How High Should Curtain Poles Be Above Windows?
The right height for curtain poles to be hung above your windows should normally be at least 10-15cm, but it is not always as simple as that.
There are a few extra considerations to take into account in your home to ensure that all the aesthetic and practical considerations are met.
When choosing curtains for your home, you will want to get it right to ensure the cosy, aesthetic and warm atmosphere they are meant to convey is achieved.
The curtains themselves will be a key part of this, because if you invest in a beautiful product made from a luxurious fabric, this will have the potential to transform your living room.
You can also add to it by making sure the other fixtures and fittings around them are attractive and stylish. Wooden curtain poles can achieve, adding a more natural and organic look than metal poles.
However, these great plans can go awry if the curtains are not hung correctly. One of the biggest mistakes is to hang the curtain poles in the wrong place.
What Should You Avoid When Putting A Curtain Pole In Place?
As the Living House blog notes, the worst mistake you can make is to place your curtain poles just above the window. This makes the curtains look “squashed” and the windows smaller.
By contrast, placing them further above the windows will help to make them look taller. The aesthetic advantages of getting it right are huge.
The key question is, therefore, how high. Usually, the standard answer you will receive is 10-15cm. Others may say 15-20cm.
However, these are very basic answers, based on certain assumptions about the height of your windows and how large the gap is between the top of the windows and the ceiling.
How Much Do Ceiling Heights Vary?
To understand the variables here, it is worth noting the following facts:
- The average ceiling height in the UK is 2.4 metres
- The Victorians used to build ceilings significantly higher, between 2.6 and three metres
- For most of the UK, the statutory minimum for floor-to-ceiling height on new build homes is 2.3 metres over at least 75 per cent of the floor area
- In London, the statutory minimum new build height is 2.5 metres
Therefore, the height of your ceiling may vary substantially, and thus, the answers given about how high your curtain poles should be set may be too rough a guess.
Quite simply, your home may not be average when it comes to ceiling height, especially if it is Victorian. And if it is a new London home, the ceiling will probably be higher than that of another home elsewhere. That makes an aesthetic difference.
According to the Living House Blog, the ideal height to set the curtain pole at is between halfway and three-quarters of the distance between the top of the window and the ceiling.
A key point about this measurement, while not a strict figure or range expressed in centimetres, is that it is designed to maintain the right proportions, avoiding your curtains looking squashed while not constricting the ceiling.
In addition, if you do have a very high Victorian ceiling, it may be impractical to install them too high, as you will never be able to reach them without a step ladder.
How Do Window Heights Affect The Placement Of Curtain Poles?
Quite apart from this, there is also the fact that windows can vary in height themselves, which is itself a factor in the amount of wall space between the top of the windows and the ceiling.
This will impact the ideal length of the curtains. Our made-to-measure products will take into account not just the height of the windows, but the little extra above that will be appropriate for the elevation of the curtain poles.
This will enable your curtains to come right down below the bottom of the window or, if you prefer, to floor level, without ending up crumpled at the bottom because they are too long.
As such, the height of the curtains will equally be linked to the height above the floor where your curtain pole will be set in place.
What Can You Do With The Curtain Pole If The Window Almost Reaches The Ceiling?
In a few cases, people will have windows that reach up to or very close to the ceiling, which changes the situation markedly.
In these cases, the question will have a very different answer, as the pole will have to be fixed to the ceiling and wooden curtain poles won’t work, as their brackets are not designed to be fixed to ceilings. Metal poles will be needed instead.
However, these are exceptional cases. In most homes, there will be a sweet spot that allows a bit of space above the curtains, but, crucially, does not set the poles just above the windows. Another option would be to install a ceiling fixed track.
This way, you will enjoy a wonderful aesthetic effect.