Sorry, I must be a real idiot but can you please help me (curtains)....?

[ireallyhavenoidea]

OK. I am back looking for curtains (again!) and cannot get my head round it.

Ok, so I have measured all my windows - without poles at the moment but taking in 15 cms above and 15cms either side, so therefore the size of my adjustable pole - and have the following sizes:

Living Room - 209cm wide x 120 drop

Bedroom - 209cm x 135

Bedroom 2 - 149 x 133

Bedroom 3 - 208 x 135

Dining Room (bi-fold doors) -248 x 227

Firstly, do they look feasible sizes to you?

Secondly, which on earth curtain sizes do I need for each window? For example, I thought of these for the dining room but thought I would need the 228 x 229 but the site says it is for a pole over 295!

I also liked these for the Living Room but they are only 150 wide.

Please can someone give me a really - for clearly a very simple person whose brain has been frazzled by a long house renovation! - easy guide on curtains.

Many, many thanks in advance you lovely ladies :)

I am no help because I never understand curtain sizes so I am here to see what others say!

Thanks for making me feel not as stupid as I did earlier. I am guessing it's the whole 1 1/2 times or something...

Fingers crossed someone knowledgeable comes along soon....

I really don't get them either. And I ask the people in the curtain shops and they start babbling at me and I still don't get it.

Okay, but is it twice divided by two, since there's two curtains, IYSWIM?

So if your window is, say, 100cm, you'd need two 200cm curtains?

Is that right?

::head explodes::

That's exactly how I feel and I am feeling the pressure now as we move in next weekend! I was putting it off as the sites always say the curtain poles should be up first but 1) they aren't and 2) now I am thinking, as the windows all seem to be different drops (whats that all about anyway?) if I get them now I can fit the curtain poles to suit....

Except, one of the curtains I like is "delivered in 8 weeks"!!! Eek....

For your dining room I would buy 168w x 229l.

I would buy the 150w for the living room but they won't be very gathered when closed.

I think

I supposed it depends on if your going to be closing your curtains or not. I never close mine as I have vertical blinds. The curtains are just for decoration.

Okay, but is that two 168w curtains, Facebaffle or is it one each of 84w?

Thanks Tee. (Not feeling half as stupid as I have for the last few weeks!). I will order these curtains this weekend

Thanks for starting the thread!

I'm still confused...

The measurement is for each curtain in the pair. So when you order 168 x 229, you're getting 2 curtains of that size.

(me too Tee 2072!)

I think I might look for curtains I like for which room (mostly plain to be honest!) and then ask the good people of mumsnet which sizes I need each time!

It confused me that JL only do that standard curtain in 150 width, which I thought was too small for my window (and it's not a huge one!) I assumed I was doing it all wrong...

Okay, so you get two curtains that can basically cover the whole window? Is that right?

So if they don't come in pairs, which I've seen, you need to buy 2 that are the full width you want?

Ok Facebaffle. Thanks.

Are you around over the next few days by any chance to check in and offer advice? Pretty please?

OMG Tee. Am avoiding LeRedoute FOR THAT VERY REASON (only 1 curtain supplied!)

Sticking with Next / JL and maybe M&S I think...

OK, so for bedroom 1 I am thinking of these

So, do I go for 164 x 136 or the 228 x 136 as it is a bedroom and will look more luxurious if fuller? (I will have a blind in this room too but need curtains to dress it)

Thanks again...

Oh I like those, ireally.

I think I'd get the wider ones and maybe tie them back?

Hark at me!

As long as the 2 curtains' width adds up to more than the width of the window then you'll be ok, depending how much gathering you want when they're closed. Iyswim.

I've never seen single curtains for sale. I suppose if you're just buying one then you need to make sure it's wider than the door/window it's being used for.

I feel quite grown up giving curtain advice

I'll try and pop back but I'm working tomorrow.

Ha, feeling (slightly) empowered now with our 'understanding'. Although I am prepared for Facebaffle to come back and tell me I have it all wrong

SO, if the plain curtains I picked from JL will be a bit snug, should I just find some other plain ones a bit bigger...?

Oh, and I can't take any credit for the curtains. Some lovely Mumsnetter (sorry, can't remember who) said they would look nice in my Pale Duck Egg bedroom.

I LOVE mumsnet :). for you all

Thanks baffle. It's one of those things that really shouldn't be hard (I searched through 10 pages of comments and nobody didn't seem to 'not get it' as much as me! My excuse is I don't have family nearby ....). Ahem.

If they are eyelet curtains I wouldn't make them too wide, I find they look best when they are only a little wider than the curtain.

Think of how you want them to look when they are closed, and that will give you a sense of how much fabric there should be.

When you get a quote from JL there is no obligation to buy, quite the opposite. What the process of a quote in person does help with is a clearer understanding of the options...you leave with a printed paper details of the proposed curtain spend and have a window to consider.

www.johnlewis.com/buying-guides/made-to-order-curtains-measuring-guide

... the made to order process will help to show you whether the ready made curtains would fit your windows. With JL we always add on 10cm to be sure they 2 curtains close & blackout lining adds extra warmth in winter and more light blackout in summer (great if kids think its morning) but more initial cost. We love pencil pleat for the look but it adds £s

Thanks Liara. Yes they will (probably) all be eyelet as I like those! So, for the bedroom ones would you go for the 164 width as opposed to the 228 for my window (pole 209)?

City angel - I have left it too late to go into a JL for a quote :(

Hmm, tricky as those say that they will only fit a pole to 198, so you may find that the curtains don't quite touch in the middle if you get the smaller ones.

I would probably get the bigger in the expectation that I might adjust the size if necessary, but I don't know how handy you are with a sewing machine!