Window above radiator - what length curtains?!

[GinAndBubbles]

Ok so 7.5 years after moving in we are finally updating our living room / dining room curtains! They are basically the same room and on the same wall as open plan.

The living area window is above a radiator, but I want ‘ceiling’ to floor curtains as they will look so much better... DH is having none of it as says it will trap all the heat from radiator. Absolute valid point but there’s only a couple of inches between window and top of radiator so I think it’ll look a bit rubbish...

Has anyone had this, what would you do?!

PS if anyone knows where I can get velvet peacock coloured curtain please let me know (length TBD !). Hilary’s quote was £1k a pair, gulp!

Floor length. I have an irrational hatred of short curtain. If they need to be short then a Roman blind

Floor length all the way.

Agree, floor length.

We had this dilemma in our bedroom, and went for blinds instead to avoid blocking the heat or having short curtains.

Another vote for floor length.

Try blinds2go / curtains2go

They are so much cheaper than Hilarys and excellent customer service.

blinds not curtains.
We have a window over a radiator in our living room and went for short curtains. They look crap and I keep saying I'm going to replace them with blinds. They've now been up for 13 years though

Another fan of floor length. I hate short curtains unless the sill is quite high, or there is furniture immediately under the window

We have decent window sills so inset blinds.I can't stand short ,cut off curtains but your husband is right about the floor length unless you turn the radiator off you will not get heat radiating into the room.
I get my floor length hit over the French windows.
The blinds have also been great for shading during the hot weather.
The alternative is that you move the radiator.

Meant to say, depending on the budget, can you ‘dress’ the window will curtains, but also have a blind for ‘use’

Bedrooms I don’t care so short curtains. Got to be long curtains in the lounge though. Easy for me to say though as my radiator isn’t under them.
But I have got an armchair in front and I don’t think that traps heat.

Floor length.

I can't think of much worse than short curtains - they're where interior style goes to die.

Radiators do what they say,they radiate heat into your room,they can't do that with a curtain in front so they just heat the curtain,the wall and the window.Curtains keep the heat in the room but if the radiators behind it will just as effectively block the heat.
Depends on whether you want warmth or style.

Thank you!! I also hate short curtains (at the moment they are half way down the radiator - NOT a good look!!).

We’ve ordered some nice blinds from Hilary’s, I feel we got a good deal with installation etc etc.

Given these will be covering the windows, maybe I’ll get floor length curtains for show? I’d really like them to be a nice pop of colour as the room is very neutral at the moment... if not, new statement sofa it is!! Thanks all 👍

We have roman blinds round our bay window above the radiator and ‘show’ Full length curtains, that we never use, it soften the room.

Yes use the curtains for dress only just make sure you use enough fabric so it looks generous. Thin/insufficient width curtains look a bit mean I think even if only dress curtains.

I have a window above a radiator, i have a roman blind and full length dress curtains.

sounds like a pointless waste of energy=money to have radiators covered by curtains, esp if under window, the majority of the heat will be lost through the window.
can't see the point of extra fabric just for show, gathers dust.
each to his own I suppose.

Floor length as I don't think I've ever seen short curtains look good. I see your point though about losing heat. Blinds and long curtains sound a good compromise. Hillary's (as I'm sure you know) have lots of sales. 1K seems very steep! You could source the material elsewhere and pay someone to make your curtains/blind at a cheaper rate.

We have curtains long enough to tuck behind the radiators. Might look a bit funny but house is toasty warm :-)

Bedroom
Resting on top of radiator, to not block heat. Thought of fabric blind but then it blocks some off the window when rolled up. Not roller blind

Lounge
Full length

Floor length will look better but you might as well just turn the radiator off when you have the curtain closed as it will be as much use as a chocolate teapot.

We have curtains that finish just above the radiator but - shock horror- we actually scrunch them up to create a seal along the bottom of the window so the heat from the radiator can’t get up to the cold window and goes out into the room instead.

Not going to win any interior design awards but I choose warmth!

Always floor length. tuck them behind when the radiator is on.

Made.com have floor length velvet or cotton curtains for £99 in their largest size.Lovely teal or navy of you are looking for peacock colours.The velvet ones hang beautifully.

We went short and I think they look fine (but perhaps other people would disagree) , but it is annoying that they end up sweeping the window sill when being opened and closed! Or last house had long curtains over the radiator and it made a huge difference to the warmth of the rooms. Just wasting money and energy heating the back of your curtains.