Your questions answered.

I received a question about curtains that I would LOVE to address. I am a big believer that curtains can totally transform a space. Not only do they add privacy or filter light, they also add texture and warmth to a room.

A few caveats, first. Eh-hem...

1. Not all homes/windows need curtains. It's very "in" right now to have no curtains, only blinds -- let those windows breeeeeathe!
2. It's very possible curtains may not go with your home's style, and if so...move along. 😜 I typically think of more modern styles pulling off a bare window with simple roller shades for privacy.
3. I don't want anyone to think, "Oh no, my curtains are all wrong based on what she's telling me." **Listen here: If you like what you've got, and think it works for your space then, again, don't listen to me.**

Okay, but IF you think curtains do such a nice job of highlighting a window and framing a space, then let's 👏 talk 👏 about 👏 hanging 👏 curtains! 😍

HERE WE GOOOO....

Okay, now what do I mean by "high and wide"? I hope these visuals help...

Do you see what a difference this makes??! Doesn't the window on the left look WAY bigger?! And I bet that imaginary-room is much brighter, too, because the curtains can be pushed all the way to the sides of the window. ☀️✨ The sad little window on the right reminds me of a girl whose hair is hanging over her face...do you see it? We wanna see YO FACE, Ms. Window.

Anyway! Let's talk about the benefits of high-and-wide curtains, shall we? 😊

Benefits:

• They create a more custom and high-end look for your home
• They allow more light to stream in the room
• They create the illusion of a larger window (larger window = larger cost = larger impact!)
• They make Ms. Window feel a little fancier and more beautiful (she told me so! 😂) Show off that view you've got, girlfriend! 🪟💃

One thing you may be wondering is HOW to go about achieving this look. We can get ourselves in trouble by falling in love with a certain curtain first without paying attention to the dimensions (not that I've ever done this...okay FINE, I have.) 😜 If we simply hang the curtain based on the panel height - wherever that happens to fall in relation to the window - we may be doing our home a big disservice.

May I suggest a different route?

How to hang curtains to enhance your window and home:

Step 1

Measure your window to determine the size curtain rod you will need (width of window + 10-15ish inches on each side where each curtain panel will live). Note: When the curtains are open, they should only overlap the sides of the window 1-2 inches.

Step 2

Determine the approximate height that you can hang the curtain rod -- remember, the higher the better, without being directly under the ceiling. Usually 2/3rd the distance from the window to the ceiling. Does that make sense?

Step 3

Now that you've done both measurements, you know what size curtain rod and curtain panels you need. NOW is the time to shop for your curtain rod and curtains. 🛍

My favorite place to purchase curtains is IKEA because most are extra-tall (98in.+ in height), although many other stores are making them longer now. A few of my favorites from IKEA are Lenda, Ritva, and Merete. They all offer a modern and classic feel AND can be hemmed to the correct length. If I'm remembering right, they may even come with no-sew hemming tape (or can be purchased separately), if needed.

*Confession: I've meant to hem all of my curtains so that they graze the floor, but I'm lazy. Therefore, I have decided to adopt the "puddling" style of curtains. I guess it's a thing! 🤷‍♀️ I didn't even know. Basically, I just tuck the bottom of the curtain under and let the fabric puddle onto the floor. I'm goin with it...you can too! 😄

Note: In our home, all of our curtains are purely decorative in order to frame and enhance the window. We have pull down blinds or shutters that we use for actual privacy.

Here's another good side-by-side example of the difference your curtain placement can make:

Source: DARIA NYC