How long should drapes or curtains be?

The majority of windows in homes are actually custom sizes. That is why ready-made drapes rarely fit your windows. Investing in custom drape is very important because each drape can be made into the width and height of your windows. To determine how long your drapes should be, consider the look you want to create in the room.

In order to provide sufficient privacy and to reduce incoming light, drapes should hang 6”-8” past the bottom of the window casing. To create a casual feel to a room, drapes should hang down to 1” above the floor or carpeting. Long drapes can totally transform a room. Too-short of a drape can seem off, like high-water pants. Make sure the drapery rod is mounted at least 4” – 6” on top of the window Measure the height of the drapes from the top center of the rod to where you want it to hang then round off.

Floor to ceiling drapes are drapes that hang from the ceiling and barely touch the floor or pool to the floor. This adds the illusion of height especially on a low ceiling room. If you prefer your drapes to puddle, add 6” of additional fabric to your length. Puddle drapes can look romantic and elegant but is high maintenance. Generally we only recommend puddling for decorative drapes. If your drapes are going to be opened and closed regularly, puddling is not recommended as the bottoms of the drapes will get dirty very quickly or even ruined.You may not also want your drapes to puddle if you have pets like cats or dogs who will most likely lie or roll on top the pooled fabric.

Visit factorydirectdrapes.com and click on How to Measure for step by step directions on measuring for width and height of your drapes. You can also visit our Video Resource Center for a video on “How to Measure for Drapery” Our customer service representatives are also available M-F 8am – 5pm PST to answer any questions.