How To Hang Curtains The Right Way

One of the things I see often when clients ask me to help them design and style their home is the wrong way the curtains are hung. I gotta be honest, I use to hang curtains wrong too! I remember hanging my curtain rod right on the window frame and hanging my curtains just enough to cover the window. That was until I started reading and studying design techniques that make a big difference in the feel and look of interiors, curtains being one of them. It’s something so simple but makes your space feel bigger and luxurious. Here are some tips to help you hang curtains the right way.

Hang your curtain rod high

Instead of hanging your curtain rod right on the window frame. Hang them at least 6 inches above the window frame. If your ceilings are low, go as high or close to the ceiling as you can. Hanging your curtains high draws the eyes up and makes the ceilings feel taller.

Did you know you can also mount your curtain right on the ceiling using these ceiling mount brackets?!! This is a great option for low ceilings.

Hang your curtain rod wide

Not only do you want to hang your curtains high you also want to make sure you go wide. When purchasing a curtain rod make sure you purchase one that’s wider than the width of your window. A rule of thumb is that the curtain rod should be at least 8”-12inches longer. This allows you to be able to extend the rod at least 4” to 6 inches on either side (You can even go as far as 10inches on either side if you have the space).

This makes the window appear bigger and allows for more light to come in.

Use enough fabric

To make your curtains looks more full and luxurious don’t skimp out on your fabric! The rule of thumb is that your curtain panel should be 1.5 to 2 times the width of your window.

Keep in mind the type of fabric you would like. If the fabric is light, you would want to use extra wide panels or double up your panels on each side. If your drapes are thick you can use less fabric as long as the width of the panel is at least 1.5 times wider than the window. These heavy faux linen curtain panels are a great budget friendly option to get a luxurious look for less. I’ve had them for years and the fabric is beautiful and heavy.

Get the right length

If you went shopping for long jeans and lets say your tall, would you purchase petite short jeans? And we’re not talking about going for a capri look, remember we’re looking for long jeans. Now picture those jeans on you. It’ll look a little funny right? Well, thats how your curtains will look if they’re too short.

Here are three different design options for the length of your curtains.

The Kiss: When the curtain barely touches the floor. This length can be difficult to achieve since you need very accurate measurements from the top of the curtains to the floor.

The Slight Float: The curtain sits less than an inch above the floor. This will give a nice and clean look. This is a great option for those of you who don’t want the curtain to touch the floor. Just make sure the curtain does not sit more than an inch off the floor.

The Puddle (pictured below): The curtain extends down pass the floor and the fabric ”puddles”. This look is more dramatic and can be difficult to keep clean.

Even if you have really small windows and want curtains I still recommend getting curtains that go down to the floor. For example, our basement that we remodeled ourselves has your typical small basement window. I just have blinds for now but if I were to get curtains I would get long curtains that extend to the floor.

Quick length fixes

If your curtains are just a tad bit short and sits a little more than half an inch above floor these curtain rings with clips may help.

If you’re curtains are way too long and you don’t want the puddle look you don’t have to worry about needing to sew in order to hem your curtains. Instead, you can easily use HeatnBond. I have this product and used it before. It’s honestly shocking how easy it is. All you have to do is measure and iron on. It works so well!

If using the rings with clips you can also fold the top of the curtain inward and clip your ring onto the new fold.

Give these tips a try and see how much better your space will look and feel!