Want an easy way to achieve a designer look in your living space?
Pay attention to how you hang your curtain panels. Interior designers know how to hang drapery panels for maximum impact.
The trick is to hang your curtain panels high and wide.
Take a look at this great illustration, which compares curtain panels hung short and close verses those hung high and wide.
Same window, but very different look. Don’t you agree?
How to Hang Curtain Panels (the Designer Way)
1. Hang Your Curtain Panels WIDE
Extending the curtain rod three to six inches beyond the frame on each side provides many decorating “benefits”. Not only does it beef up a window’s focal point potential, it allows extra light to flood the room (especially important when staging a home for sale) and creates a clear view of the outdoors.
Using a Single Curtain Panel
Here’s an example of this curtain hanging principle illustrated in my current bedroom. In this room, I used a one curtain panel per window on the windows that frame our bed.
If you are lucky enough to have beautiful window moldings, you can hang your drapery panels wide enough to show them off.
2. Hang Your Curtain Panels HIGH
When you hang curtain panels closer to the ceiling line rather than at window trim height, it creates the illusion of grandeur in the form of a higher ceiling.
Don’t believe me? Compare the Before and After photos of this bedroom makeover project:
Here’s another “Before” and “After” from my monochromatic bedroom makeover that illustrates the dramatic effect of this simple change in curtain panel placement:
Love Before and After Photos? Check out all of my room makeovers!
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Curtain Panel Sizes
In order to achieve this look, you’ll either have to modify standard 84″ panels by adding on a coordinating material to lengthen the panels or purchase 96″ curtain panels.
Some great resources for purchasing 96″ curtain panels include:
Although my preference is to hang the panels as high as possible, you can choose to hang them within a few inches of your ceiling line, or half way between the top of your window trim and your ceiling line.
Whatever you choose, be sure that the bottom of the curtain panels skim the floor.
Let me leave you with some additional examples that demonstrate how proper curtain panel placement can add style and visual interest to your room!
Photo credits:
- 1. Relaxdeco.com
- 2. Loomdecor.com
- 3 – Tarafree.blogspot.ca
- 4 – OneKingsLane.com
- 5 – Indulgy.com
- 6 – Elledecor.com
- 7 – Homegoods.com
- 8 – Betterhomesandgardens.com
- 9 – Myhomeideas.com
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Kim says
I just found your site while on the never-ending search for grays that look good in an northern exposure room! Your bedroom looks EXACTLY (walls/window-wise) like mine! We have the wall of windows and it was good to see a way to tackle adding the drapery panels, as well as how beautiful your stencil looks on the angled wall. At last, I feel like I have some inspiration for that room, even if I still haven’t found the right gray for our downstairs yet. 😀
Natalie Gallagher says
Oh Kim, this makes me happy! That’s why I work tirelessly on this little blog of mine, to inspire folks 🙂 Come back to the blog to let me know how your bedroom makeover turns out (or better yet, post a picture on Instagram and tag me @refined_rooms)!