Who ever thought that curtains can change the whole look and feel of a room? A lot of people only hang curtains to cover the windows and add more privacy to their homes. But by simply considering the height and width of the curtains and rods, you can:
Allow more light into the room,
Make your space look bigger,
Make your ceilings appear higher,
And even make your windows appear larger.
There are a few steps you need to follow before buying your curtains, so get those measuring tapes and a piece of paper ready. Here’s what you need to do:
1. Measure the width of your window.
You need to measure the width of your window to determine the width of the rod you need. The general rule is that the curtain rod should be 30 to 40 cm wider than your window.
When the curtains are open, you want the panels to only cover a section of the window trim. This will create the illusion of a larger window, leave enough room for an unobstructed view out of the window and allow more natural light to enter the room.
2. Measure the height of your window.
The next step is to measure the height of your window. The general rule of thumb is to hang the rod at least 10 to 15 cm above the window frame or 5 to 8 cm below the cornice or ceiling.
This will allow the fabric to stretch and create the illusion of higher ceilings.
3. Decide on the width of each curtain panel.
People tend to buy curtains that just cover the width of the window. The aim is to have curtain panels that are 2x to 2,5x wider than your window; so if your window is 1,5m wide, your curtain panels should have a combined width of 3 to 4m.
By doing this, you’ll create a “fuller" look when your curtains are closed.
4. Decide on the height of each curtain panel.
In step 2, we measured the height of the window to determine how high we will hang the rod. Now, take the height of the rod and add about 20 to 30 cm to get the height of your curtain panels. This will allow extra length for adding a hem.
Pro tip: Never cut off the extra fabric, sew it into the hem. This way you can adjust the height of the curtains, should ever move and wish to re-use your curtains on another window.
