How to Hang the Curtains

• Curtains are irreplaceable home interior detail that contribute to an overall look of the living space significantly. They have both aesthetic and functional purposes. 
• Before you go to the curtains shop, you should do some homework: consider what will be the fabric, color, and size of your curtains. Afterward, it will be much easier to decide what kind of curtain rod would fit best.
• Hanging curtains can be quite challenging process unless you follow 4 simple steps one after another: measure the window, choose the type of the curtains and the curtain rod and finally – hang the curtains.

When you get bored of every part of your home interior and start craving for changes – do not hurry to move out! Start with some small changes: get a new rug, buy some furniture… Or simply change the curtains! They can enlarge the space of the room, control the light coming from the outside, and even suppress the noise. By the way, did you know that the particular color, material and size curtains can improve (or worsen) the quality of your sleep? So, cozy and bright room or dark and a gloomy one? It all depends on what kind of curtains you will hang. Easy as it may sound, there are some very important steps you shouldn’t skip if you want to enhance rather than worsen the overall interior of your living space.

STEP #1. Measure!

This is the first and most important step as it determines if the curtains will hang nicely and will be functional. So, take a pen, paper and go to work! 

First, you have to decide what will be the length of your curtains: sill – about 1 inch away from the windowsill, full – about 1 inch away from the floor, puddle – extends 1-3 inches on the ground.

If you already have the curtain rod – start measuring from about 2 inches above it. If not – simply measure the length from the ceiling to where you want the curtains to end.

Important: the curtains should cover the whole window, not only the part of it.  For example, if the room is small – hang long curtains closer to the ceiling to make your window look taller and your room space – larger. However, if there is a desk or similar furniture set up by the window – choose the short curtains.

Now let’s move on to the width!

Already have the curtain rod? Measure the length of it and add additional 2-3 inches to make your curtains overlap nicely.

Don’t have the curtain rod as of yet? Measure the width of the window and add extra 4-5 inches to each side. 

TIP: When getting the measurements for your curtains, keep in mind that most of the time curtains look best if they hang high and wide.

STEP #2. Choose the curtains!

Time to turn on your imagination and decide what curtains would complement the interior of your room the best. Piece of cake, right? Not so fast…Once you realize that that there are thousands different options of curtains you might want to consider each of the parts below first:

• Fabric. Curtains are made of different fabrics and materials. For example, linen curtains are very popular in summer as they are lightweight and made of natural fabric. Meanwhile, in the winter season, people tend to choose from the heavier and thicker fabrics that will keep the heat inside and the light – outside. Day curtains are usually made of light, matte or transparent fabrics, and for the night curtains – denser and darker fabrics are used.

Also, for North-facing windows – designers recommend thin and lightweight curtains to provide the room with as much daylight as possible.  Contrarily, for South-facing windows and for those who can’t stand the sunlight there are so-called “blackout” fabrics that block the direct light from the outside.

Tip: Choose a mixed fabric with synthetic additives as they are much easier to maintain.

• Color. Usually, the color and pattern of the curtains are matched with the interior of the room. However, if you want to follow the latest trends – choose the pattern with the nature motifs as it is on top at the moment. Too dull? Fabrics with the metallic shine – exactly what you need!
• Size. Golden rule – better more than less! The thinner and lighter the fabric, the more folds there will have to be. Thus, very thin curtains should be 3 – 4 times wider, while the heavier and thicker curtains – 1.5 – 2 times wider than the curtain rod.

TIP: Curled up curtains look messy – iron them carefully before hanging!

STEP #3. Choose the curtain rod!

Curtains can be hung on the curtain rods or on the ceiling-mounted rails. Again – the number of different types of curtain rods is endless: Spring, magnetic, tension, conventional, traverse rods… Made of plastic, aluminum or metal… Mounted on the wall or the ceiling… Single or double…You name it! To not get lost in this jungle of options, you will most likely have to discuss this step with a professional designer or retailer. However, before you go, make sure you know exactly what you are looking for:

• Type. The length, weight, and color of your curtains will help to decide what type of curtain rod would fit the best.
• Material. For heavy curtains – sturdy curtain rod would be necessary. Therefore, don’t even think about the plastic, wooden or even aluminum curtain rods. Metal (for example – steel) curtain rod is exactly what you need to ensure that your window coverings will not fall down the minute you hang them. Important: make sure you get a sufficient amount of hooks to fasten the curtain rod to the wall/ceiling securely.
• Size. Get a curtain rod that is 3-6 inches longer than the length of your window frame. This will ensure that your curtains won’t block the light from the window when they are open. 
• Color. Curtain rod can be hidden or serve as an interior element. For example – a thick, massive, gold curtain rod together with some decorative elements such as finials would surely create a completely different personality of your room. Meanwhile, if the curtain rod color is similar to the color of the walls – it will not hook the eye.

Step #4. Hang those curtains!

Just don’t give up yet – all the hardships are in the past. This final step will be easy for you as 1-2-3:

1. Take a pencil and gently mark the spots where the brackets will go (you don’t want your curtains to look crooked). Remember that brackets should be 4-6 inches above the window frame and 3-6 inches outside the frame on each side of the window. Important: if the rod is longer than 5 feet – attach one more bracket in the middle. 
2. Install the curtain rod to the brackets by following the instructions. 
3. Once the curtain rod is installed – put your curtains on it!