Most people treat window treatments as an afterthought. You buy the rod, you buy the fabric, and you slap them up right above the window frame because that’s where the window is, right? Honestly, that is the fastest way to make a beautiful room look cramped, dated, and a little bit sad. High-end interior designers like Kelly Wearstler or Bobby Berk don't just "cover windows." They use fabric to manipulate architecture. If you want that "pro" look, you have to understand the proper way to hang drapes, which actually has very little to do with the actual glass and everything to do with the surrounding wall space.
Standard windows are rarely perfect. They might be too short, too narrow, or awkwardly placed. By mastering the geometry of drapery, you can literally trick the eye into thinking your ceilings are two feet higher than they actually are. It’s a bit of a magic trick.
High and Wide: The Golden Rule of Drapery
Stop hanging your curtain rods on the window trim. Just stop. When you mount a rod directly on the frame, you’re blocking the light and shrinking the visual opening. The proper way to hang drapes involves two specific movements: going up and going out.
Typically, you want to mount your curtain rod about 4 to 6 inches above the window frame. If you have the space, you can even go halfway between the top of the window and the ceiling (or the crown molding). This draws the eye upward. It creates height. Suddenly, a standard 8-foot ceiling feels like a grand gallery.
Then there’s the width. You should extend the rod about 8 to 12 inches past the window frame on each side. Why? Because when you open the curtains, the "stack" (the bunched-up fabric) should rest against the wall, not the glass. This makes the window look massive and lets every single drop of natural light into the room. If the fabric is covering the glass while the curtains are "open," you’ve done it wrong.
Choosing the Right Length (The "Puddle" Debate)
Length is where most DIY projects fall apart. You’ve seen it—the "high water" look where the curtains end two inches above the floor. It looks accidental. It looks cheap. You basically have three legitimate options for how the fabric hits the floor:
- The Hover: The hem sits about a half-inch off the floor. This is clean, modern, and practical if you have pets or vacuum often. It requires precise measuring.
- The Kiss: The fabric just barely touches the floor. It’s the hardest to pull off because floors are rarely level, but it’s the gold standard for a tailored look.
- The Puddle: You add 2-4 inches of extra length so the fabric bunches on the floor. This is very romantic and European, but it’s a dust magnet. Don’t do this with stiff, modern fabrics; it only works with heavy linens or velvets.
Hardware and the "Small Details" That Matter
Cheap rods flex. If your rod is sagging in the middle, the whole room feels DIY. For any window wider than 60 inches, you absolutely need a center support bracket. Even if the rod says it can handle the span, the weight of the fabric will eventually win the battle against gravity.
Let's talk about rings versus pockets. Sliding a rod through a fabric pocket (rod pocket) is the easiest way to hang curtains, but it’s also the hardest to move. It looks "country" or "cottage." If you want a sophisticated look, use curtain rings or clips. They allow the fabric to hang with a natural drape and make opening and closing the curtains effortless.
Also, consider the "return." A return is when you wrap the outer edge of the curtain panel around the side of the rod and hook it to the wall. This eliminates that annoying light gap on the sides and gives the window a custom, finished appearance.
Fabric Volume: Don't Skimp on the Width
The biggest mistake? Buying only two panels for a giant window. If your window is 50 inches wide, you don’t buy 50 inches of fabric. That would result in a flat, sad sheet of cloth when closed.
To achieve the proper way to hang drapes, you need "fullness." This generally means the total width of your curtain panels should be 2 to 2.5 times the width of the window. If you have a 40-inch window, you want about 80 to 100 inches of fabric width. This ensures that even when the curtains are drawn shut, there are still beautiful folds and shadows in the material. It feels expensive. It feels intentional.
Steaming: The Step Everyone Skips
You take the drapes out of the package, hang them up, and they have those deep, horizontal creases from being folded in a box for six months. You think they’ll "fall out" over time. They won't. Or if they do, it will take years.
Buy a handheld steamer. Or use a heavy-duty professional one if you can rent it. Steam the drapes while they are hanging. This allows the fibers to relax and settle into their natural shape. For pleats, you might even want to "train" them by folding the drapes into their desired pleat pattern, tying them loosely with a ribbon for 48 hours, and then releasing them. This creates those perfect, uniform columns of fabric you see in architectural digests.
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Actionable Steps for a Professional Result
If you're ready to fix your windows, follow this specific workflow to avoid the "oops" moments that lead to extra holes in your drywall.
- Measure twice, drill once. Measure from the floor up to your desired mounting height, not from the window down. Floors are your baseline.
- Use heavy-duty anchors. Curtains are surprisingly heavy, especially if kids or pets tug on them. Don't rely on the cheap plastic anchors that come in the box. Buy "toggle bolts" or "self-drilling" zinc anchors for a secure hold.
- Level the rod. Don't eyeball it. Use a laser level if you have one, or a standard 4-foot bubble level. Even a quarter-inch tilt will be obvious once the long fabric panels are hanging.
- Account for the rings. If you are using rings, remember that the fabric will hang about 2 inches lower than where the rod sits. Adjust your mounting height accordingly so the hem doesn't drag more than you intended.
- Check the "Stack Back." Before you drill, hold a panel up to see how much space it takes up when pushed open. Adjust your rod width so that the inner edge of the fabric just barely covers the window casing.
The transformation is usually immediate. When you lift the rod and widen the stance, the room breathes. It feels larger. You aren't just blocking the sun; you're framing the view.