Curtains

We needed new curtains in the house. The ones that were up were not fitting the window correctly, nor were they suitable for maintaining the heat in the house.

So we organised for new ones and they arrived today.

We got 3 windows done and also wooden blinds in the kitchen.

The blinds look really good in the kitchen. I was very wary because I thought it would make it too dark in there, but now they are up, yes it is darker, but it gives it a totally different feel and I like it.

Kitchen before.

Kitchen after.

In the family area of our new living room, we have a very very big window. About 3m x 3m. So the curtains here were always going to be huge in drop. I think they fit the window so well and look great.

Family Room before.

Family Room after.

Now unfortunately I am not happy with the ones in the living room or dining room. No, that is wrong, I am happy with the curtains, I like the pattern and the colours, but I don't like the way they are positioned and that is a problem.

Apparently when you hang a curtain, you place the rail/track above the window edge. I have no problem with this, as I understand that if you place it on the wall then it stops a lot of heat from falling behind the curtain and getting cooled by the window.

What I have a problem with is how high above the window surround you place the rail?

To me it looks like we have brought curtains that are a certain length, and not correct for the window we are placing them at, and we have had to place the rail up high to fit the length of the curtain!

In the following picture, which is not the greatest, you can see that they have placed the rail 100mm above the window surround, and to me it looks silly.

Living Room

I think it should be just above the window surround, like this:

Living Room

Dining Room

Now in the Family Room, because the window is so high it is placed just above the surround, and this to me looks really neat and tidy.

Family Room Area

So I called the company and explained my dilemma. I got given all the usual explainations. This is the standard and best practice, policy etc.

I told them that that was fine but I didn't like how it looked at MY windows.

I also explained that I am not a curtain expert, I am a nurse and mother, so someone waffling to me about position and size doesn't mean much, if I visually see it, then I can understand, I am a visual thinking person by the way.

So the owner of the company has made a time for the lady that does the measuring and quotes to come out and see me on Monday at 11am, I think to try and convince me that what she had set them at was the style and correct place.

Something also to do with eye appeal, linear lines and flow through the house, well '#$*!*' to the linear lines and flow through the house, it doesn't look right, or nice to me and I am the one that has to live with it.

So the man that installed the curtains has left all the rails just where I want them, because for some strange reason he can see exactly what I am talking about and says that it is my house so they should be how I want them. He gets the point that all that needs to happen now is for them to take the curtains away and shorten them, oh yes, at their expense.

The lady did talk to me about where to position the rails, but I got the impression that they would sit just above the surround, not 100mm above. She just did her job and measured the windows for the curtains to sit where they routinely place the curtains, and unfortunately I don't like that.

So am I in the wrong for not saying more about where I wanted the curtains to be positioned? Or are they expected to sort the problem out because I don't like how the curtains look now they are hanging in my house? Dispite them just doing their job?

Sorry about all the different colours on the pictures. I am still getting use to the new camera and seem to be having a lot of trouble with it. It doesn't seem to be as easy as our last one.

I just seem to have trouble getting the pictures to be bright and clear.

Oh well over time hopefully things will get better, think you can see that in the differences in all the above pictures, but hey you get the point I am making, so who cares.