Hi, we are (finally!) getting round to decorating our bedroom and need some advice on the curtains in the bay window. The house is late 1920s with solid walls and a bay window at the front. It’s semi detached and located on a rural hillside so our bedroom has two fairly exposed walls. We’ve been here for a few years now and always have trouble with condensation in the master bedroom in the winter.
The curtains we currently have, put up by the previous owners, are on a track that follows the curve of the bay and reach to a few inches below the windowsill. They have some patches of black mould stains on the inside, which we obviously want to avoid with the new curtains. DH thinks having a rail straight across would give more room for air circulation behind the curtains, but this would mean we’d need floor-length curtains and could potentially create a ‘cold spot’ at night when they are shut, which might lead to worse condensation. My question, really, is would it be better to hang the curtains to follow the curve of the bay or straight across? I’ve done lots of Googling and can’t seem to find an answer so I’m hoping the collective wisdom of Mumsnet will prevail!
We’re looking at ways to tackle the condensation problem in the room as whole, such as improving ventilation and having a dehumidifier on a timer during the winter months. Retro-fitting insulation on the outside walls isn’t an option due to the cost, especially as we only plan to be here for another five to ten years.