Curtains (Length if CH radiator under window)

Great question! When hanging curtains over radiators, the length is crucial for both aesthetics and heat circulation. For a polished look, consider these tips:

Sill-length curtains (just below the window) prevent blocking heat while maintaining style.

Thermal-lined curtains help retain warmth without needing full-length fabric.

As an alternative, window shutters or blinds can be a sleek, radiator-friendly option—no fabric to interfere with heat flow, plus they offer precise light control. Many find custom-fit options work best for tricky window layouts like this.

In the lounge my curtains fall just above the radiator. I have shutters so just adust those snd leave the curtains open unless it's really cold. In the bedroom I have long curtains and the radiator is on another wall.

Our curtains stop a couple of inches above the radiators. In the cold months I tuck the curtains on to the windowsill so the heat stays inside the room. Not very elegant but does the job.

In my dream renovation the radiators will be removed completely and we’ll have heated skirting boards installed, but I need to win the lottery first!

All our radiators except in one small bedroom are not under a window, so I have floor to ceiling curtains in every room except the small bedroom, bathrooms and kitchen etc.

I like the look of floor to ceiling curtains but they also serve as extremely efficient insulation. The rooms warm noticeably once the curtains are drawn on cold winter days and nights.

You will think this is weird I know. In my own bedroom I cut the long curtains to about 4” below top of radiator, then when I close the curtains, I tuck that 4” behind radiator. All the heat comes into the room,not wasted into the gap behind the curtains . Husbands room exactly the same, but bought his already that length. Works well ,looks ok, saves money, win win…

Floor to ceiling curtains on all patio doors. Cill length above radiators so we don’t lose heat. Roman blinds at some windows too.

I have vertical blinds and horizontal ones in different parts of the h ouse. I did have floor-length curtains that covered one or two radiators when drawn, so used to leave them open to expose the radiator. But since some of us older people are no longer getting the former winter fuel allowance, I have cut those curtains shorter and hemmed them up to sill length. I make sure I pull them across as soon as the sun goes down, and I notice the house is a lot warmer.
I did prefer them long - but needs must......

I far prefer floor to ceiling curtains - they look nicer in my view. However, even these days of double glazed windows, plumbers still insist on putting the rads underneath the windows. Why? They are not Victorian sashes and there is virtually no cold air coming in - anyway, interlined curtains will stop any draughts.

In our previous house, I had the radiators sited in "dead" spaces - i.e where no furniture could be placed, like just inside a doorway, which freed up the rest of the room for furniture.

Thanks all for your ideas and comments x

It’s not an easy decision as there are only four walls in the average room. If you have a radiator under the window you lose heat that way, and have to have short curtains to avoid blocking heat too. If the radiator goes on another wall you are limited to where the furniture can go, unless the room is big enough for it to fit in the middle. Many rooms have fireplaces and chimney breasts, which put further limits on furniture placement, and you need a door somewhere, to get in and out .

I think we just have to do what works for us in the rooms we have. I have a large bay window with perfect fit blinds and long curtains that are usually open. The radiator runs along the wall opposite the fireplace and has a sofa in front of it. The other sofa is at 90 degrees to it in front of the remaining wall. I have had a sofa in the bay at times, and that works too.

Personally, and as I say, it comes down to preference only, I dislike short curtains so would play around with furniture placement before considering that option.

I have radiators under all my windows and my curtains just skim the tops of them. We aren't overlooked so I leave them open, except the bedrooms, most of the time. I haven't got the money or the mental energy to embark on moving radiators.

Down to the floor on the patio doors, below the sill to within an inch of the radiators on other windows.

The best move I made was to move the sofa from in front of the radiator.

Iam64 I moved mine to free up lots of wall space in my dining room and sittingroom.
I put them both under the (huge) windows.
One has very long curtains that billow on the floor when open and sits in loose crumpled folds on the (wide) window ledge when closed.

Because the radiators are free-standing (like short old-school cast iron type) the other pair sits behind when closed. There is a "stay" to anchor it to the wall. The curtains go either side of it.

It works for us.
I wouldn't cover the radiators in the winter with a curtain.

Not curtains but sofas. In two rooms, a sofa covers the radiator. I keep a gap between the rad and sofa but is it worth the expense of movingvradiators?

Vertical blinds and the windows that have rads under are short

oops, posted accidentally!

...just-below-window-sill level curtains. Can't see the point of having a radiator covered up with curtains when/if you draw them.

Narrow shelves just above the radiatiators (the same depth as the radiators) and curtains finishing just above the shelves would be my ideal. The shelves direct the heat into the room rather than wasting the heat from the top of the radiators towards the ceiling.

Our radiators are all on outside walls except in the bathroom, but we have put heat deflector panels behind them all to try to stop the heat just being absorbed into the cold outside walls. We have a mixture of blinds and just-below-window

I like the idea of having radiators moved.

Perhaps something horizontal fitted over the windows? We've roman blinds, flat up inside the window trim in day, down at night if necessary. I'm not fond of verticals, so that wasn't an option.

We do the same as you, long curtains which are never closed. Vertical blinds we close at night

I have thermal blinds than shorter curtains. I just close the thermal blinds so we have the full benefit of the radiators. In the summer I use the curtains to shut the night out.

I have full length curtains and blinds. The curtains stay open but I close the blinds. I prefer full length curtains

We moved the radiators when we renovated our bungalow as they were all in front of the windows, short curtains are obviously better for releasing heat from the radiators into the rooms.

It’s a personal choice.

Ours are about 3” below the sill and about 3” above the radiator. Works for us!