There are exceptions. Choosing the length of your curtains can also depend on the style of the room, window size, and style and your house. Longer curtains with a break of over 1” offer a more dressy, formal look while shorter imply a casual and relaxed vibe.
Standard curtains come in three lengths—84 inches, 96 inches, or 108 inches—but experts say you should opt for longer rather than shorter. Blythe Copeland is a contributing writer with more than a decade of experience as a freelance lifestyle writer. Choosing the right curtain length can make or break a room.
As for a general rule, floor length or just a little above it is the preferred look. Maggie Griffin, founder and principal designer of Maggie Griffin Design, recommends, 'The drapery panels should skim the floor.
Short curtains and drapes are not ideal, and most often you don't want curtains that hang more than an inch above the ground. Too short curtains can not only look outdated, but they can also sometimes make the ceiling look lower.
Making Your Room Look Larger or Smaller with Curtains
High-hanging curtains with long vertical stripes create the illusion of height, which is excellent for low ceilings. However, short curtains and horizontal stripes shorten your wall height and make the room appear smaller.
The length of your curtain is dependent on the ratio of width to height. A window that is longer in length than width can benefit from longer curtains giving the window a larger feel. However, a very wide window that is unusually short may look better with shorter curtains.
Your short windows may make your ceilings look too low for your liking. Luckily, there's an easy fix—dress them with long curtains. Hanging long curtains on short windows can trick your eyes into perceiving the windows as taller than they are.
The easiest way to add length is to hang the curtain from rings instead of using the rod pocket/grommets/etc. This will drop the curtain a few inches, which is perfect if your curtains are just a tad too short.
Whether or not you should puddle the curtains at the bottom is really a matter of personal preference, but for the most aesthetically pleasing and appropriate look, curtains should run to the floor. If you choose to puddle, you'll want at least 3-4 inches of fabric or so to make the puddling appear deliberate.
The standard curtain lengths are 63, 84, 96, 108 and 120 inches long, and curtain panels are typically 48 inches wide. Curtain lengths will also vary depending on the style you're looking for: Float: The curtains “float” just above the floor.
Curtains that are too long can make the room appear cramped or overcrowded. Additionally, curtains that hang too far from the window can affect the amount of natural light that comes into the room, making the space feel even tighter.
How High to Hang Curtains. A rule of thumb (from Architectural Digest) is that curtains should be hung between four to six inches above the window frame, so install your curtain rod accordingly. When you hang the curtain rod high, it will make the window appear taller.
Absolutely. Curtains reduce the amount of air exchange between a cold window and the rest of the room. For keeping heat inside the home, high-quality curtains can reduce heat loss by around 40%, particularly if they are floor length and close to the wall and window panes.
' 'Opt for natural fibers. Finding a good synthetics or blend fabric off the shelf can be difficult, whereas a nice cotton or linen fabric is far more accessible and looks more authentic says' Cathrine Dal. A good quality curtain material will not only stand the test of time, but will also look more luxurious too.
The biggest reason store-bought curtain panels often look cheap, is they aren't wide enough for the windows they're dressing (see photo above). Most curtain panels are just decorative- they don't ever get drawn shut because the window has blinds on it.
DON'T Go Too Short
A little puddling (as seen here in various shots) can be nice if you want a romantic feel, but, if you don't want to worry about them dragging and getting dirty, then stop the fabric just before they hit the floor — a little under an inch is good.
Choosing extra long curtains and hanging them high above your window will give the illusion of more height and therefore more space within a small room.
'Using short curtains will highlight where the window ends, while longer curtains will help to seamlessly blend the space between the windows and wall by acting as a decorative buffer. By utilizing floor length, thicker curtains, you can give the illusion that the window space is bigger than it actually is. '
On most curtains & window treatments, it takes two to three times more material/curtain to provide the proper fullness in appearance when installed/hanging on your rod than the actual window width.
Dark curtain benefits
Dark coloured curtains work very well in spacious interiors or high-ceilinged rooms to visually shrink the space and give it a cozier vibe. Use them to anchor the space without overwhelming the setting; repeat the colour of the curtains somewhere else in the room so they don't look out of place.
Not only do draperies make a space feel finished, but they also have the magical ability to transform an interior, whether it's creating the illusion of a higher ceiling, drawing the eye across a room, or framing views to a beautiful vista just outside.