Should Curtains Touch The Floor?

The question of whether your curtains should touch the floor or stop just a few inches above is partly a question of style, but there is much more to it than that. The right answer will depend on issues like how often they are used, the materials involved and much more.

It is certainly a commonly asked question in our curtain shop and reasonably so, because this is not a simple matter of taste, like selecting a particular colour material.

While having curtains that touch the floor can be aesthetically pleasing, this does come with implications for maintenance, potential hazards and general concerns for practicality.

This may be broken down into several issues:

• What curtain materials are you using?
• Do you have pets or young children in the home?
• Are the curtains being used frequently?
• Is your floor level?

What Does Off-Floor, On-Floor And Pooling Mean For Curtains?

The first thing to know is some of the terminology involved in describing different curtain lengths and their effects, each with its own term:

• Off the floor, where the bottom of the curtain stops just above the floor
• On the floor, where the bottom just about reaches the floor
• Pooling, where the curtain is significantly longer and it leaves a ‘puddle’ effect as it spreads across the floor at the bottom

The distinction between on the floor and puddling is important because this has implications for maintenance.

Many interior designers believe that curtains should almost always touch the floor, but this will depend, in large part, on the materials.

For example, wool may be a better option for on the floor, while flowing fabrics like silk work well with a gap above and velvet works beautifully for creating a pooled look.

What Are The Pros And Cons Of Pooling?

Material alone is not the only consideration. For pooling, it is important to be aware that these will require more maintenance. This very fact may help create more of a sense of opulence, but there is also the reality of the trade-off involved.

For example, pooling does mean the area touching the floor is more prone to picking up dust or pet hair, so you will need to clean them more often.

Also, it can be harder to open and close and then to get them looking straight and neat, so their use may be more decorative than practical.

On top of this, you cannot ignore the safety consideration that pets and young children may get tangled or trip up in puddled curtains.

By contrast, it may be that on the floor is the ideal, giving you full coverage while avoiding high maintenance or difficulty of use, even if it looks less luxurious.

Should Curtains Avoid Touching The Floor In Busy Rooms?

However, while some designers do think curtains should almost always touch the floor, others take a different view.

Speaking to Home Digest, US-based designer Erika Dale suggested that in a busy part of the home where curtains are opened and shut frequently, a “hover length” in which the fabric “sits a half inch above the floor” is ideal, making opening and closing easy and maintenance simple.

However, she warned, it can be common for curtains to be hung at the wrong height, leaving too much space at the bottom. Ideally, she advised, curtains should be hung from between four and ten inches above the top of the window.

Like other experts, she highlighted the potential maintenance issues and problems with having pets around that could make puddle curtains problematic.

However, she also noted that this choice can also be about minimal and maximal puddling, in which the former brings fewer challenges, but the latter offers a stronger visual effect. Minimal pooling may, of course, have only a slightly different effect to on the floor.

In order to avoid potential issues with curtain length and height, the Pret A Vivre team will be able to answer any questions you might have.

Should Curtains Touch the Floor In Some Rooms But Not In Others?

Ultimately, Ms Dale stated, the biggest consideration should be just how much curtains are used. This consideration adds a further element to the original question: The answer to whether curtains touch the floor or not may be a clear ‘no’ in some rooms, but ‘yes’ in others.

Indeed, it may be possible to tailor this in three ways, with some rooms in a home having floating curtains, some on the floor and the most luxurious room having pooling.

If all of this makes it sound like the answer is a judgement call, then that is because, to a very large extent, it is. Young children and pets may be a red flag for large-scale pooling, but otherwise, it is a matter of being informed of the pros and cons.

Needless to say, we will be able to help you with measurements and materials. Installing bespoke curtains that are made to measure will help you to get it exactly right.

Instead, you can enjoy curtains that provide the ideal juxtaposition with the floor for any particular room.