Decide whether you want your curtain rod to hang on the window frame or extend past it.
Curtain rod window frame height.
Interior designers note the bottom of your curtains should fall to the floor and you can even let them puddle a bit.
Assuming you re outfitting a living room or bedroom with average ceiling height 8 feet high an interior designer s rule of thumb would be to mount the curtain rod about a half foot above the top.
In most spaces a rod with decorative finials hung on the wall outside of the window frame will look best and provide the most coverage.
Measure the width of your window frame.
Don t scrimp on length.
In traditional style the curtain rod is about 6 inches above the top of the window and it extends beyond the window 3 inches on each side.
Extending your curtain rod 3 6 inches 7 6 15 2 cm beyond the frame of your window makes your window seem larger and allows additional light to stream in.
The curtain will hang 3 inches below the bottom of the window sill.
The standard distance from the window casing to the end of the curtain rod excluding finials on each side of the window should be four to 10 inches.
This way when your curtains are open they will rest against the wall rather than blocking the light from the window.
Take note of this measurement.
Using a pencil make a small mark at the appropriate width on the wall.
A rule of thumb from architectural digest is that curtains should be hung between 4 to 6 inches above the window frame so install your curtain rod accordingly.
Allow about 3 inches on each side of the window.
When you hang the curtain rod high it will make the window appear taller.
A good rule of thumb is to have the curtain rod extend three to four inches from each side of the window frame.
As a general rule drapes will be open during the day so make sure the curtain rod extends at least four inches on each side of the window s inside frame.
Hanging curtain rods high above the window frame adds height to the wall and works best with long panels or drapes.