Talk to me about curtains - our house has none!

[fruitstick]

We are moving on Monday. Our new house has no curtains. Not a sausage.

I would like to get decent ones but don't want to rush into anything.

Where should I go for emergency measures.

I've never bought curtains before. How do you measure them? From the curtain pole to sill or below sill? Floor?

Is it worth getting made to measure ones or should I just buy decent ready made ones form the off.

help!

Dunelms are brilliant:
www.dunelm-mill.com/shop/curtains/

You measure to where you want them to hang! If you're going for ready-made it's worth measuring the shortest and the longest you'd like them to be, as you won't be able to specify the exact length. If you're handy you can take them up.

I am NOT handy!

If temporary it might be worth looking in the charity shops for some that will do until you decide what you want long term. Also Ikea or Argos!

Ooh charity shops an option. Suppose i could try freecycle too but do people actually respond to requests?

Curtains are very expensive - we bought temporary ones off Ebay and then Freecycled them when we bought proper curtains.

I've also got one pair of really good curtains off Ebay, so it's worth checking regularly / carefully on there. But because fitted curtains are so expensive, quality curtains are still expensive second hand.

Charity shops are also definitely worth checking. Our village fete also has a surprising number of curtains for sale, but that may be unique...

The width of the fabric has to e around 1.5 - times the width of your window, to allow for it to hang in folds. You can get away (just about) with less fabric on curtians with rings, but it looks as though you've skimped. You can't really get away with less fabric with the curtains on runners.

We will have the same issue in January with the exception of the livingroom where there are a gold coloured pair with pelmet. Not my ideal but they will do.

I've been looking at Next for the other areas and their eyelet curtains. Has anyone had before? Are they any good - they don't seem too expensive. Would we need a blackout blind as well?

gregs, I have remembered that we have a gro travel blackout blind - the one that has suckers to fix to the window.

That will do for DS2's window for now. It might be worth getting one if you will then find it useful on holidays etc.

Dunelm Mill made to measure curtains are fabulous. They have a really clear measuring guide on their website ( after I ordered I spent ages panicing that I had measured wrongly and made a hugely expensive error, but it was fine)
They will send 5 swatches to you free of charge.

Thans fruitstick and islalund.

Even better i fyou an get to Dunelm Mill in person and poke around the stock. Also try to wait until their sales, it is worth it.

I ended up with something which would have cost around £800 in John Lewis for less than £150, can't recommend it enough.

Look at the measurin gguide on their website which explains all as others have said

The Dunelm Mill prices were fab - I priced up the same curtains (identical fabric) at JL (and a few other places) and as catinthehat2 said they were hundreds of pounds more.

These are the first 'nice' (ie they fit and we chose the fabric) curtains we have ever had and I am delighted with them.

I love Dunelm Mill.
The stuff is so reasonably priced
Always have to go there when I visit my brother in Telford.
We need one in Kingston!

Must you have curtains? Have you thought about blinds as and alternative? They're cheaper, can be off the peg and can be temporary or hung with curtains later. I would never have curtains if I could avoid it- far too much hassle!!

If there are curtain poles aleady in place curtains are a much easier option. I have installed blinds in three rooms in our house and the DIY part is a pain. I also find curtains are much warmer than blinds and only use them in the downstairs loo, the kitchen and the bathrooms.

In the house we live in now I replaced curtains as I redecorated. I washed the old ones and kept them in the loft, so that when we move there will be curtains for the next owner, but not the nice ones that we use now.