interior design rules for curtains
hey everyone, lesley myrick here. i'm an interior stylist and i transform boringbeige spaces into pretty kickass colorful homes with an offbeat edge that are livable,delightful, and a little unexpected. so, i have the million dollar decorating questiontoday - how long should curtains be? as with most things, there really is no oneright answer. a lot of it comes down to individual preference. however, there are situations where a certainlength is more appropriate or safer than others. if you have a radiator or heat vent of somesort, you don't want long flowing curtains that are going to cover that and potentiallycause a fire!
so safety concerns aside, there are reallyfour different lengths a curtain can be. the first is window sill length. those are not my favorite - i don't seemany applications where short, short curtains really make a lot of sense. they can function well in a kitchen or in a kidsroom when you don't want them dangling too long but aesthetically they're never reallymy preference. the next option is to have curtains floatingjust a little bit above the floor, usually 1/2" to 1". again, not my favorite. it can work in a pinch, especially if you'rebuying ready-made drapes that are a little
bit too short, but i think floating curtainslook a little bit like floating pants. you kinda look like you're wearing clamdiggersand it's just not a great look. my ideal length for curtains is with abouta 1/2" break on the floor so that they just touch the floor and bow out a little bit butthey're not pooling and you don't have a crazy amount of fabric left. i think that looks so chic and custom, andthat is a tricky length to get right. you often do have to find either extra-longdraperies and hem them, or work with a professional to get that perfectly tailored look. now, alternatively, if you love that longluxurious look, then go crazy!
let curtains pool and pile up on the floor. it's a really rich, opulent style - and it'salso kinda casual, almost like you just don't care about hemming your curtains. you can let them hang and have a lot of fun. a lot of this depends on the kind of maintenanceyou want. floating curtains above the floor are goingto make it a little easier to vacuum and clean; curtains that are going to hit the floor ordrape are going to get in the way a bit more when you're cleaning up. so there you go!
my two cents on curtains. i am very picky about curtains - i work withprofessionals all the time who know the way i like it and make sure they get it right,but it's something that with a little ingenuity (possibly with a sewing machine) you can getright on your own and get a great designer look. if you liked this video, share it with a friend. people have questions about curtains and nowyou have some information that can help them. and if you want more great decorating tipshead on over to my website at lesleymyrick.com where you can download my free e-book, howto bring personality to a boring space.