window dressing (with pic!)

[littlem133]

I need some window dressing advise! I've got these lovely big windows and patio doors (which we don't use) with a great view out. We need to put something up at the windows as the Suns really strong in the afternoon. I was thinking nice dark blue Ikea curtains but the Windows are 3m wide and the curtains would bunch up at the sides too much that they'll take over loads of the Windows and we'll lose some view. I didn't really want blinds as its our to room/snug and I wanted it to be luxurious and cosy. What would you do?!

3m isn't that wide for a window, one of my living room windows is 3m wide and I've never thought of it as big.

My curtains do not bunch up too much. I think you're over-thinking.

I wonder if what you mean by bunching up too much is that there's little room between window end and wall so curtain would mean you lose some window. I dont have any help to offer but window is lovely. Do you have to cover it?

The blue curtains you mentioned (do you have a picture or link?) sound nice. I had white voiles on a curtain track with the curtain hooks to the floor across my patio doors, with one of those poles to open and close them, love them in summer swaying in the breeze.

I'd have the curtain track to the ceiling too.

Yeah i meant the curtains would bunch up at the sides covering an amount of the window. I was just thinking of some dark blue plain curtains from Ikea. The rooms grey, dark blue, orange and gold! I was thinking about ceiling tracks with voiles. Where did you get your ceiling tracks from?

I got my tracks a while back, can't remember now, sorry. If I needed any now I'd try Wilko or Dunelm, just make sure they're fixable to wall or ceiling. I think I'd fix the voile track to the top of the wall and then the curtain track a bit further forward on the ceiling, then the curtains and voiles won't catch on each other. I have this on my bedroom windows.

Would you think of putting in blinds that you pull up rather than pull down. Luxaflex do them

You've got room above - if you want the cosy feel of curtains it might be worth considering a Roman blind with dress curtains at either side - ones that you don't close but which frame the window when open. Means you can use less fabric and won't get the bunching, although it will still cover a little bit of the window I guess?

I like that idea. How am I going to get Roman blinds that wide though?

You could go for a curtain track bending round at the sides so the curtains can be pulled completely clear of the windows when open, but blinds will look better I think. If you had blinds, you'd have several to cover the two windows and the patio doors separately.

Many curtain shops sell made to measure blinds.

Like 3 Roman blinds fixed to the ceiling?

Blinds are the way to go.

I think curtains are too dark.

I also would put the piano in front of the radiator & the sofa where the piano was on the right, to let light in & see the lovely garden

If you decide to go with curtains, eyelet top ones fold back best and take up the least space. You could get a pole for the full width of the room too, so as not to waste space with finials?

I agree with Roddas about moving sofa from in front of patio doors.

It's funny coz we put the swapped the sofa and the piano when we moved in but we have a sofa on the right side of the picture so the two sofas didn't quite sit right together with one of them being at the side of the other. It wasn't very natural. Maybe we'll try a swap again. It's difficult as the windows are all a different size so each blind would be a different width

What about the sofa up against the radiator, it's a shame to have the patio doors/view blocked off.

get rid of one of the sofa

Gorgeous room
Gorgeous garden
Very clean windows

Not helping you because I'm jealous

Shutters? I think they are very glamorous?

The ring top curtains from Ilea push back very neatly. I have a similar pair in my kitchen and they 'compress' down very well.

I still think blinds going UP from the floor/ bottom of door rather than down give better light with privacy.
As I mentioned before Luxaflex do them.
I don't know why they are not used more often

Could the sofa be pulled forwards?

Is this better (excuse the trampoline view!!). We've got a kitchen/family room which has bifolds which give us an amazing view. This room is more of our tv room hence putting the sofas where we did. Also there's no plug socket for the piano where I've moved it to AND its in front of a radiator.

How about voile curtains on a pole? They would shield the glare but you could still see through them so wouldn't make the room dark.