When you are shopping for anything, it is good to have some knowledge that will help you make a smart decision. When you bought your home, you probably did some research about the home and neighborhood. With the knowledge you found out about the home, you made the decision that the house was right for you. Though not as big of a decision as buying a home, when you are buying curtains there are things to consider to make the right choice.

Here are few tips and questions to help you select the right curtains.

  1. How much light control do you what?

If you want some light to pass through the curtains when they are closed, then you want to choose a sheer. Sheer curtains give you privacy, while still allowing natural light to enter your home. On the other hand, if you want no light to come into a room, then the best choice is a blackout curtain, which prevents light from coming in. Blackout curtains are great for bedrooms.

  1. Fabric?

The type of fabric your curtains are made of is important too. Different fabrics will effect the style, mood, and warmth of your room. If you want the room to be more causal choose a lighter blend of fabric, such as cotton, linen, or natural burlap. These fabrics filter light and are less formal. Denser woven fabrics like wool, velvets, and silks have an elegant sophisticated look and give you complete privacy.

  1. Hanging Hardware?

When shopping for your curtains you will also have to pick out hanging hardware. There are a few aspects that are important when purchasing curtain rods: size and finish.

Thickness

Size matters when choosing a curtain rod. You will want to choose thickness and length. Rods varies in thickness from 3/4” to 3.” Smaller thickness are less expensive, however depending on the weight of your draperies, 3/4” to 1” rods are sometimes not sturdy. Also, the length factors on thickness. For longer lengths you will need to choose rods that are thicker. One more thing to consider is thicker rods add a more formal look while thin rods are more casual.

If you are unsure what thickness to get my recommendation is purchase at least 1-3/8” rod. This thickness has good proposition and will be sturdy for most common curtains.

Length

As far as length of curtain rod, here is a good rule to follow: Take the width of your window, including the window trim, and add between 4” to 6” inches to each side. Here is a formula you can use to find out what the length of the curtain rod should be.

Window & Trim Width + (4” or 6” X 2) = Curtain Rod

Here is an example, if your window is 42” wide, plus 6” times 2, means you will need a 54” curtain rod. The important thing is your curtain rod should go past the window on each side, so when the curtains are open they are not blocking the window.

Finish

The finish of your hanging hardware depends on personal preference and what fits into your design style. There are a lot of the options for finishes, however the typical options you will find at most stores are black, white, silver, antique bronze, and various wood finishes.

My personal recommendation on finish is the metal finishes. My favorite finish is satin nickel because it has a clean look. My suggestion if you are unsure on finish is to go back to your inspiration photos and see what curtain rod type are used. Then go to the store and purchase a curtain rod that matches to see if fits into your vision.

  1. Choose a Mounting Option

When hanging your curtains you have two main mounting options, trim or wall mount. When you trim mount, you are placing the curtain rod brackets right on the trim. This showcases the actual size of the window. I am not a fan of this option because fixing holes in wood trim can be more difficult. This is why I prefer the second mounting option; wall mount. When you choose to wall mount your curtains, your windows will look fuller and larger. At the end of this chapter I will give the you the keys to hanging curtains right.

  1. Curtain Width & Length

People often make mistakes when buying the right size curtains. They either buy curtains that are too long or not wide enough. You have to think about how the curtains will look when open and closed. Curtains should have fullness when closed and opened. Often I see curtains that only have fullness when open, and then look flat when closed.

This shows the right and wrong way to hang curtains. You want to hang curtain wide and high.

I want you know the key to stunning looking curtains. The key is to get the right width and length to transform the look of your windows from boring to fabulous. Just like you get dressed every morning to look your best, you want to make your windows look their best. Here’s the trick: take the width of your window and times the width by 2 or 2-1/2 depending on how much fullness you want. If your curtains’ always going to be open and are simply framing the windows times the width of the window by 1-1/2.

Width of Window x 2 or 2-1/2 = Curtain Width

Here’s an example, if you window is 36 inches wide, times 36 by 2-1/2 means your curtains should be 90 inches wide. In this example each curtain panel should be 45 inches wide. This easy trick will guarantee ample fullness for your curtains and beautiful backdrop for your room.

Now you have the width you need, next you will need to determine the length of your curtains. Your first choice is to determine if you want your curtains to be full, puddling, or sill length. Each length will give your room a different characteristic. Sill length curtains are less formal, while curtains that puddle and puff out on the floor are more luxurious. Full length curtains are great to make a room feel taller.

Measuring for Sill Length

If you are adding to curtains to a high traffic area, such as a play room, you may want to do sill length curtains. Last thing you want to happen when your kids are playing is for them to accidentally pull down the curtains. In this case, measure from the top of the curtain rod to where you want the bottom of the curtain panels to be. If you have hanging hardware, such as ring clips, you will minus their length from your measure. For sill length curtains you can either measure 1” above the sill or 6” past.

Measuring for Full Length

My personal favorite length is full length curtains. To measure the length, measure from the top of the curtain rod to a 1/2” above the floor, and minus the length of any hanging hardware.

Measuring for Puddling Length

If you want a create a dramatic formal statement, perhaps in a dining room, then puddling length is a good choice. I also think puddling curtains would look romantic in a master bedroom. To measure for puddling your curtains, measure from the top of the rod again to the floor then add 6″ to 9″ to that measurement. This will result in ample puddling on the floor.

I want decorating your home to be as easy as possible. That is why I share these tips and others to help you know what to look for and buy. I hope this post will help you shop for window treatments for your home with hesitation. Now you know the right way to hang curtains so you don’t make a common mistake. Go have fun transforming a room with new curtains that add style, color and pattern; plus some privacy.

Question for You?

What type of window treatment do you like?