How do I know what size curtains to buy for this window??

[OnEdge]

This is a bedroom window and is 100" across and 60" from top to bottom.

is there a rule of thumb for cutains, how long should they drop? How wide should eaxch one be?

I'm useless at this, can anyone help?

Go to John Lewis and they will tell you

AFAIK it is different depending on whether they have traditional tops, tab tops or eyelets. But i think at least 1.5x the window width is ok. As for drop, however long you want - either just below the sill (but watch for fouling of radiators) or floor length (about 1" above floor)

Agree with JOhn Lewis tip! They also have a curtain buying guide on their website, and explain exactly how to measure and how much clearance to allow.

Then give you the dimensions for their ready-made curtains but also tell you what size window each pair will cover. The reason being, the finished size depends what kind of top you have (flat, eyelet, pencil fold or whatever) because obviously the more crinkled the top is, the smaller the panel becomes. If that makes sense.

JL are the bees knees IMO

I may not have explained the last bit very well - John Lewis ready-made curtains are sold flat (so not crinkled at all) but with the curtain tape already attached.

You then pull the strings to crinkle them up to the desired width, and the type of tape partly dictates how much they will crinkle.

Or if they are eyelet or tab-top, obviously you don't crinkle them up at all - they just hang flat.

right, JL it is, many thanks.

I used to work in a curtain department - between 1.5 to 2 times the width of the window. The drop is up to you - measure from the top of the curtain rail to where you want them to finish. Usually a couple of inches below the window sill or to the floor if you like that. From memory (this was about 15 years ago), curtains come in a standard drop of 54 inches then 72.

It's worth looking out for special deals on made to measure curtains - we got some which were 50% off and not much more than a ready made pair. They were made in about a week. You have much more choice than ready made stuff!

Sorry if this is a really stoopid question, but why do you need 1.5 to 2 times the width of the window for the width of the curtain? I am in the midst of curtain dilemmas for our new house, and am trying to work it all out. Also, any tips on what to do with a 3 sided bay window??

Hi Never, you need 1.5-2x the width of the window so they hang properly, with pleats etc, especially if your having nets up.

Sorry total width (both curtains) is 1.5-2 times - so each curtain would be the width of the window iyswim. Gives you nice pleats when you pull them shut.

For your bay you'll need to get a decent rail which can hold heavy curtains. You can get special bay rails. You could have one pair although it can look really bulky. A neater option is to have curtains at each "angle" or corner of the bay and on the ends (so four in total). I'd go for 1.5 times width of the window to minimise the bulk but you still get a nice pleat when they are shut.

we have a three sided bay.

There are lots of options (again, try John Lewis! )

If you want a rail then you have to get what are called passing rings, which are quite pricy, however they allow the rail to be supported at the corners of the bay, and the rings still to pass all the way along. For a good quality heavy one you are looking at £200 plus. You cannot have tabs or eyelet curtains with a bay.

The other option is a boring old curtain rail which you then bend to fit your room, which is what we've got. It's not particularly stylish but we have it white to melt into the coving and it's very unobtrusive. You can fit a pelmet if you are bothered. They come in aluminium or plastic. Plastic is cheaper but really only suitable for very light weight curtains. Aluminium will do any weight curtains. I think ours was about £45 for the whole bay.

Then depending on the size of the bay you will need either two wide or four narrow curtains.

sorry I didn't put that very well - I meant if you want a pole you have to get passing rings and it will cost £200 plus - if you want tracks like these it will be cheaper.

There is a guide here

PS I don't have shares in John Lewis - honest!