How to style your curtains

Are you considering updating your curtains? If so, here’s what’s fashionable when it comes to this window treatment.

Hang high
Installing curtain rods closer to the ceiling will make the room feel larger. The extra height visually increases the vertical space occupied by the windows and creates the illusion of a higher ceiling. If possible, hang your curtains four to six inches above the windows to maximize their impact.

Go low
Contemporary curtains are long and should hit the floor or even puddle onto it. However, puddling curtains are best reserved for drapes that stay open since they need to be restyled every time they’re opened or closed. Curtains that skim the floor shouldn’t hang more than 1/2 an inch above it.

Get wide
Add visual width to your windows by opting to go broad with your curtains. Mount rods that extend three to six inches past the window frame on either side. Although you can go even wider, the curtain rod shouldn’t be more than one-and-one-third the width of the window.

Go full
Curtains look best when they’re full, so make sure you have enough fabric to adequately cover the intended area. The rule of thumb is that the combined width of the panels should be two to two-and-a-half times the width of the window.

To find curtains you love or the fabric to make them, shop at stores in your area.