One Good Thing: Hang 'Em High & Hang 'Em Wide
One of my favorite ways to make a room feel finished and cozy is to add a window treatment - be it curtains, roman shades or blinds, or a combination of those. I find people are often hesitant to add window treatments though not because they don't want them in their space, but because they just don't know how or where to hang them. For today's One Good Thing, I want to take a little bit of the mystery out of hanging curtains - I promise you can do it!
My favorite trick (as you read in the title!) is to hang 'em high and wide. Just doing that one thing will make your windows and room look bigger, and gives your room a little bit more of a polished feel. If possible, hang them at least 4" above your window frame and 4-6" beyond the frame on each side.
To help you remember this trick - and to show you what a difference it makes - I made nice little diagram you can pin for later if you want:
Don't crowd your windows, folks!
There are a couple of other things to think about when it comes to hanging curtains as well:
Length: My preference is to have the curtains hang just barely off the floor or just barely touch the floor. Make sure you buy the correct length by measuring down from where the rod will hang or if you're using drapery rings, measure from the clips!
Rod: 99% of the time I go for brass, nickel or black curtain rods with a simple, squared off finial
Material: You can't go wrong with linen or cotton. They'll hang nicely and won't have any sort of sheen to them, which can make them look dated.
Color: When in doubt, go with white. :) They work really well in most rooms! If you're looking for color, I typically recommend a solid and add pattern elsewhere in the room through pillows, rugs and other textiles. There are no hard and fast rules though, here - if you're feeling wild, go for that pattern!
Double up: If you're hanging curtains around an extra wide window with standard width panels (usually ~50W”), try putting two panels on each side. Though it's an added expense, the added fullness will make your windows look even better. Going with a custom width is even better if possible!
Feeling ready to add some curtains to your home now? Go forth and do it!
Psst: If you like the curtains in my diagram above, you can find them here (affiliate link) in several colors. And, good news, they're super reasonably priced!
