Curtain size help!

GalaxyStar

Back again with more curtain queries, since you were all so helpful with helping of choosing the colour for the curtains I now cannot get my head around what size the curtains need to be! I don't do maths very well anyway and my other half says I'm over thinking it, I probably am! rather than posting a load of numbers I've made some quick diagrams here: http://i1375.photobucket.com/albums/ag453/lockhaart/windows_zpsec275853.jpg

Hoping it would be easier for others to help using this! The radiators aren't at all to scale it's just to show they're there. We don't have any curtain poles or tracks yet, don't know if this makes it easier or harder! It's a pain as we have read that curtain poles/tracks should be 15cm above and go about the same distance either side, but in cases such as the bedrooms, we dont have that space on both sides of the window (bedroom 1) and we dont have it above either (both bedrooms!)!

The bedroom 1 and living room windows are also rather wide, I have discussed roller blinds etc but OH doesn't want these. We also don't want floor length curtains! Help is much appreciated to get my head round this! Thank you :j

Captaincodpiece

Just go onto an online curtain site and they'll tell you how to measure and what to allow.

GalaxyStar

Captaincodpiece wrote: »

Just go onto an online curtain site and they'll tell you how to measure and what to allow.

I have and none of them have helped. Like i said they say about 15cm above for curtain tracks/poles - we don't have either up yet but we don't have the space above the windows for this, and the same at each side

StatisticallyChallenged

I wouldn't say 15cm above is essential, but you just need to take it in to account when you are choosing the style of curtain and whether to go for a track/pole. If for example you went for a thick pole which has to be lifted over the brackets to get it in place then you could have a problem, but if you went for a track like swish sologlide or swish deluxe which clips on to the front of the brackets then you can absolutely get away with <15cm. I'd suggest going for a track and pencil or pinch pleat rather than a pole with tabs or eyelets as with tabs you could find that the top of the actual curtain ends up below the window, and with eyelets the top of the curtain is fighting with the ceiling!

In terms of space to the side, basically if you don't have lots of space to the side then when the curtains are open they'll still be sitting over the window a bit so will block some daylight. You can mitigate this a fair bit by using tiebacks/holdbacks and draping them nicely.

Are you buying ready mades? If so, they come in standard widths and drops so it's a case of finding what is closest. Normally for pencil pleat, you want the total width of fabric to be roughly double the size of the pole/track so that they gather nicely. The dimensions on the curtain packets are the size for each curtain - so basically you want the width on the packet to be roughly the same as the track width, but it doesn't need to be precise.

For bedroom 1, I'd probably go for 90" (229cm) wide. You could also do 108" but they're harder to find and you have a small space at the left so you don't want too much fabric to deal with. It won't look skimpy with 90". Drop depends on what you want really but a 54" (137cm) would sit just above the radiator, or you could go longer if you wish. Standard lengths above are 72" and 90". I'd suggest having the track coming over the window equally at both sides so a track length of about 257cm (just buy the next size up and cut with a hacksaw, dead easy)

Bedroom 2- 72" wide would do although I'd probably go for 90", and have the track coming about 25cm beyond the window at either side so the curtains open fully, and as above with drops. Track size probably about 220-230cm but you've got a bit of flexibility.

Livingroom: I'd personally put the track/pole wall to wall so you don't have a little tiny gap. You could also go for a pole here which looks a little nicer since you have extra height above the window.

However, if you want a good finish the width puts you out of the range of ready made curtains so you'd probably be looking at getting them made to measure. If I was making them I'd probably use 6 widths of fabric (3 in each curtain.) The amount of fabric you will need will depend on the pattern repeat as it will need to be matched. Length totally depends on what you would like if they are being made, lots of people go long in livingrooms but short elsewhere.

GalaxyStar

StatisticallyChallenged wrote: »

I wouldn't say 15cm above is essential, but you just need to take it in to account when you are choosing the style of curtain and whether to go for a track/pole. If for example you went for a thick pole which has to be lifted over the brackets to get it in place then you could have a problem, but if you went for a track like swish sologlide or swish deluxe which clips on to the front of the brackets then you can absolutely get away with <15cm. I'd suggest going for a track and pencil or pinch pleat rather than a pole with tabs or eyelets as with tabs you could find that the top of the actual curtain ends up below the window, and with eyelets the top of the curtain is fighting with the ceiling!

In terms of space to the side, basically if you don't have lots of space to the side then when the curtains are open they'll still be sitting over the window a bit so will block some daylight. You can mitigate this a fair bit by using tiebacks/holdbacks and draping them nicely.

Are you buying ready mades? If so, they come in standard widths and drops so it's a case of finding what is closest. Normally for pencil pleat, you want the total width of fabric to be roughly double the size of the pole/track so that they gather nicely. The dimensions on the curtain packets are the size for each curtain - so basically you want the width on the packet to be roughly the same as the track width, but it doesn't need to be precise.

For bedroom 1, I'd probably go for 90" (229cm) wide. You could also do 108" but they're harder to find and you have a small space at the left so you don't want too much fabric to deal with. It won't look skimpy with 90". Drop depends on what you want really but a 54" (137cm) would sit just above the radiator, or you could go longer if you wish. Standard lengths above are 72" and 90". I'd suggest having the track coming over the window equally at both sides so a track length of about 257cm (just buy the next size up and cut with a hacksaw, dead easy)

Bedroom 2- 72" wide would do although I'd probably go for 90", and have the track coming about 25cm beyond the window at either side so the curtains open fully, and as above with drops. Track size probably about 220-230cm but you've got a bit of flexibility.

Livingroom: I'd personally put the track/pole wall to wall so you don't have a little tiny gap. You could also go for a pole here which looks a little nicer since you have extra height above the window.

However, if you want a good finish the width puts you out of the range of ready made curtains so you'd probably be looking at getting them made to measure. If I was making them I'd probably use 6 widths of fabric (3 in each curtain.) The amount of fabric you will need will depend on the pattern repeat as it will need to be matched. Length totally depends on what you would like if they are being made, lots of people go long in livingrooms but short elsewhere.

If I could press the "thank you" button more than once I would press it til it broke! Thank you this is exactly what I needed to be able to understand it, especially the bit about the possibility of eyelets catching the ceiling :beer::j

StatisticallyChallenged

No problem, curtains are a minefield! It you particularly want eyelets then they might work - you'd just have to chose your pole very carefully, and it depends on your walls too as you only have a couple of brackets on a pole so need to mount them carefully. Probably more hassle than it's worth for the bedrooms!

GalaxyStar

StatisticallyChallenged wrote: »

No problem, curtains are a minefield! It you particularly want eyelets then they might work - you'd just have to chose your pole very carefully, and it depends on your walls too as you only have a couple of brackets on a pole so need to mount them carefully. Probably more hassle than it's worth for the bedrooms!

It's so hard especially finding ones to go with the colours in the rooms too! Most curtains seem to be eyelet or pencil pleat now, can pencil pleat ones go on a track? they show them all on poles in the pictures!

StatisticallyChallenged

Pencil pleat are just standard curtains - they have a tape inside them at the top. They're perfect for hanging on a track or pole. Depending on the track you get, it will either have large gliders which go over the track (like this http://www.terrysfabrics.co.uk/prod/curtain-tracks/harrison-accessories/harrison-glide-hook-white ) or it will have a small glider which runs underneath and just looks like a little round hole from the front (like this one http://www.terrysfabrics.co.uk/files/Xmag/new/Swish-Delux.jpg )

If its the first one, then the upright pointy bit goes up in to the pockets on the back of the curtains. If it's the second type then you use a second little hook which goes in to the tape pockets then the pointy end goes down in to the little ring under the track. You use the same ones for a pole - like this http://www.curtainscurtainscurtains.co.uk/images/library/Curtain-Hooks.jpg and this http://www.bhs.co.uk/wcsstore/ConsumerDirectStorefrontAssetStore/images/colors/color35/cms/pages/static/static-0000063140/images/pole_arrow.jpg