72” curtains - who else uses this length ?

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Good morning, I need help. Please 💐

I currently have 72” curtains on my living room window, as I thought they were the right size for our window set up. Dunelm measuring uses either just below the windowsill 54” and 90” to the floor.

The pole is mid way between the ceiling and the window so if I went for 90” curtains, I would have to bring the pole much higher to the ceiling and the material will still trail across the floor.

The 54” length takes the curtains to only 6-7cm below the windowsill, but I can’t lower the pole height as it might look daft.

The only size that seems to work is 72”, but we have a radiator beneath the window, and the fabric covers half way.

Does it look daft? Does anybody else use the 72” for this reason or not at all? Please can/will you show me your photos of 72” curtain lengths for this reason?
I’ve bought some new curtains at 72” and they are quite expensive so I don’t want to have them shortened, and made to measure curtains are, again, expensive.
Any advice appreciated xxx

Sorry, forgot the photo..

…of current curtains, the new ones are eyelet xx

They look wrong to me. Can you return the,? You need curtains that fall to the floor or to the window sill. 90inches can be shortened easily by using iron on hemming tape

That length looks wrong to me too , under the sill or to the floor. Personally I like them to pool slightly on the floor.

I’d go for the 54” with the radiator under the window. Otherwise the heat from that radiator will get blocked by the curtains.

I like full length curtains, however I think yours look fine with the proportions of your window and room. I don’t think it will work with eyelet curtains though, they aren’t formal enough to give the mid length the deliberate look it needs. If you want eyelet I would raise your curtain pole a bit (maybe an inch or two so it isn’t up against the ceiling), buy longer length ones and find a local dressmaker / dry cleaner to hem them so they just skim the floor. Whilst pooled fabric can look lovely I don’t think you have the ceiling height to take it and it will look like you haven’t bothered to hem them.

I have this problem too. The room is about to be redecorated and the mid length curtains will be taken up or taken to the charity shop!

My pole is a bit higher and tbh i think mine look far worse. They annoy me when I look at them!

I’d go with the short ones too - and have done, because my radiators are under windows. I wasn’t sure tbh but I prefer the shorter ones, less fussy imo.

Of course this is MN, you’ll get lots of responses saying short = naff.

A few cm below sill is fine. What you have looks odd.

@Martinisarebetterdirty

I like full length curtains, however I think yours look fine with the proportions of your window and room. I don’t think it will work with eyelet curtains though, they aren’t formal enough to give the mid length the deliberate look it needs. If you want eyelet I would raise your curtain pole a bit (maybe an inch or two so it isn’t up against the ceiling), buy longer length ones and find a local dressmaker / dry cleaner to hem them so they just skim the floor. Whilst pooled fabric can look lovely I don’t think you have the ceiling height to take it and it will look like you haven’t bothered to hem them.

Your first sentence gave me a glimmer of hope then @Martinisarebetterdirty.

I always thought the 72” looked regarding the proportions of the room also.

God, I don’t know now whether to go for the 54”, they will be 4 inches below the window sill.

Ah good, more posts about the shorter ones then.
I think that’s made my mind up, thank you all for your input xxx

I used an interior designer, I’m sure mine are 3” below the window. That was her recommendation.

72” is a bit no man’s land imo, neither long or short. I’d post a photo but the view is a bit outing!!!

We have this length and tuck the curtain in behind the radiator when they’re shut, keeps the heat in

@MsFernBotanical

I used an interior designer, I’m sure mine are 3” below the window. That was her recommendation.

72” is a bit no man’s land imo, neither long or short. I’d post a photo but the view is a bit outing!!!

I agree about the no man’s land looking at them now…

@nervousseacreature

We have this length and tuck the curtain in behind the radiator when they’re shut, keeps the heat in

I did this too, and even though I thought it was the right length, I hated seeing the bottom half of the radiator when the curtains were shut xx

I thought the “general” rule was if you’ve got a radiator under your windows, then have curtains just below the sill.

Personally, I’m not a fan of floor-length/pooling curtains - I think they look messy/fussy. I’d rather have curtains that are functional when drawn and look neat when pulled/held back.

Mind you, most on here would probably hate mine, as they are neither one nor the other! I’ve got a prominent beam around 8” from the floor, so my curtains sit just above that - as didn’t want to hide it. No radiator under the two windows, so that helped with my decision.

In the UK, radiators are usually under windows. I have always had curtains that end just below the window ledge if there's a radiator below. Otherwise the heat disappears behind the curtain.

We have ours just below the sill so we can tuck them behind the radiator, with fuel prices the way they are I want all the heat I can get.

not quite the same proportions but i went for just below the window sill in my bedroom this is how it looks

As Usingit says when i pull them closed they fold behind the top of the radiator very easily