When it comes to decorating a house or a home, hanging up the curtains in the correct way may seem like a small task. But how you hang your curtains can really make an impact – just by hanging the curtains correctly you can transform your home.
Benefits of hanging correctly:
- It makes your celling appear higher than it is, giving the impression of more space
- It can upgrade the look of your windows
- Allow more light into a home
- Create more of a statement in a room
- Make the home look more polished and put together
Here follows a step-by-step guide as to how to achieve this:
MEASURENG THE WINDOWS
The key to hanging curtains in the correct way is to understand that you will need to take measurements around the window the fabric. Taking measurements before you do any other purchases can also help you to save money, since you will be able to understand straight away what’s needed and buy the correct size.
Before you go and buy curtains, you need to know the following measurements:
- Your rod length
- Your rod height
- Your curtain width
- Your curtain length
ROD LENGTH
To find your rod length, measure the top length of the window from trim to trim. When you have this length, you should add 8-12 inches on the measurement. This is to ensure you have 4-6 inches of extra rod length for each side of the window. It’s up to you how long out you want it to be on each side. But if the curtains are ticker, it is a good idea to add some extra length so the curtains can be pulled properly to the sides. This is also important as the room will seem bigger if the full window is visible brings as much natural light as possible into the house.
ROD HEIGHT
The next measurement you need to do is the rod height. This is perhaps where many people get it wrong. The general rule when it comes to rod height is to place the rod 1/2-way to 2/3rd up on the wall between window and the ceiling. You can even go higher and closer to the ceiling to create an even bigger illusion. But be aware of not going too high if there is a lot of space between the ceiling and the window.
The benefit with hanging the curtains higher is that it brings your eyes higher as well when you look at the window. This therefore creates the illusion that the window and the room is higher than what it is.
CRUTAIN WIDTH
The general rule for a curtain is that the curtain panel should be 1.5-2x longer than the window it is actually covering. If you have curtains hanging on each side of the window, you will use half of the window as the estimate and then multiple it with 1.5 to 2 times. This will make the curtain look more rich and with more depth when hanging next to the window and when used.
CURTAIN LENGTH
The last measurement is to measure the curtain length. Make sure that you measure from where the rod is going to where the curtains will hang on the floor. It can be wise to add 5-10 inches extra to make sure that they are long enough when you start hanging them up.
There are different styles when it comes to curtain lengths, so there is possibilities to play with this measurement. Here are some of the common curtain styles.
- Puddle: For a bit more cosy and loosen style, add 2 to 4 inches to the length so the curtains has a puddle at the floor.
- Break puddle: If you want a looser style you can add 1/2 inch to the curtain. This will make the curtain break with the floor but not make a full ‘puddle’.
- Kissing the floor: The most put together look is when the curtain barley touch the floor. To be able to achieve this look, the curtains will need to be tailored to the room. This also requires that you understand how the fabric will hanging from the curtain rod. The best way to do this is to hang the curtains on the rod and measure the curtains from here.
- Floating: The last option is to hang curtains that are 1/2 inch over the floor. This will give more of a cleaner look. With this look, it is important that the curtains hang straight.
HANGING THE ROD AND CURTAINS
Remember to take your time when hanging curtains. Make sure that you measure neatly so that the rod ends up hanging evenly. Mark where all screws are going to go with a pencil first. Look at the marks from a distance before you start screwing and adjust after the look of the space.
MOST COMMON MISTAKES
The most common mistakes to look out for when hanging curtains are
- The rod is hanging too low
- The rod is not wide enough
- The panels on the curtains are not long enough
- The curtains are too low
If you follow the steps above, will you avoid the most common mistakes.
What are your best tips for hanging and styling curtains?
