DESIGNER: Sasha Malchi
PHOTOS: Sarah Baker
WRITTEN BY: Whitney Harmon, WWH Design

Hanging curtains can be very easy when you consider these simple tips.

Rod Placement

Height: First, try to hang the rod high. Hanging the rod near the ceiling will create a sense of height in your room. When you have the option to purchase custom length curtains, a good rule of thumb is to hang the curtain rod within six inches of the ceiling. If you purchase ready-made curtains, you will want to hang your rod so that the curtain touches the floor, but no more than the bottom inch of the curtain is on the floor.

WIDTH: After you decide the height of your curtain rod, you will need to decide the width of the rod. A good rule of thumb for the width is six inches outside the window on each side. This will allow the curtains to cover the window when closed and will allow the full window to be exposed when the curtain is drawn.

LENGTH: A standard curtain panel will just touch the floor and make for an overall informal and casual aesthetic. If you want a more formal look or wish to dress up your space, you can have a puddling effect with your curtains touching the floor with three inches of extra fabric.

Completely Custom

A smart way to get a custom look in a room is to coordinate your furniture or bedding with your window treatments.  This creates a very cohesive feel to a room that allows your eyes to flow naturally through the space.   This option typically takes the longest to complete since the customer is getting a finished product made specifically for their tastes and design.  A simple way to do this is to create pillows from the material you use for your window treatments.  A more in-depth project would be upholstering a piece of furniture that coordinates with the window treatments.

Odd Shaped Window

Round windows or arch top windows are becoming very common in newer homes.  However, if you have one of these windows in your home, you may likely realize that window treatments for these windows are not very common.  For a total coverage of these windows, I recommend a custom treatment such as a specifically designed shutter or a curved rod treatment. This type of treatment provides a finished look to your window that will provide a deliberate design style.  When choosing a partial coverage treatment,  the key is to get a treatment that honors the architectural features of the window.