Curtain length

[Viserion]

Struggling to find/decide what to do with curtains for the window in the attached photo...

It is about 170cm wide but ceiling is only 230cm, so a standard full length curtain is too long, and 182cm is too short! Should I go for sill length, given the radiator below the window? This would fit, but I know a lot of people are quite sniffy about sill length curtains. This will be DS12 bedroom, so I don't really want the expense of made to measure if I can find a ready made option.

I think in a cottage sill length is fine. Otherwise it always looks smarter to go full length. I took up some curtains recently for a friend and charged £30. So if you can find someone to take them up you can buy ready made.

My curtains are sill length, didn't know people were sniffy about that 😂

Our rads are under the windows so it wouldn't make sense anyway to close the curtains and cover the heater.

I have the lounge room window ones tied back and I think it gives a nice cottagey feel.

As the radiator is below the window , every time you draw the curtains you will block out the heat . If I were you I'd go with below the sill / above the radiator.

I am not a fan of short curtains. However, long curtains needn't be costly. You can cut it to length yourself and use a special double-sided tape to finish the bottom. The tape just gets ironed on so there's no need for any stitching.

Having said that, given the sloping ceiling, I would probably go with wooden slats or a blind. They can be ordered made-to-measure from some online companies. You take the measurements and install the blinds yourself which keeps the cost down (probably no more than a pair of off-the-shelf curtains from John Lewis or somewhere).

A roman blind would be ideal for that window. Plenty of space above for when it is open & v near when closed.

I have a window just like this and we have gone with slat blinds with tapes on one, and shutters on the other.

Just wanted to add alternatives as I found it very hard to work out what to do!

Thanks. I thought it might be about wide for a blind?

A bit, not about...

I would go for a blind for that window. I really don't like sill-length curtains (and I do think it is a bit irrational but can't help it). I think a blind would look great and give you a lot more wall space too.

Yes blind much better than will length curtains. Have a look at blinds2go, used them quite recently and they were reasonably priced and decent quality.

Agree with a PP - I’d put a Roman blind on it.

think a 12 year old would like a blind, yes I have had loads made at blinds2go, or dunelm is good we have cordless in our bedrooms.

Mine is probably same width-ish. Got them from Blinds2Go.

Thanks all.

Am guessing you'll all say I should put blinds in the dormers in the spare and master bedrooms too. One has a radiator below, the other doesn't, and due to the configuration of the rooms, one has more space above than the other.

Have never had the opportunity to decorate/design from scratch before and am having a crisis of confidence!

I think it is likely possible to get a blind that wide. I know that when we did wooden slats with tapes, they went to 230 or even 250cm wide. So hopefully 170 is possible for s blind too.

Yep definitely roman blinds - don't fix them above the window fix them to the top of the surround frame (face fix)

Definitely blinds, we have the same window configuration in our HH and have blinds at all the windows. Blinds2go made 7ft wide blinds, they are excellent.

Definitely roman blinds for those windows. I think curtains would be overpowering. Roman blinds are really easy to make so needn't cost a fortune.

as the radiator is below the window, you can't have curtains below sill. they will just direct all the heat out of the window to warm the garden.

I'd also suggest a shelf above the radiator to direct the heat out into the room. the bottom of the curtain can rest on it.

in the old days, when coal was free, people used to put radiators under windows to combat cold draughts. Some still do. But it is the worst place to put them for energy efficiency.

"in the old days, when coal was free, people used to put radiators under windows to combat cold draughts. Some still do. But it is the worst place to put them for energy efficiency."

I didn't know this! I was told it was convection at school! You learn something new every day.

Another vote for a nice blind on that window, it'll look lovely. I hate sill-length curtains.

yes, on a single-glazed window, cold air runs down the glass by convection. If you use a joss stick to make it visible, it's like a waterfall.

A close fitting blind, and a curtain, will tend to hold it in place.