What Height to Hang a Curtain Rod

The rule: hang high and wide

A rod placed right at the top of the frame crushes the window and shortens the wall. The opposite rule almost always applies: hang high and wide. For height, the rod sits 10 to 15 cm above the frame, which stretches the window upwards. For width, it overhangs by 15 to 20 cm on each side, so the open curtain clears the glass instead of hiding it.

These measurements give a visually larger window, more light, and a curtain that hangs straight without pulling. It is the most universal setting, whatever the room.

The hanging measurements, one by one

The 15 to 20 cm overhang matches the space the curtain takes when folded to the side: without it, the open curtain eats into part of the glass.

High placement or ceiling placement?

Two options depending on the effect you want. The standard placement, 10 to 15 cm above the frame, suits most windows and already gives a nice enlargement. The near-ceiling placement, rod raised as high as possible, stretches the whole wall and gives a sense of ceiling height. Keep it for rooms where you want to maximise the vertical effect, with a curtain that starts at the ceiling and falls to the floor.

Match the curtain length to the rod height

The higher the rod, the longer the curtain must be to touch the floor. This is where measuring matters: a curtain that is too short after a high placement leaves an unsightly gap between the bottom of the curtain and the floor. Measure the height from the top of the rod to the floor before choosing the length. To take your measurements, see the measuring guide. To fix the rod itself, including without drilling, see how to hang curtains without drilling.

A curtain at the right length from the start

Once the rod height is decided, the curtain must follow to the exact centimetre. Kurtens makes curtains custom in a range of colors and fabrics, delivered ready to hang: you give the height from the top of the rod to the floor, the curtain arrives at the right length. To also choose the heading type, see the heading guide, then the Kurtens custom curtains.

How high and how wide should a curtain rod be hung above a window?

Hang the rod 10 to 15 cm above the top of the frame and let it extend 15 to 20 cm beyond each side. Its length is therefore the frame width plus both overhangs. The window looks larger, and the open curtain clears the glass if the overhang can hold the folded fabric.

Measure from the top of the frame, not from the top of the glass. If there is a roller shutter box, check that the rod lets the curtain hang without catching on the box and keeps its access hatch reachable. If the space above the frame does not allow this guideline, check the fixing options for your wall or ceiling and the rod's instructions.

A heavy curtain needs a sturdy rod. The Kurtens blackout thermal and acoustic curtain weighs 620 g/m²: on a large window, a telescopic rod is not suitable, so choose a wall-mounted rod. Kurtens does not sell rods: check the load stated by the rod's manufacturer.

How much wider than the window should curtains be?

The curtain must cover the whole rod, which extends 15 to 20 cm beyond the frame on each side: that is the width to cover. The fabric width is greater, because the curtain keeps its folds when closed. It depends on the heading you choose: the measuring guide tells you which measurement to give.

With two curtains, each covers half of the rod and they meet in the middle when closed. For a blackout curtain, the margin on each side limits light gaps between the fabric and the wall; check them after hanging.

For the method, see the measuring guide and the heading guide.

How much space does a curtain take up when open?

When open, a curtain folds into a stack at the side of the window. The 15 to 20 cm overhang on each side is there to hold this stack clear of the glass. The stack depends on the curtain width, the fabric thickness and the heading: check that the overhang is enough, otherwise extend it.

For a reference point, open your current curtain and measure the space it takes up; this reference holds if the new curtain has a comparable width, fabric and heading. If a corner, a piece of furniture or a door leaves no wall on one side of the window, a single curtain can open towards the free side, provided that side holds the whole folded curtain and no rod bracket blocks its travel.

How long should a curtain be relative to the rod or the ceiling?

The length to give depends on the measuring point for your heading, not on the ceiling. Find that point in the measuring guide, then measure down to the floor for a curtain that just touches it. Even with a rod fixed to the ceiling, measure from that point: ceiling height alone is not enough.

Hang or mark the rod before measuring. Measure at several points across the width: an old floor is not always level. The shortest measurement keeps the curtain from dragging, at the cost of a slight gap where the floor dips. The full method is in the measuring guide.

The Kurtens configurator also accepts drops under 150 cm: the curtain is made to your exact measurement, at the price of the smallest listed size that covers it.

Frequently asked questions

The right rod height enlarges the window; the curtain must follow to the centimetre. Have your curtain made at the right length as a Kurtens custom curtain, delivered ready to hang.