The proper position is ½ inch above the floor for free hanging curtains. This distance allows for mopping and cleaning while creating the illusion that the curtain touches the floor.
Standard curtains typically hang from about a half-inch from the floor to halfway between the window trim and average-height ceiling. But to maximize visual height, let the walls determine your curtain's length; in a living room, library, den or bedroom, the longer the panels, the better.
It depends on factors such as window length, but more often than not, curtains look best when touching the floor. However, how low you want your curtains to hang will determine what you want to achieve. In reality, different decorating styles employ varying curtain lengths.
So should curtains touch the floor? The short answer is yes... usually. But when making any decision about your window treatments, whether they're drapes, blinds, or shades, it's important to consider every aspect of style and function so you can choose the best option for your windows and your home.
For a 9 foot ceiling, pick 96-inch curtains. Typically, your curtain rod is hung about a foot from the ceiling. 96 inches covers the distance between the floor up to one foot from the ceiling.
While fashion once dictated a “flood level” bottom line for curtains—one that hung just past the window sill, short enough that it would not get wet in a flood—today, style calls for curtains to either hang down to within ½-inch of the floor or even puddle slightly.
Interior designers note the bottom of your curtains should fall to the floor, and you can even let them “puddle” a bit. However, if you don't want your curtains to drag on the floor when you open and close them, let them stop about an inch from the floor, but no more.
When hanging curtains, it is important that the curtains are the right length. Curtains that are too short make the room look short, stubby and awkward. The cut the length of the wall, making both the window and the room look smaller. An example of curtains that are way too short!
In this case if you hang a curtain too high it could look a little off, especially if there is a lot of bright light coming through showing where the actual window is. In that case you should hang them about 8 inches or less above the window frame.
When you buy them in stores or online, there are two standard lengths: 84 inches and 95 or 96 inches. The length of the curtain dictates the height of the rod. If you buy 84-inch-long curtains, the rod must be mounted roughly 84 inches from the floor if the curtains hang from the rod without rings.
Floor length curtains usually don't touch the floor. Because of this, your curtains will hang straighter and look cleaner. We use this type of curtain length on high-traffic areas such as the living room. It is both practical to use and beautiful to look at.
If you have the space between the top of your window frame and the ceiling or crown molding, though, you should hang the rod over the window. I like to go 3 to 5 inches down from the ceiling. Doing this visually extends the length of your wall, making your ceiling look higher.
Tiebacks slightly shorten curtains. This is why they don't work well with short bedroom curtains. Since shorter curtains form a small bundle when compacted, they look less appealing with the use of tiebacks. So, if you want to pull off short bedroom curtains, push them to the side instead of tying them.
As a general rule of thumb, curtain width should be two to two-and-a-half times the width of the window. Curtains are typically sold as pairs, but you may need to double up depending on the size of your window.
Hanging long drapes on a short window is one of the easiest ways to increase the importance of the window and bring it into proportion to the room. Short drapes on a short window call attention to the size of the window and reduce the significance of the room, window and drapery style.
"Extending your draperies from floor to ceiling and from wall to wall surrounding your window makes them appear bigger," explains Francesco Bilotto.
Hanging your curtains at ceiling level maximizes the light that shines through your window and it makes the room feel larger because the walls look taller. This works well in a small space, but may not be ideal in a room that is already too large.
Wall-mounted rods are usually installed four inches above the window. To find your ideal placement, measure down from the ceiling to the top of the trim at the left corner of your window; mark the midway point.
The top of most of our windows are 8ft, and we used 108″ panels almost everywhere. So we hung our curtain rod about 13 inches above the windows. The higher the curtain rod, the taller your window will appear. I recommend to always install a rod closer to the ceiling than the top of the window.
Standard curtains come in three lengths—84 inches, 96 inches, or 108 inches. "Generally, you want to stay away from the 84 inch standard curtains unless you have very low ceilings. They don't look right in most scenarios and end up being an awkward length," says Curtis.
If you are interested in a curtain with grommet tops, there will usually be an inch and half of fabric above the top of the grommet. Therefore, an 84 inch length curtain with grommet tops will have an actual hanging height of around 82.5 inches.
To find the right curtain length, measure from the floor to where you'll hang the rod (usually 4 to 6 inches above the window frame). Otherwise, hanging the curtain rod just below the ceiling is a simple design trick that makes your ceilings appear taller. Curtains come in common lengths like 63, 84, and 96 inches.