Question:
Hi! I’m wondering in the case of radiators like this, how long would you make the curtains?
Answer:
Well, that is a great question, Rebecca, because it does get complicated. If I have a space where there is a radiator directly under the window and I need those drapes to close, right they're not just going to be decorative I want to draw them, then I am definitely not going to use drapes that go all the way to the floor. I do not want that big belly bulge underneath the drapery of a radiator. I also don't want my fabric getting hot, right?
Same thing goes with having an air conditioner in one of these windows. If I'm going to draw the drapes, I don't want them to be in front of the air conditioner and have them billow out, blocking my cool air and wasting my electricity. So my recommendation for a window that does have a radiator or does have an air conditioner and you do need to draw the drapes is to not have drapes.
There are times when you need drapes exclusively. There are times when you need blinds exclusively. But a fully dressed window has both blinds and drapes. You only manipulate the blinds and the drape is just there to look pretty, add softness, color, texture, etc. In the case of your radiator, because it extends past the window frame, drapes are going to look ridiculous, even if they were decorative, because you're going to be able to see the sides of the window frame and the drapes are going to look like they're kind of hanging out there in no man's land versus being sort of a crucial part of the window even just visually if not functionally, I would highly recommend in your windows that you only do blinds.
That way they can stop right above the radiator at the bottom of the window frame. And if you do install an air conditioner in here, then they can stop right at the top of the air conditioner. It just makes a lot more sense even if it's not as visually appealing.
Now, if you are just set on doing some kind of fabric treatment, we'll do a roman blind. Now a Roman blind is made of fabric right? And it comes down in those rectangular type chunks and again, you can stop it right above the radiator, right above the air conditioner. My only reservation with Roman blinds is that I find them to be beautiful, I love the texture that they add. It's such a good compromise when I can't have drapes.
The problem is, I can see that you have an amazing panorama of the Hudson River. And these drapes are going to cut off some of that window, right, you're gonna lose some window at the top, because all that fabric is going to come to rest at the top when you open the blind fully.
And so you lose about eight to 12 inches of window. And it's a real shame unless you plan on outside mounting it but when you outside mount your blind, that means that when you close it, it's going to fall in front of the window frame and it's gonna land right on top of the radiator. And that is not sophisticated, right? I want the window sill to be the thing that stops the roman blind, not the radiator. There we go. Did that help? Did that illuminate the situation? I have lots of strong feelings on window treatments and so much more.
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Негізгі бет Episode 348: Question #3 - Help solving the New York City Curtains and Radiators situation
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