I put up thermal curtains over my honeycomb shades last winter, mostly because our house is from the '60s and those windows leak air like crazy. Didn’t look amazing, but I noticed the living room stayed way warmer, and the heat didn’t kick on as much. The setup’s a bit bulky, yeah, but I’d rather have lower bills than perfect decor. If you’ve got drafty windows, it’s worth it.
- Gave the layered sheer shades a shot when we first moved in. They looked nice, but honestly didn’t do much for blocking drafts in our old place.
- Ended up adding heavier curtains too—now it’s like window lasagna over here, but at least I’m not freezing.
- Totally agree, lower bills > perfect matching decor. My wallet says thanks, even if my living room looks a bit “creative.”
- If you’re dealing with 60s windows, sometimes you gotta pick function over fashion...
Window lasagna—love that term, and honestly, it’s pretty accurate for what I’ve got going on too. Those layered sheers look really nice in catalog photos, but in my old ranch house, they might as well be tissue paper for all the good they do against a draft. I tried adding those stick-on foam strips to the sashes, but the wind still found a way in... so now I’ve got thermal curtains *and* sheers. Sure, it’s not going to win any design awards, but my heating bill dropped a bit and I can actually sit by the window in February.
I get wanting everything to match, but with these old windows, I’ll take “cozy” over “Pinterest-worthy” any day. If you’re feeling wild, I’ve seen people layer quilts or even moving blankets behind curtains for extra insulation. Not pretty, but desperate times, right?
Window lasagna sums it up perfectly—my living room looks like a fabric sandwich half the winter. I tried those layered sheers too, thinking they'd give my 70s ranch some style, but honestly, the drafts just laughed at them. Ended up pinning a fleece throw behind the curtains last January when it hit -10 outside. Not exactly HGTV chic, but my toes appreciated it. Sometimes you just have to embrace the “lived-in” look if it means not freezing.
Totally get where you’re coming from—layered sheers look nice, but they’re not much help when the cold really sets in. I’ve tried doubling up with thermal curtains, but honestly, sometimes it’s just whatever keeps the chill out. Style points are great, but warm toes win every time.
Style points are great, but warm toes win every time.
I hear you on that—my living room looked like it belonged in a magazine after I put up those layered sheers, but honestly, I might as well have left the windows bare when January rolled around. I ended up taping bubble wrap to the glass behind the curtains (not exactly a designer move, but desperate times…). The aesthetic took a hit, but at least the draft stopped sneaking in. Maybe there’s a way to have both, but I haven’t cracked it yet.
I’m in the same boat—tried those layered sheers because they looked sharp, but my place still felt drafty. Anyone actually found a curtain setup that blocks cold without making the room look like a cave? I’m not sold on thermal liners yet.
- Totally get where you’re coming from—layered sheers look great but don’t do much for drafts.
- Tried doubling up with a thicker curtain over the sheers. It helped, but yeah, the room felt a bit closed in at night.
- I was skeptical about thermal liners too, but ended up trying some neutral ones behind my regular curtains. They actually weren’t as heavy-looking as I expected, and I could pull them back during the day for more light.
- Not a perfect fix, but honestly, it’s better than freezing or living in a cave... Hope you find something that works for your space!
- Tried the layered sheers last winter. Looked really nice during the day, but didn’t do much for keeping the cold out at night.
- Ended up putting a cheap blackout panel behind them. Not the prettiest combo, but it blocked drafts way better. Pulled it aside during the day so I still got that soft light look.
- Agree about thermal liners not being as bulky as expected. Was worried they’d make my living room feel like an old hotel, but honestly, once they were up, I barely noticed.
- Only thing is, my windows are old and super drafty, so even with all that, there’s still a chill sometimes. Kinda feels like I’m layering up both myself and my windows just to get through February...
- Wouldn’t say it’s perfect, but way better than just sheers alone. If you’re in a mild climate maybe it’s enough, but up north here, you gotta double up or freeze.
- Curtains are turning into more of a science experiment than I thought.
Yeah, I totally get the “science experiment” vibe—my living room windows have been through so many curtain combos, it’s almost embarrassing. I started with those layered sheers too, thinking they’d be enough, but as soon as the temps dropped, it was like I’d left the window wide open. Ended up using some leftover moving blankets behind the curtains for a while—definitely not a look you’ll see on Pinterest, but it actually helped more than I expected.
I eventually caved and got some thermal liners. Like you said, not nearly as bulky or ugly as I thought they’d be. The drafts are still there a bit (my windows are ancient), but it’s less of an arctic blast now. Honestly, I think old windows just have a mind of their own… sometimes you gotta layer up and accept that cozy socks are part of the deal.
The whole process made me appreciate how much little tweaks can add up, even if it’s not perfect. At least the heating bill isn’t quite as scary these days.