How To: Get Your Curtain Measurements Right

Getting the right fit is crucial for beautiful curtains. Any mistakes will be visible and detract from the design, and we know how difficult it would be to sit in your living room with uneven curtains! The length of curtain pole or track that you use will impact the curtain width measurement however the length of your curtains is completely up to you! A little tip when it comes to measuring your windows, use a metal tape measure. It will give you better accuracy and minimise the risk of crooked curtains.

You will need a curtain pole or track to hang your curtains if you don’t have one yet then you should choose and fit one before attempting to buy your curtains. Measure the width of your window and add an extra 30/40 cm on, this will ensure that your curtains frame your windows properly when they are open. The pole should sit about 15gm above your window, but this is a judgement call, a higher pole can make a ceiling appear higher. There should be a 15-20cm overhang either side of the window. When measuring a curtain track, measure the full end-to-end length if you measure a curtain pole then make sure you only measure the pole and not the decorative end pieces.

You want your curtains to look full and voluminous when they are closed, not flat and dreary. This is controlled not only by the width of fabric but the heading that you choose too. There are many headings to choose from now, to get the most from your curtains when they are open and closed the measurement needs to be right. The track/pole measurement should be doubled for pencil pleat, eyelet and triple pinch pleat headings and multiplied by 1.5 for tabletop and double pinch pleat headings. This will ensure that your curtains look full, no matter what their position is.

The next big curtain decision is to select the desired length of your curtains. The length of your curtains is completely down to personal preference; there are no wrong decisions. When determining the ideal length of your curtains, make sure that you measure from the top of your track/pole. If you want your curtains to fall at the same height as your windowsill, then the measurement should end 1.25cm above the windowsill, if you’d rather them end below the sill then measure 15cm below the windowsill. Floor length curtains usually end 1.25cm above the floor, and if you’re going for a more luxurious pooling effect, then the curtains can be as long as you want. Many homes have radiators under the window, and in the colder months, you don’t want all the heat escaping behind the curtains! In this case, your curtains should end about 3cm above the radiator so the heat can circulate into the room.