How High and Wide to Hang Curtains (and How Long to Make Them)
Most curtains are hung too low and too narrow. Moving the track up and out is the cheapest way to make a room look taller and a window look bigger.
In short
- Mount the track well above the window, often close to the ceiling.
- Extend it past the frame so open curtains stack beside the glass, not over it.
- Curtains should just kiss the floor, or float a finger-width above it.
- Allow enough fabric: drapery uses about twice the track width.
On this page
Go higher than the window
Mount the track or rod at least 10 to 15 cm (4 to 6 in.) above the window frame, and often much higher. Hanging curtains close to the ceiling draws the eye up and makes the ceiling feel taller. A ceiling-mounted track takes this all the way, and stops light spilling over the top.
Go wider than the window
Extend the track past the frame on each side, typically 10 to 25 cm (4 to 10 in.), more for heavy drapery. When the curtains are open, they should stack on the wall beside the glass, not across it. That keeps all the daylight and makes the window look wider. Ripple-fold drapery stacks more compactly than pinch-pleat, so it needs less extra width. See ripple-fold, pinch-pleat or sheer.
Get the length right
- Kiss the floor: the hem just touches. Tailored and classic.
- Float: about 1 cm (half an inch) above the floor. Easier to clean and the most practical.
- Puddle: extra fabric pooling on the floor. Romantic, but collects dust.
Avoid curtains that stop several centimetres above the floor; they look too short. Floors are rarely perfectly level, so we measure the drop at several points along the track.
Fullness
Curtains need more fabric than the window is wide, so they hang in soft folds even when closed. As a rule of thumb, drapery uses about twice the width of the track in fabric, and sheers often a little more. Too little fabric looks thin and flat when the curtains are closed.
Radiators and heaters
If there's a radiator or baseboard heater under the window, keep the fabric clear of it. Stop the curtains above the heater, or use a shade inside the window instead.
Ceiling or wall track?
- Ceiling-mounted tracks look clean, make rooms feel taller and stop light over the top. They need solid blocking in the ceiling.
- Wall-mounted tracks sit on brackets and suit rooms with crown moulding or bulkheads.
See motorized curtains and drapery tracks.
Layering sheers and blackout
Two tracks, one behind the other, let you hang sheers for daytime privacy and blackout for night. Both should follow the same height and width rules. See layering sheers with blackout.
Common questions
Should curtains touch the floor?
Ideally they just touch it or float about 1 cm above it. Curtains that stop well above the floor look too short.
How far past the window should a curtain track go?
Far enough that the open curtains stack beside the glass, typically 10 to 25 cm on each side, more for heavy drapery.
Can curtains hang over a radiator?
Keep fabric clear of radiators and baseboard heaters. Stop the curtains above the heater or use a shade inside the window.
