my walls, so we will see if I end up in a similar dilemma

Definitely need gathered at the top, measure your pole and gather to fit, I personally like lots of gather but everyone is different.

if you look at the tape at the back you will find 3 strings, tie them together at one end (the end that’s in the middle of the window when pulled on) then go to the other end and tie those, then pull and adjust the gathers when you’re happy tie them off as well but don’t cut them you will need to take gathers out to clean the curtain.

when hanging look again at the gathering tape, you should see three options on where you can put the hooks, play around until you get them how you like them.

I made and hung these today, they need more rings on the pole and they could do with pressing but I didn’t want todo that until I had checked the leg th, but I’m quite pleased with them

Hanging curtains can be a pain, but worth the effort. The fabric is as much as double the width of the windows so that they look "full". As others have said, they need gathered using the tapes at the top (I'd expect made-to-measure to be gathered for you). If you put the curtain hooks through the lowest "hoops" (the wee bits that loop out--usually 3 or 4 horizontal strings) the curtains will stand up above the curtain pole nicely. Make sure you space the hooks equally.
A good steam/iron will make a massive difference.
You've ordered a slightly strange length, in practical terms, because the heat rising from your radiators will go up behind the curtains. That's a typical problem, though, so it's a personal choice but your idea of sitting them on the windowsill makes sense re the heating bill.
It's a learning curve we all went through. Congratulations on your new home and I wish you many happy years in it!

You don’t need to share the cost…. My mum would have just gone to John Lewis and had them made to measure which is pretty expensive to my mind. I’ve got some gorgeous silk curtains that I bought second hand on eBay and then had altered which I love. The alteration cost more than the curtains but they would have been easily over £1000 new. Maybe if you’ve got any more to buy that would be an option. Otherwise as a pp has said put up 2 pairs for wider windows.

Interesting - must depend on the radiator. My (modern-ish) radiator is only about 2 inches off the wall, and gets piping hot. I wouldn’t fancy stuffing thick curtains down the back of it.

Also no offence intended at all, but “I’d rather be cold that have windowsill-length curtains” is such a intensely Mumsnet comment.

The length is fine. You need more rings, then measure half the pole length, add 2cm then pull in the tape strings at the top to that measurement.

It's none of anyone's business how much they cost. Try what people have suggested and I bet they will look much nicer.

OP to add to what others have told you re gathering and extra hoops etc, you really don't need made to measure for that window. If it's too wide for standard size curtains just hang two pairs of the appropriate drop ready made curtains. If they are gathered and hung properly you can't see the gap between them. This is what I've done with very wide French doors with windows on either side, admittedly with full length eyelet curtains on a 4 metre pole and you wouldn't know they weren't extra wide curtains.