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[DBN1]

The ground floor of our house is open plan (apart from the loo which is closed off, obviously ). We have 3 sets of double glass doors (not draughty but let in the cold), stone floors, no heating at all.
I want to get an electric fire for here but I'm worried that the heat will just escape to the upper floors and waste electricity (it's very expensive here - not UK).
Any suggestions for closing off/temporarily blocking this staircase so we can keep downstairs a bit warm please?
I'm thinking a heavy curtain going from the plaster coving on the ceiling at the bottom of the stairs but I don't know if it'll look too ugly in the warmer months when the curtain will not be needed.
For information; it's currently 14c down here and I'm freezing my tits off even with enough layers to make me resemble the Michelin Man!

Oops! Photo upload fail!

Curtain with thermal lining. You don't have to leave the curtain up year round, you can take it down in the warmer months.

Thanks for responding DisplayPurposesOnly. Where would you put the pole/track though? I know the photo is a bit fuzzy and I couldn't zoom in any closer. The coving at the top is angle. I can't see how/where to attach it.

*Angled

What Display said.

And I agree I just can't think how or where the track/pole would go

Can you set a curtain slightly back on the stairs where a track can be put on a straight surface?

No, where the coving ends on the left wall the wall ends on the right (it's a turned staircase) so nothing to affix it to there.
I'm looking at ceiling tracks at the moment (they're very popular here), we might have to do it that way.
I can't find thermal curtains, only blackout. Would that do? It's got to be better than nothing!

I just can't think how or where the track/pole would go

I think you could put a tension rod up there.

You can get curtain rails that fasten to the ceiling

I think you could put a tension rod up there A tension rod would leave quite a bit gap between the bottom of the coving and the ceiling. Also, I've never seen them here (we're not very up-to-date )

Buggeritimgettingup that's what I'm looking for now

What about one of those poles that fit like a pressure fit Stairgate? Can't think what they are called... Painful day and I'm sure half my brain stops working

Here in the UK you can get ceiling brackets that hold a curtain pole. You can also get ceiling mounted tracks.

I've lived in similar houses and the only thing to do is put up a thermal curtain.

This one is on Amazon, IKEA do similar.

Thank you all I've ordered a blackout curtain to hang from a track that will be fixed onto the ceiling just infront of the staircase. I've sent my husband out to souce that

Now I can look for a heater. Fingers crossed, in a week or so we'll be warmer, downstairs at least!