Curtain Length (also called Drop)

What is the right length for the curtains? Should the curtains touch the floor? This is something we get a lot of questions about from our customers.

Here are some of our tips how to decide what will be the right length for your new made to measure curtains. We hope this hopefully will answer the below questions also. There is no standard curtain length nowadays for curtains as there are so many different ways to dress your windows. So you might say there is no one ideal length for curtains and this would be very much your personal preference, depending what kind of look you’re after.

During the past few years the most fashionable length for curtains has been and still is relaxed looking curtains with puddling. This means there is some extra length in the curtains so that the curtains puddle on the floor. This does look fabulous in a 21st century home. Of course it might not be suitable for all windows or homes with pets and kids, if you prefer to make cleaning as easy as possible.

We love curtains with some puddling – but what is the right length for the puddle?

  • Yes Ada & Ina loves relaxed curtains with some puddling on the floor – puddle can be only a couple of centimetres on the floor or even 20 cm. Quite often is added about 5 cm to the length if more relaxed looked is desired.
  • Shorter puddle is lower maintenance but does not give that big impact. Longer puddle is a bit higher maintenance but looks gorgeous especially with those linen fabrics we love so much.
  • The upside for the puddled curtains is that if your floors are uneven, which is the case for many period properties – the curtains won’t highlight it – and downside is of course that curtains will gather more dust. But some hoovering will sort it out.
  • If you do not like that long a puddle in the long term you have always an option to shorten the curtains.

What is the right length for floor length curtains?

  • This most classical option is a good choice for the most rooms.
  • Typically, the right length is 1 cm off the floor so the curtains move back and forth nicely, don’t gather as much dust and hang beautifully as well.
  • If you have some extra space above the window, fix the pole as high as you can, while it still looks good. This will make your windows look grander. And if possible, go for a wider pole than window so the curtains won’t cover the windows when closed. 25% wider pole for example, or even more for heavier fabrics or curtains with thicker Bonded lining.

When is sill length for curtains a good choice?

  • When you have some furniture under the window e.g. sofa or window seat, or a radiator
  • Suitable especially for country style houses
  • Take the measurement from several different points just in case the windowsill is uneven, which is very common in older houses. If the windowsill is un-even it might be better to choose the drop to be just a few cm over the sill length so that the result will be nice and neat.

When is the over sill length curtains good choice?

  • When you want to maximize the light in the room. The pole looks good even though it would be much wider than the window so the curtains can be drawn aside properly. This is important especially if you have small windows.
  • Good length is just above the radiator or 10 cm below the sill, although you should make sure the radiator does not get too hot and that the curtains are not touching the radiator.
  • Of course, the same rule applies with all the curtains – if the pole is fitted for example 30 cm above the window, the longer curtains will also make the window look larger.

Have a look at our linen fabric collection and order some samples here!

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