Window treatments are a powerful tool when it comes to decorating your space. They contribute to lighting, can serve as a focal point, or can be used to trick the eye into perceiving a room differently.
We’ve composed some basic tips on how to hang curtains in your home.
Selecting a curtain rod
The curtain rod needs to be 3 to 4 inches longer than the window, measured from the outside of the window frame. This will allow you to open and close the drapes on either side without blocking the window.
How much fabric to use
To create an elegant and billowy look you need to select enough curtain fabric for pleats to form. If you are using light, sheer fabric aim to use 2 to 3 times more fabric than the width of the curtain rod. With heavier fabrics like velvet use 1.5 to 2 times the width of the rod.
When determining curtain length, affix your rod to the wall and measure from the top of the rod to the floor. If you are using curtain rings, measure from the bottom of the curtain rings to the floor. Remember to allow enough fabric for the top and bottom hems.
Where to hang a curtain rod
In most cases you should aim to have your drapes just touch the floor. To achieve this add 1” of fabric to your original measurement. For a more opulent look have your curtains “puddle” on the floor. Adding 2-4 inches of fabric creates a slight puddle, 5-8 inches makes the curtains fan out and 10 inches creates a very heavy and opulent gathering of the fabric.
To give the illusion of a higher ceiling and or bigger windows hang your curtains approximately 1 inch below ceiling height.
If there are 12 or more inches between the trim of the window and the ceiling the general rule is to hang the curtain halfway between the window trim and the ceiling.
For rooms with high ceilings hang your curtains 4 to 6 inches above the window trim.
Images courtesy of Romo
