Let’s clear up some curtain confusion today, shall we? Raise your hand if you have ever questioned how high to hang curtains. I’m just going to assume that you raised your hand. I did.
Curtain trends have definitely changed over the last couple of decades, leaving a lot of people unsure on how high to hang curtains.
More than likely, you are now aware that curtains aren’t supposed to be hung just above the window. But that doesn’t mean that you know where you are supposed to hang them.
Let’s go over some options that will help make hanging curtains a little more straightforward for your space.
How High to Hang Curtains
High and Wide
Hanging curtains “high and wide” seems to be most people’s preference these days.
“High” means that you hang the curtain rod a few (4″-6″) inches above the top of the window (instead of right above the trim).
“Wide” means that you choose a rod wide enough that it extends several inches (again, 4″-6″) on either side of the window.
This trick makes your windows appear to be taller and wider than they are.
What if My Curtains are Too Long (or Too Short)
If you are using a retail curtain you have standard lengths to choose from. They usually don’t easily follow the above guidelines. This means you will have to make a decision.
You can choose to hang the rod closer to the ceiling so that your curtains will be flush with the floor. Or you can keep the rod in the middle and let curtains pool on the floor, or get them hemmed.
Letting curtains pool is ok if it fits the vibe of your space. The curtains tend to feel softer and more romantic though, so take that into consideration.
Don’t Forget Function…
Make sure that you have enough fabric to cover your windows if you plan to close them. In the photo above, we never close the curtains and don’t plan to.
Blinds or shades can help with light control if needed. Or plan enough fabric (or ready made panels) to close the curtains if needed.
…or Proportion
Make sure the visual space of the curtain panel feels in balance with the visual space of the window. No scrawny window panels on wide windows please.
At the Ceiling
Another option is to hang your curtains all the way up to the ceiling. Curtains can really affect how big (or tall) your room feels.
By choosing to hang curtains at the ceiling, your eye is drawn up in a room that has a lower ceiling. This creates the effect of taller ceilings.
I chose to hang the curtains at the ceiling in my master bedroom. Even with the trey ceiling, the room needed the extra height.
Also notice that the curtains are hung as wide as possible. But sometimes strange window placements can prevent you from going as wide as you would like.
Drop the Ceiling
So now you know curtains can be used to create visual height, but they can also be used to drop the ceiling. Why would you want to drop a ceiling you might ask?
Some very large rooms with tall ceilings (ours are 9 feet) can feel cavernous. By hanging the curtains well below the ceiling (but still above the window trim) you can create a horizontal visual break in the wall that keeps the room from looking quite so tall.
In our case, it felt like hanging the rods even at the halfway point would be too high, so I hung them about 10 inches above the trim.
Here’s another example in my daughter’s nursery:
Special Circumstances
Curtains can be a challenge, even when the windows are pretty straightforward. Sometimes things get in the way (literally) that prevent you from hanging your curtains exactly how you would like to.
There are other options that we haven’t talked about, such as roman shades, roller shades, and interior shutters, that would be a much better option than trying to “make it work” with awkward windows and a curtains panel.
We have just scratched the surface of window treatments in this post. Custom window treatments are how we prefer to approach dressing windows, and we can literally design any window treatment in any color or pattern you might want. These are some custom roman shades I designed for my home office:
What other questions do you have about curtains? Do you have any special circumstances that you need help with? I’m always happy to weigh in, send me an email at shandy@collectedlivingdesign.com, or schedule a consultation with us!
