Short curtains above a radiator? The work of the devil?

[AWombWithoutAFoof]

Need to sort out curtains before we freeze to death. Short curtains are awful, aren't they? But what else to do above a radiator? Tuck curtains behind? Bunch up on top?

Romans?

Nothing wrong with short curtains - lots of curtain snobbery around. But they need to end between sill and radiator.

Yes, I wondered about a roman blind, but I've only made one before and the bastard still hasn't found its folds after five months. I'm guessing that will still be warmer than the venetian we already have?

I like your firm defence of short curtains, fudge. Perhaps they won't look so weird as they'll match the full length patio doors ones on the other wall.

We are currently in a rented house with long curtains over radiators and it is very cold, so we bunch them on the window sill. Next year I shall make new curtains for the new house and they will all stop between sill and radiator. You can always have fake long things at the side if you want to dress the window I guess.

we have full length patio curtains and then short ones over the window and they look lovely. in fact it would look odd if they were full length too as the window is smaller.

think of the money you'll save too!

I've never heard of this except on here. All mine end between the windowsill and the radiator, except 1 which I brought too long and have never done anything about as they are in a not-much-used room - they do look nice when open and pulled back but are a pain in the neck if I want to close them as they cover the radiator.

you can buy or make a shelf that goes over the top of the radiator, to direct warm airflow out into the room, with the curtains brushing the top of the shelf.

It must be project further than both the radiator and the curtain

I have short curtains that end above the radiator in my living room. The patio doors opposite have long curtains. They don't look odd and my living room is nice and warm because we aren't losing the heat into the window space.

It's only ever on mumsnet that I have found this inane dislike of short curtains. I have short curtains where the radiators are below the windows. They look fine, in fact I prefer them to full length.

Someone once posted on here about how they had mock full length curtains round a window that had a radiator underneath. I don't get that at all, far too fussy and non functional. The whole thing would look wrong to me. I could get into a whole purist design debate about form follows function, but I won't..

Short ones all the way.

Heat rises, so you need curtains which are long enough to bunch on the window sill to stop the heat from going out of the window pane. Long curtains won't work because of this.

Ahh, radiators.

I don't have any therefore you lot are stealth boasting.

I despise short curtains, in much the same way that I despise short sleeved shirts on men . No idea why. However, I too have this radiator/curtain dilemma. Am thinking roman blinds...

bunbaker are you in my lounge?

what's wrong with short curtains? It's not even style over function, they look fine!

this is one of the reasons why modern practice is to put radiators in a place which is not under a window.

Have a long edge made on each side so when they are open they look floor length, and its only when they are closed they look short (woth a length at each side).

My curtains are just slightly longer than the sill, but tuck in quite nicely behind the radiators at the top!

My friend once told me short curtains are very passé. The source of her info - firm that made her curtains. Can't imagine any self interested reason they might want everyone to buy long ones!

Anyone willing to share their short curtain photos?

How about shutters? We've noticed a real improvement in warmth since having ours fitted..

Ooh, how much are shutters? I was planning on making curtains to save money, but love the idea of shutters, particularly if they keep the heat in.

I made my short curtains with curtain weight ropes sewn in to the hem.

This means they sit very securely on the windowsill in the winter when I want the radiator heat from below to travel up the curtain and in to the room rather than through the window.

long curtains on the floor are unhygienic and minging imo

I am about to order new curtains for my living room. I will have floor length on the French doors but short ones at the window, a couple of inches longer than the top of the radiator so I can tuck behind.
I am intrigued by bunchoffives weighted ropes and quite fancy adding them if possible.

weighted curtain ropes/tapes

Shutters would be lovely. I think I would do roman blinds rather than short curtains. Short curtains are a marmite thing I think. if you loathe them (and I do) you really can never reconcile yourself to them. In fact curtains have to trail slightly on the floor to pass my test. DH is in therapy about that one.

Tuck behind to stop the heat going behind them