When choosing some new curtains for your home, one of the biggest parts of the design process is getting the window covering just right. It’s one of the first things that people will notice when they walk into your room. Along with getting the style, colour, and material right, you also need to consider the length of your curtains. This is to ensure that they cover the whole window and don’t drag along the floor.
Curtain Lengths
If you’re buying curtains off-the-shelf, there are a few standard lengths that you can purchase. These include the following:
- 63 inches
- 84 inches
- 94 inches
- 108 inches
- 120 inches
If you choose to go bespoke, you can design and create curtains that are perfect for your windows, which is especially important if you live in a home where the windows aren’t a standard size.
How To Measure Correctly
Measuring up your windows for curtains is a task that some people feel is easy, but there are a few common mistakes that could take up valuable time and incur more costs.
Firstly, you need to make sure that you measure from the height of the curtain rail to a centimetre above the floor. This stops the curtain from dragging along the floor, looking bunched up, and stops the curtain from being too short too. One exception to this is puddling curtains, where the idea is to have thick heavy curtains with a tie back that are purposefully too long and bunch on the carpet elegantly to create a luxurious feel.
Some people make the mistake of measuring from the top of the window alcove to the floor, however, you’ll need to remember that your curtain rail is likely to be positioned a few inches above this, so measure from there.
Consider what type of curtain you’re going for. These days, lots of curtains come with curtain loops incorporated into the actual material, rather than having curtain hooks that attach to a rail. This means that you’ll need to measure from where the curtain loops begin rather than the very top of the curtain material, otherwise, your curtains will be too long.
You should also not forget to measure the width of your curtains as well as the length. People tend to focus on the curtain’s length, then realise that their perfectly measured curtains don’t meet in the middle when they are closed. If you have particularly long windows, make sure the width spans across them easily with a bit to spare.
You still want to maintain the flow of the curtains when they’re closed, they should never be stretched flat to the window to fill the gaps – it makes it obvious that you bought the wrong curtain size. To measure the width of the curtains that you need correctly, measure your window width and multiply it by 1.5. However, to ensure you get the perfect curtains for your home you should speak to a bespoke curtain designer.
Top Tips On Curtain Design
When considering the design of your room there are a few things that you’ll need to think about to get the most from your window’s style.
- Making your room appear more spacious is largely down to the length of your curtains. Shorter curtains are bound to make your window look smaller and therefore, less light and airy. Longer curtains create the illusion of a larger window, which will make your guests feel that the room itself is larger.
- Never measure exactly to the windowsill, make sure your curtains drop a few inches below this to block out all the light when the curtains are closed.
- Never hang your curtain rail within the window alcove. It will mean that you’re constantly without coverage at the top of your window as your curtains will start lower.
- If you’re buying curtains made from a lighter material, use blinds to add extra coverage. This way you can ensure you have the practical shade alongside the stylish curtain design.
If you would like to find out more about how we, Aquarius Interiors, can help you create the curtains of your dreams, get in touch on 01926 359096 or head over to our contact page for more details.