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Curtain Help?

My new linen panels arrived today from West Elm and wow, they are beautiful. And heavy! 4 panels weigh 14 lbs! With such a strict weight limited on luggage, I'm trying to figure out how I'm going to tote over 3 rolls of wallpaper, 4 panels, and a shower curtain and laundry bag. That's already 30 lbs and each bag can only be 40 lbs. And I didn't win the bag wars with my sweetie. He claimed his two bag limit for himself. :( So I don't have 3 bags, only 2... Making this extremely challenging. So I'm wondering if I should just suck it up and spend the money to ship these things to myself in Germany. Any suggestions? And I need curtain help. It just dawned on me as I looked at my curtains that the heat registers are directly below the windowsill in my place. I mean directly below the windowsill. Here's an example. Of course, my husband suggests the practical approach. Cut the curtains to hang just above the windowsill. Oh yes, I lost feeling in both knees and nearly collapsed at that suggestion too. My husband, king of style, suggests I hem these panels to fall just above the heater? Him? I mean, this is the man who wears designer jeans and labels like Ermenegildo Zegna and Prada and all of his suits are Hugo Boss. He oozes with style and I love him sooo much so of course I am still trying to recover from this advice. But maybe this is the norm in Germany? Maybe it's me who lacks taste here. Is he right, trim the curtains? Oh my. So I suggested shades which sent him into a near epileptic fit, I don't know why but he has apparent shade trauma or something. I'm now wondering if I should return the panels and go with white roman blinds but haven't a clue where to buy them over there. So now what to do? I have no experience with this type of heating system and no clue how to arrange my window treatments so that I still maintain privacy at night, heat isn't being blocked in the winter, and of course no TRIMMING OF THE CURTAINS.
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Comments

Anna @ D16 said…
These are just steam/hot water radiators, right? I have curtains hanging over mine (all the way down to the floor) all throughout the house. They don't get hot enough to ignite fabric, so it's OK to do that.

Is it just slatted blinds he has a problem with, or could Thorsten deal with Roman shades?

For the record, short curtains (unless they are cafe-style, mounted inside the frame...which is another option for you, maybe) give me HIVES.
August 4, 2008 at 6:31 PM
Anonymous said…
you can get white roman blinds at any ikea in europe. they come in various materials and prices and are cheap, of course. you should be able to take a look at some online before you go too.
August 4, 2008 at 6:46 PM
Anonymous said…
OMG, I almost died a little when you mentioned hemming the curtains. I think you should return them rather than hem, and go for shades. Two cheers for Ikea in Europe.
August 4, 2008 at 8:33 PM
Anonymous said…
I agree with Anna, it's no problem to have curtains close to or even touching this type of radiators. So go with your long curtains!

About trimming the curtains... NO! No no no. Don't even think about it.
August 4, 2008 at 11:46 PM
Anonymous said…
Central heating...blissful! Definitely not a problem to hang curtains over these, or back furniture onto it, paint them, etc...we've even lived in a flat with these in the cupboard...hang your curtains proudly!
August 5, 2008 at 1:10 AM
Juliette said…
ps - they don't weigh your carry on - put the curtains in your carry on - that's where I lug my books and mags when we fly. 'course, then you have to make sure it's a rolling carry on ;)

also - you're MOVING to Germany, it's a good excuse to pay an extra baggage fee and just bring an extra bag. I guilt tripped my hubby about leaving my country for his and we ended up paying for two extra bags! =) One was full of kitchen stuff to get going in the house, the other was documents and things we didn't feel comfortable going on the container ship.
August 5, 2008 at 11:00 AM
IkeaGoddess said…
LOL, men, they come up with the goofiest of ideas and actually think they are helping... In Germany it is standard to have the water filled radiator under the window. That way you can put long curtains in front and don't have to see them at all. I have it that way on all our windows - no half curtains here ;-) If you use very heavy curtains that stay drawn all the time, you can get these tiny temperature checkers at any Baumarkt so the heater doesn't stay too cold. You may have to watch out of you put large furniture objects under the window, because of the heat circulation.
August 5, 2008 at 11:34 AM
Anonymous said…
This may help you, but when it comes to draperies, the #1 mistake that homeowners make is hang them too low. If you are installing draperies without any valances, they should start right underneath your ceiling/crown molding.

Maybe you could install the drapes higher and the problem will be solved?

If not, try creating a bishop sleeve effect. Just get a few drapery tiebacks and tuck each drapery in so that the top portion hangs over like a blouse. This will shorten each drapery without having to cut it.
August 5, 2008 at 12:10 PM
Anonymous said…
This is not related to the curtains specifically, but I have been wondering if your design for this apartment considers the future possibility of children. I am not saying it should or should not (this is your place after all), I am just curious. I respect your style so much, and I would love to know whether or not you picture kiddos in the mix when you make your final design and decorating selections. Again, I am not assuming there is a "right" answer here. I just remember you saying you do want kids someday. :)
August 5, 2008 at 6:58 PM
haus maus said…
Hi Deena,

Good question! Thank you for asking. When it comes to how I live I started to look at things differently only about a year or two ago. One day I was out shopping and I made a remark to my husband about how I would buy a table in the future when we move and he said, "Why not buy it today if you like it and it makes you happy?" I paused and looked at him. I asked him what he meant and he said, "You speak about buying this or that when you have this or that circumstance in the future and I want you to stop thinking so big picture and live for today sometimes!" and you know my jaw dropped. He told me so often I live with the "someday" mentality and he said someday is today.

With that 'new' understanding of myself, I started to shop differently.

So as I furnish my new apartment I am giving no consideration to children or pets or any 'future' things that we may or may not include in our life. I want children but not today and not next year. So why not enjoy what freedom we have now until all the etc. arrives.

Plus, this is only a one bedroom apartment and I think that by the time we have kids we will have a much larger apartment so I'll cross that bridge when I get there I guess.

But thank you for asking. I TOTALLY understand where you are coming from with that line of thinking Deena, I really do! I have to consciously remind myself all the time to live for TODAY and not for the potential changes in the future.

Holly
August 5, 2008 at 7:11 PM
Glenda J said…
As per the weight issue--have you thought about putting on a privacy frost decal? I know that here are a ton of options out there--one is sure to please. As far as long curtains and radiators--if you close them, they will not heat the room as well and cost you more $$ to heat.
August 5, 2008 at 8:44 PM
Lisa said…
What about both panels and a roman shade? It doesn't look as though the radiator is the full width of the window, so the panels could fall to either side of it and soften the edges of the window while the roman shade gives privacy and light control.
August 5, 2008 at 9:07 PM
Anonymous said…
One problem that you will have with German windows is that the window either opens full or tilts ("kips" from bottom to top). Some German house contracts even have it as a requirement that the window kips open daily (to keep mold at bay). Roman shades would work, but they would have to be attached way above the window so that you could pull them all the way up in order to kip or open the window. Another idea instead of frosting is little tiny curtain rods (like our tension rods, but cuter), which are nailed on the 1/4"window frame...they could go only halfway up so that light was not blocked. German department stores also have unusual sheers with pretty designs that might work. Best wishes!
August 6, 2008 at 6:12 AM
Anonymous said…
Many of the German apartments and homes I've been in have metal exterior shades that are operable from the interior and block out varying degrees of light depending on how much you close them. If your place has these, privacy won't be much of an issue at night. I didn't understand the exterior blinds at first and wasn't fond of them, but when I was in the Czech Republic last year and had them at a few pensions, I became a huge fan because they really block the morning light if you want to sleep in.

That said I'm right on board with everything everyone has said about your curtains.
August 6, 2008 at 6:59 AM
Anonymous said…
I hope you figured out your curtain issue already! I have no advice, but your story reminds me of the time I had bought my first futon and my boyfriend at the time (now husband) was helping me put it together. We had such a hard time getting things to go in he right place that he suggested in frustration that we CUT THE SLATS on the base so he could jimmy the thing together. I was so shocked I burst into tears. Yeah, and I still married him and his electric saw-happy self.
August 13, 2008 at 11:34 PM
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