Curtains are functional items that can also be used for home decor. Curtains can help improve airflow and circulation, block or allow light from outside, and can be used to warm up or cool down a room.
Curtains are great for decorating a room. They can change how you see a room because they can be used to make a room appear smaller or bigger.
Generally, it is okay for curtains to touch the ceiling. Hanging curtains at the same level as the ceiling does have its benefits.
Letting the curtains touch the ceiling is a good idea:
Hanging curtains at ceiling level or very close to the ceiling can be good because it will make your room appear taller. It can also make your windows look bigger. It’s a very stylish method that interior designers often use.
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Can You Hang Curtains Too High?
Hanging your curtains can be simple but deciding on how high to place them takes a lot of thought. Curtains can be hung at different heights.
They can be hung from the ceiling.
They can also be hung close to the window. Different curtain heights can give you different effects. Generally, there is no “best” height at which to hang curtains.
What looks good will depend on the type and style of window that you have and how tall the room is.
That being said, you can hang your curtains at a level that is too high if it looks good. There is no right or wrong height to hang curtains. It really depends on what works visually for your room.
If you have a small room with small windows, you can place the curtain rod close to the ceiling or even at the ceiling level.
Dong this will create a visual effect of a bigger room. It will make your room look more spacious.
How Close Should You Hang Your Curtains to the Ceiling?
There is no incorrect height on how high or how close to the ceiling you should hang your curtains. However, here are a few tips or things to keep in mind when hanging your curtains.
- If you have standard two-piece curtains that hang on each side of a window, a good height to hang them from is halfway between the ceiling and the top edge of the window. This is good if the distance between the top of the window frame and the ceiling is 12 inches or more.
- If you have very high ceilings, a good height to place your curtain rod is approximately four to six inches above the top of the window frame.
- Regardless of the ceiling height, it is ideal that there are at least two inches of distance between the curtain rod and the top of the window.
- For rooms with low ceilings, hanging the curtains close to the ceiling or even at ceiling level can help create the illusion of a taller room. The higher you hang the curtains, the taller the room will look.
- If you have an arched window with no custom curtains, the best tip is to ignore the arch and just hang the curtains from a straight curtain rod. It would be best to have at least three to six inches of space between the curtain rod and the top of the arch.
Do High Curtains Look Better?
High curtains are more for the style than for function.
Regardless of how high you place them, the curtains would still serve their purpose. But the height where you hang them can make a difference in how your room looks.
Generally, high curtains look good because they can make your room look bigger.
If you have a small room with a low ceiling, hanging curtains high can create the illusion of a taller and bigger room. High curtains can also make your room feel less stuffy.
This is because curtains attached to the ceiling or very close to it create a dynamic and subtle path for the eye to follow.
The eye naturally follows the curtains from their highest point all the way to the floor or to the edge of the curtains, which makes the illusion of a taller room.
Are Floor To Ceiling Curtains In Style?
Floor to ceiling curtains can look good and add a contemporary style to your home.
They are very common in interior design and are part of the current decor trends.
Floor to ceiling curtains are in style nowadays. This is because they offer some benefits.
Floor to ceiling curtains allow you to utilize the full height of the room, which instantly makes the room feel bigger and more spacious.
These curtains add drama and make your room feel grander. Short or low curtains can shrink the room, and make it feel more cramped and stuffy.
When you have large windows, the room feels cold especially during chilly months as the windows tend to let a lot of cold air in.
Floor-to-ceiling curtains can make your room feel warmer and cozier.
Plus they add more privacy by making sure the entire window is covered.
By letting your curtains fall from the ceiling to the floor, it covers the whole window as well as the wall beneath it which can instantly make the room feel snug.
Floor to ceiling curtains can make sure that there are no gaps where cold air can flow through so that your room is well-insulated.
Floor-to-ceiling curtains can also block a lot of light that can make you fall asleep faster at night.
Or they can make your bedroom or lounge spaces more relaxing and great for napping during the day.
In addition to all these, floor-to-ceiling curtains drape more beautifully. Because there is more height to where the curtain is hung, the curtain falls better.
How High Should The Curtain Rod Be?
When it comes to placing your curtain rods, there is no single correct height. This really depends on how tall your windows are and how tall the room is.
This also depends on the placement of the window and how far it is from the ceiling.
If the top of the window frame and the ceiling has a distance of 12 inches or more between them, then the curtain rod is ideally placed halfway between the two.
This is for smaller rooms and when you want to create an illusion of a taller room.
If you have very high ceilings, a curtain rod is best placed at approximately four to six inches above the top of the window frame.
This would be a good placement to maximize the height of the room.
However, regardless of the height of the room, the ideal placement of curtain rods is at least two inches from the top of the window.
This would look better as placing the curtain rod at the same level as the top of the window just looks awkward.
Where Should The Bottom Of The Curtain Fall?
In general, curtains that fall close to the floor look better than short curtains. Short curtains tend to make the room height look shorter.
Floor-to-ceiling curtains look good because they elongate the height of the room and make it feel more spacious.
Some people have curtains that touch or “kiss” the floor.
Some even have curtains that puddle on the floor.
These curtains are fine, but they can add a bit of a hassle when you are cleaning the floor. Ideally, you do not want your mop or your vacuum to touch the curtains.
The best placement for curtains is to have them fall close to the floor. A good height for curtains is to have their bottom fall to half an inch above the floor.
This height lets you achieve a floor-to-ceiling effect for your curtains without them getting in your way when you clean.
While the height placement of curtains generally does not affect its purpose, it can make a big impact on how your room looks. Depending on the type of look that you are going for in your room, the height placement of curtains can make your room feel bigger or smaller.
This is why the placement is very important.
Sources:
Designer Tips On How To Hang Drapes
Hanging Curtains From The Ceiling vs. A Window