Roman shades.

I ditto JESS13-Roman Shades and maybe put a top over the radiator to make it a side table or landing space..

Yeah, roman shades are the only way to go here. They're the best option for when you can't have fabric near radiators.

I have large radiators in front of my DR and LR windows. I made nice radiator covers, similar to what you have, but with solid tops. Then I put insulation on the inside of the tops - solid foam with reflective silver on one side. So, my radiator covers force all the heat out the fronts and the tops stay cool. I keep plants, books, art, etc. on them year round.

But I generally don't like curtains, so I don't have any advice there.

Wood slat blinds.

Oh wow..I thought I was the only one with this problem. I have one window just like this, the other one does not have a radiator and they are next to each other. I don't have a cover though but oh well. I've been looking at roman shades too.

Thanks for posting this!

Remember to consider your needs for the specific window. Are you trying to get some privacy? Block light to sleep? Soften the look of the room? Insulate a draft? Each one of those issues would be solved by a different product.

This is really tough one!!! It appears that you have rather tall ceiling so shorter draperies on rods mounted above the window might actually be fine. What is throwing me is the proportion of the radiators to the window..the fact that they extend beyond the window is hard. I would maybe do drapery panels but only out as wide as the radiators to try and tie the entire thing together.

I don't disagree with the others in that roman shade might be really nice, but some nice sconces on either side of the window will help balance the whole composition...again the proportion is killing me here.

@CFD: what is solid foam? Where would one get this? And does it come with the reflective silver or are we talking a sheet of metal or foil? I don't want to kill my plants this winter.

Thanks!

If you are talking about curtains as in drapes, judging from the picture you could have a center draw pair that is the width of the radiator. They could hang on a decorative rod that would be hung somewhere above the trim. Length would be clearing the radiator by about one inch. Something like this would need to be made custom, which if you chose a good fabric wouldn't look cheap. If you have other windows in the room you would probably want them to have drapes that coordinate with this window (i.e. same rods and fabric in appropriate widths and lengths).

I agree that a shade is the only way to go, but it doesn;t have to be roman (though that is what I would do). If you want something more old-fashioned or fancy, you could use a balloon shade.

A custom made drape that will fit within the window frame. You can attach it to the top by the double sided tape with Velcro.

I'd go for a combo of shades and drapery, something like this Candice Olson room.

http://www.decorreport.com/images/en/22401.jpg

It really depends on your style. I would do something 17th century french inspired and draped in a nice thick upholstery fabric with "tails" that end a few inches before the radiator. Then I would warm up the paint color to tie it in. But that isn't very modern or hip of me. It would just be cool if you wanted your house to be from Downton Abby...

I agree Roman shades -or- perhaps a Fan shade
(see fan shade link:
http://www.google.com/patents?id=CmazAAAAEBAJ&printsec=abstract&zoom=4#v=onepage&q&f=false)
.
I would also put window seat cushions on top of the radiators for 2 of the windows (whether or not it's feasible to sit on them, it will look cozy.) .For the middle window I would install 2 shallow display/book shelves,one on each side of the window. It would balance the proportions. Paint the inner part of the bookshelf (inner back & inner sides) a contrasting color to make it pop.
Good luck. Please show us the result!

I also like KaBoomBox's suggestion (via) Candace Olson example.
Very cute.

you could also go with honeycomb shades- depending on what the view is from that window the kind that can go up or down (if that makes sense- I can't remember what they are called) can be absolutely amazing!

We had radiators in our old house and did traditional curtains on a rod (mostly grommet style). It worked, I just had to cut down the length to match the radiator. It also depends on if you're planning on putting anything on the radiator cover, but I really didn't think the short curtains were a bad thing!

wooden blinds or top-down, bottom-up honeycomb shades.

I have the same problem! What I am doing is that I am putting bamboo shades on the actual windows, and then long curtains. I am pinning the curtains during the winter with safety pins (it looks like pintucked sheets), and then in the summer, the long curtains just cascade down. It looks great!

Also, you could keep long curtains for the eye candy, and put some curtain hooks to the sides

Shutters?

That situation is ideal for "short" draperies. The cover's top gives you a few inches near the wall so the heat isn't all going right up into the fabric. You can hang the curtains out so their sides continue the vertical line of the ends of the cover; when they're open they'll completely clear the window, giving you maximum light when you want it. Mounting the rod out there on the wall (instead of on the window woodwork) will also bring the curtains closer to the wall, helping avoid obstructing the vent in the top of the cover.

The first house I remember had "short" curtains. Back then (1960s), ending the curtain at the sill was an unremarked-on, routine choice, especially in a casual room. Nowadays everyone is all about taking the hem to the floor and taking the cornice to the ceiling, though we at least seem to have abandoned the idea that "puddled" drapes are a great idea.

Give the short drapes a try in one of the rooms. Just avoid any trim at the bottom that would accentuate the hemline -- no fringe or border stripe. In combination with the classic-looking radiator cover, flanking that window with an elegant fabric would provide a rich architectural effect for that wall. I'd like to see pattern in the fabric, maybe chintz if that works with the rest of what you have.

I would go with short draperies, but extend past the window so as to visually widen that window to the same width of the radiator cover.