Can anyone give me practical advice on a portiere rod for a front door ?

[AgnesGrey]

My front door is letting in cold air between the door and the frame. As this pretty much leads into the living room it makes a difference.

I was thinking of getting a portiere rod with a lined curtain attached to the door so that when closed the gaps are covered. However, the door is in a slight recess and the frame of the door takes up the entire recess. So there is one and a half inches where the bracket for the rod could be fixed (i.e. just the narrow frame.) Does anyone know if this would be enough? I can't fix it to the side of the recess because that is a boxed in bit with (I think ) pipes / wires or something. And if I can get a bracket to fit would a bracket that small allow for a rod to carry the weight of an interlined curtain? Oh, also because of the recess I would need someone who does lots of increments or a rod which could be just be cut to size - I assume they are available?

Or is there somewhere I can look this stuff up? Have googled but hard to tell and can't think of anywhere near me which sells them.

Could all portiere rod experts form an orderly queue , or should I just put those insulation strips round the frame and forget the whole thing.? .

Jim Lawrence sells them - I have considered one every year since we move into this house (8 years) but always talk myself out of it, purely because I think that the curtain would be filthy in no time. My door is inside a deep recess (18" or so) and I would have the same issue as you.

I think it would work personally, phone Jim Lawrence, they will help you.

www.jim-lawrence.co.uk/filtered-products/17952/portieres-dormer-rods

Trouble with portieres is that you need room for the curtain to stack back out of the way when you open door.Can you fit a narrow wrought iron pole above the door recess instead?
That way you can completely cover all the draughtyy bits. You can return the edges of the curtain to the wall if necessary.
I made a door curtain for a client and at her request it had a deep border at the bottom of faux leather to cope with dirt issue

Lavender - brilliant - thank you. You have given me a whole new avenue of research ! I agree about the curtain getting filthy but am just thinking that possibly if I don't get an expensive curtain, replacing it every so often will be cheaper than the heating bills. Thanks again - I am very grateful.

Have you done something different, or has thinking about this just become your winter sport? It feels like it has mine.

Alison, thank you for that.
The leather bottom bit is a very very good idea. My problem is that if I had a "normal" curtain pole the only side I can draw the curtain is on the side the door opens - so door is right hinged , curtain would have to draw to left (because of the boxed in bit - i.e. the recess on the door hinge side is quite a bit deeper than on the normal wall side) . But I will look. It might work.
Glad I posted rather than as I have been doing just rather hopelessly looking at the problem and some rubbish googling.

Yes, winter sport . Our house is ancient. We did think about having a new door made but it would cost a fortune and there are two of them on the front side of the house (one is now a false door so no draughts there) so I might need two, maybe not.

We put those little brush things around it, they do make a difference but a curtain would make an enormous difference.

Mine is straight into the kitchen. There is a unit immediately to the right of the recess on the hinge side and a pantry immediately to the left. Alison is right about the curtain being drawn back. If ours was drawn back then there wouldn't be anywhere for it to go and I could imagine the door not opening properly.

I think I would need to use a dormer rod (rather than a portiere) with a bracket on the frame opposite the hinge for support when it is drawn across and possibly a support thing on the door for when it isn't. I had thought that maybe it would just stay 'closed' against the back of the door and swing with the door (to avoid the bulk).

We have got a dog, horses and nothing but gravel grass and mud at home. I would need it to be mud coloured with mud coloured lining, then it would only show hay and dog hairs.

I have even thought of having a curtain on a pole and just lifting it onto the brackets I would mount on the door frame, putting another set of brackets up in one of the pantries for 'door curtain storage' during the day.

I just go round in circles, every winter.

I am not alone!

Lavender, you are obviously fortunate in that you have more space than me - secondary curtain storage is not an option here. Wee house. No horses and we have pavements - but we have 2 dogs. But "Mud" must pretty much be an F&B colour by now - surely? I have on a more serious note thought about it staying closed. Although the thought of fishing the pizza leaflets important post from behind the curtain was year 3 of me entering the winter sport.

Agnes - one good thing about living in the middle of nowhere is that we do not get anything that the postman doesn't deliver!!

Our post box is actually on the fence and we don't have a letterbox on the house.

You could use them for lighting the fire though. Pizza leaflets, not curtains that is.

Anges - staying closed...do you mean when it is drawn across door?
If you are worried about the wind howling round the door making the curtain billow? You could fit a tie back hook to wall and a ring to edge of curtain to keep it in place.

Alison - Ah, I see what you mean - a thing to keep the curtain drawn across.
My worry was more that could I get a rod which would take the weight of the curtain which didn't need a central support in the middle of the door so that I could draw the curtain right back. I don't have howling billowing gales more just v cold air coming in round the gaps.

Thank you so much both of you . I have thought about this for so long and now have some really good ideas. Thank you both - I really appreciate it.

Agnes.