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Housekeeping

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Original poster

Curtains - floor length or sill length?

13 replies

SatsumaMoon · 02/01/2008 10:15

I'm not really a curtains person but we have to have them in our bedroom as the blind is not enough to keep out the light from the street....

We used to have some sill-length ones but swapped them to the ds's room when we decorated it. We have had some floor-length ones up temporarily and I think they look much nicer. But dh is muttering about the curtains blocking the heat from the radiator...

I'm about to get some new ones so would welcome some views on which length to go for.

(In reality dh hatres the bedroom being too warm and is always turning the rad off down! I have said we can leave the curtains open until we go to bed anway...)

OP posts:

Twinkie1 · 02/01/2008 10:17

I would go for sil length if over a radiator - put up a nice black out or roman blind just inside the oepning so it fits snug and light doesn't get through and then have cutrtains just a few inches below the sil.

Am doing the bit curtain thing at the mo - have made all of mine and owrks out so much cheaper!

bodiddly · 02/01/2008 10:18

Long curtains always look nicer ... I think short curtains are fine in children's bedrooms but stick with long for adults.

TrinityRhinosDhWonHerAnIPOD · 02/01/2008 10:18

well I get pissed off with the dill length hanging slightly over the radiator and I can feel the heat buggering off up into the window
so I would go for sill length and then tuck the buggers into the windowledge
BUT we live in a very draughty house so I'm biased....
I think floor length would be lovely looking and if they are only shut when the heating is off then no probs

Nag dh more about the need to change the knackered patio doors which are just the draughtiest thing in the world.

Twinkie1 · 02/01/2008 10:22

If you have a nicely fitted roamn or blackout blind that doesn't let light in you could go for some co ordinating floor length curtains that you only shut when the rad isn't on!

Original poster

SatsumaMoon · 02/01/2008 10:25

We have a wooden venetian blind so only need the curtains closed when we are sleeping - think I will stick to my guns and get the floor length ones!

OP posts:

AndATigerschickInAPearTree · 02/01/2008 10:25

Most of ours fall mid-way between the sill and the floor. They get unceremoniously tucked behind the radiators when the heating is on.
In one room we have them about 3 inches below the sill and it is not possible to tuck them onto the sill or behind the radiator as they are too short. I find it quite cold and refuse to sit in the chair by the window.
Long ones look really nice if you have the space to stand back and admire them. If your bedroom is 'regular' sized - meaning you never get a proper full-length view of the window - then I'd go for mid-length ones.
It's really just a matter of taste tho

Original poster

SatsumaMoon · 02/01/2008 10:26

(Meant to add we don't have the heating on overnight)

OP posts:

amazonianwoman · 02/01/2008 14:35

Defo do floor length if you can - look much nicer imho. Just starting to make some curtains for our bay window and hate that they'll have to to be sill length cos sill sticks out too far.

BrieVinDeAlkaSeltzer · 02/01/2008 14:38

amazonianwoman

We have the same problem in the dining room and I cannot bring myself to buy curtains that only go to the sill.

Still it has only been 7 years

Tigerschick · 02/01/2008 14:38

My parents have quite a d eep bay window in their lounge.
They have thick Roman blinds on the windows themselves and then curtains tha cover the whole 'alcove'. They hardly ever close the curtains but they are able to close - they're not just for decoration. They look really nice.
Could you do something similar, amazonianwoman?

noddyholder · 02/01/2008 14:44

Floor length never sill or anything in between even in a bedroom.Blinds on their own are better than short curtaind.I used to do a lot of curtainds and blinds when i first started doing interiors and short never looked right but some people insisted!

amazonianwoman · 02/01/2008 18:39

Brie - thought I was lazy - just 2.5yrs here.

Tiger/Noddy - thanks, guess I could make Roman blinds, would take less material. Bit more work, so no doubt I'll procrastinate a little longer!

DH will NOT be impressed though as it took him ages to fit the curtain rail in the bay

firgrove · 07/07/2019 15:34

Anyone out there still following this thread? My lounge has 4 windows, one 52" wide, one 30" wide and two 110 " wide which gives me lots of light but a headache when it comes to curtains. I've had floor length dark ones for 5 years now and am currently changing to natural linen ones and am thinking of sill length for the 52" wide window, floor-lengh for the two 110" ones and just a voile curtain for the small window. Will this look too odd, do you think? I've tried it with materials and it's not bad, but not happy with the voile flash but the window is really too small to take a pair of curtains.

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