Where to Hang Curtains?

I recently got an e-newsletter from Calico Corners.  I love this store.  It is pricier than other fabric stores but it is SO convenient to me - I could walk to it.  And really there are not a lot of fabric options in Charlotte unless you drive to Mary Jo's in Gastonia.  A good deal, but a lot to go through. 

Now I receive some great e-newsletters from them with tips and information.  I always knew you were supposed to hang curtains higher but in this article they give you the why's behind it and some real measurements to use in case you are not good at judging the height for yourself. 


My living room curtains did look like this.

Now they look like this!

Rudy hung them higher and I purchased larger rods so that I could pull the panels away from the window.  It does let more light in and make the room seem larger.  They are too short...but that is another project!


Here is the information on the why's and how to's behind hanging curtains from Calico corners:


For answers to this question, we've gone to Julie Morris, director of custom products and programs for the Calico stores--and one of the top window treatment experts in the industry. "In general, we like to install rods high so that there is a longer sweep of fabric," she notes. "This makes the windows appear taller and the room looks as if the ceilings are higher."

The standard mounting for a curtain rod is at least 4-inches above the window and a minimum of 2 to 4-inches beyond either side of the window frame.

However, you can mount the rod as high as you like--to the crown molding or to the ceiling, if you wish. "If there is decorative crown molding in the room, consider splitting the distance between the top of the window frame and the bottom of the crown molding for where to mount your rod," advised Julie. "In most cases this will add height but show off the crown molding nicely as well."

To make a narrow window look wider, add 6 to 8-inches to each side as a rule of thumb for rod width, suggests Julie. "Usually, the reason to extend the width for drapery stackback is to allow as much light as possible into the room," she notes. To calculate the stackback for pleated draperies, add 1/3 of the frame-to-frame width measurement to the window width to find the appropriate rod size.

For example, if the window measures 48" from frame-to-frame, 1/3 of that is 16-inches; added to 48-inches, that totals 64-inches for a rod size that allows the draperies to stack off the window. The draperies will extend 8-inches beyond the frame on each side of the window, allowing most of the view to show. "Once you know the ideal stackback, you can dial it back as needed, depending on space available," says Julie.