Why do my expensive-ish curtains look crap

I honestly can't believe how disgustingly rude some posters have been.

Also cannot believe that after 12 pages posters are still coming on talking about pulling strings and steaming! 😳 I think it's all been said...

your kitchen is absolutely lovely, congratulations and well done.

There is nothing wrong with the curtains!

No need to start again

And no need to have ridiculous floor length expensive floor dusters

Maybe you just need to start again OP. Have you any other windows these curtains would fit? They look more like bedroom curtains tbh - more in style and length. Then get to Dunelm etc and buy something straightforward like ring tops in a width and a half/double width and 90 inch drop, you don't have to spend a fortune, in a material that doesn't crease so badly, just hang them up and stop stressing!

All you need to do now is to measure again (making sure to measure the extra space both sides of the window) then gather each curtain while making sure it covers half the window. If each curtain is less than the width of the window (basically, with two curtains guidance for pencil pleats says each individual curtain should be the same as the window width but that’s only a rule of thumb not an absolute necessity) just gather less.

The fact you said at some point on this thread that you thought there was too much material is an excellent sign because it means the material is there to gather.

If you are going to iron do that before gathering.

Also, when you finally have them ready to hang, make sure all the hooks are in the same level of thread or they won’t hang right.

Don’t forget to tie one end before gathering! Sorry to keep banging on about that point but I didn’t once and it was a massive pain to sort out.

Also, ignore all the people being bitchy about the curtains. There is nothing wrong with them - some people just enjoy being nasty.

Op if they are too narrow, the you can order two more, less wide to bulk it out, I get it’s cost though if you’ve already spent a lot.

I know, I don’t understand it, I get when folks get emotional or angry on a topic that touches a nerve, and gets involved in a debate. But why would anyone want to come on to a thread about curtains of all things and attack. Some of the comments are just horrible. I mean tat really?

You have only 1 problem OP - there are sone real bitches hanging out round here

@Sickofhousestuff The curtains are meant to measure width and a half of window width. I also think the curtains are way too short and would have looked better being longer. they also should have been ironed before hanging because fabric looks like cotton of some sort and creases will not fall out so easily. longer curtains tend to eliminate draughts from windows

Exactly this - I used to hand make curtains for a living and this was the advice I was planning on posting!
The only thing I would add is that I suspect you have the curtains the wrong way round, i.e. the right hand side is on the left. If you have a half widths of fabric they should go on the outer edges.

Op did I read you'd bought a steamer?
Don't be daft. That money you don't need to waste and something that needs storing that you'll use once in a blue moon.

Use your iron, iron them on the ironing board, then once hung use the steam from the iron, if they need it.

No! Sorry but they look like utter tat, can you get your money back? An iron would help a lot, they are not hung properly and the length is just weird.

What a horrible post. On such an innocuous topic. Why would anyone come on this thread to attack?

marriage is about compromise, not riding rough shod over your spouse, that’s not adulting, and she already said much earlier she’d picked most of the stuff. So the curtains were his pick and she compromised and let him have his length.

That’s being an adult.

Pencil pleats hang better on a rail rather than a pole. Once ironed and strings pulled evenly they will look better

Induction all the way! Does he do all
the cooking?

I meant sheers earlier! Not sheets. I would personalise these curtains by adding a leading edge trim or even adding blinds under them in a contrasting fabric. You also can coordinate the addition of a colourful trim to cushions and a rug.

@JaninaDuszejko Total tosh. There’s no defined length for short curtains. Sitting on a window cill is normal. Especially if the cill protrudes. Who wants a cill making the curtain have a bulge?

Obviously changing now is difficult. Advice for the future on interior design isn’t wasted. Unfortunately lots of pictures are of older houses but the principles of using curtains for decorative effect is still good advice. Also the use of blinds side by side is a good solution for wide windows. You can add a heat retention layer. Lots of people add sheets to soften the look. So use layers.

Most interior decorators don't use short curtains unless in a cottage where heightening the room is never going to work. In other homes, it’s desirable. Wide windows can make a room feel like it has a low ceiling. Giving an illusion of height is often used to improve the ambience of the room. Plus who wants the decorative effect of a modern bog standard radiator?

No they don’t frankly. Why not have had them made floor length? The fabric is also quite bland, but that’s probably a personal taste thing.

As others have said, gather up the heading tape and use about twice the number of curtain rings. And give them an iron!

Wow there are some rude comments on here. Thankfully there have been helpful comments about tightening the tab, giving them and iron/steam, and training them to hang. @Sickofhousestuff you sound lovely and from the photos you have shared your house looks lovely as well, you are much better at this house stuff than you realise. The curtains will look great once you've dressed them and I completely agree they allow the sofa to shine.

TO THE RUDE PEOPLE:
1)Floor length curtains is a fashion that looks best in period houses.
2)Short curtains are a practical option that give a MCM look in a modern house (which the OP clearly has with a wide picture window) and work well with radiators or other features below windows.
3) Made to measure just means what it says, the measurements are given to the seamstress who makes the curtains to fit.
4) Short curtains are suppose to hang ~10cm below the sill to stop draughts and so the length is correct.
5) The width of curtains depend on the gathering at the top. Eyelets need the least amount of fabric at about 1.5x the width you want, pencil pleat are in the middle needing about 2x the width and pinch pleat (which always looks the most expensive) about 2.5x the width.
5) Lots of cheap fabric can look great (e.g. sewing together several off the shelf curtains or using cheap fabric to make made to measure curtains) or if you want an expensive fabric roman blinds that are made to measure and have interlining can look fab and use a lot less fabric.

@dumdededdumdum @Sickofhousestuff Theres lots of inspiration for window treatments in nearly every Home magazine and sites such as Houzz. A John Lewis store will give you deteiled info on headings and suitable lengths and widths for gathering. 2 or 2.5 times the width for full pencil or other decorative gathers. The attached is from Homes and Gardens magazine and is part of a wide ranging article on window treatments.

I try and steer DH away from interior design. He just thinks of function. No imagination. I keep up to date with trends (he doesn’t) and there are several ways to deal with wide windows with not so much depth. As the article says, curtains can be used to heighten the room. They dress the window and thinner ones do allow heat out from a rad. You could look at blinds side by side.

Personally I never buy without seeing what they will look like regarding headings and I want to see the fabric. Your fabric has crumpled a lot. For me, I would add a decorative edge as they are a bit boring.

I don't know if I'm more shocked by the sheer nastiness on here or by the fact people would cover their radiators so the curtains look better (debatable). It's not classy to kick someone already upset, and OP the first time I pulled strings on curtains I forgot to tie the ends. And even that isn't a major drama a darning needle soon resolved that.
It's also not a husband problem if he wants some input into how his house looks, I wish mine took a bit more interest. Although he would comment on covering radiators.

They are pencil pleat, you need to pull the strings at the top to pleat them. Do not shorten them that will look awful.

I had curtains made to measure by John Lewis 20 years ago and they still look like new - they also came and hung them. Some tips from watching the fitters:

As pps have said the tapes need tightening.

Most importantly, they drew the curtains back to the fully opened position then smoothed with their hands down each curve so they formed row of pleats, then tied a piece of guauze-type material firmly but not to tightly to hold them into place - I was told to leave them in these pleats for a few days, can't remember exactly how long.

This gave them a very finished and streamlined look. They are ceiling to floor length.