How to 'do' curtains

Curtains are easy to get wrong, so here's how to get them right every time, plus the best budget hack and the 7 curtain header styles to know.

Who knew curtains could be art! These were designed by the Artist @josiblue for the Fire Island home of designer Jove Meyer. Photograph by Amber Gress

If windows are the eyes of the home, then curtains are like the hair, or if that’s too weird, then maybe a great pair of glasses? Either way, great framing makes the window. They are also the single best thing to ensure, at the end of any day, a comforting sense of hunkering down. Once drapes are drawn, curtains make cosy.

I think it’s because they tap into a childhood sense of feeling safe.

But like many things in life, three things of note… 1. they’ve gotten rather too complicated when they really shouldn't be. 2. you get what you pay for (so custom really does make a difference but there are some great budget hacks possible). 3. They really are the best finishing touch for any home.

When I move, I’ll take my curtains with me, so the expense is balanced out over a lifetime of usage. Especially as curtains are deliberately made with generous hems, so there’s always room to drop them down a little or pin them up to fit most windows.

So let’s try and demystify it all, plus some of my ‘rules’ for timeless curtains.

1. Always go for full-length, that is from the top of any window right down to the floor. Personally I prefer them to then just kiss the floor so they hang nice and straight, but others like a puddle of fabric. I think puddling works for very gauzy drapes that may billow romantically, for example across patio doors; but for anything heavier, frankly I think it’s a waste of fabric (adding unnecessary cost), dust-trapping, and I dislike the inevitable kinks as they crumple. Caveat: nets can sit inside a window frame ie hung only to the actual drop of the glazing.

2. Plain or patterned? Oh, tricky. Again, personally, I will always prefer plain, preferably a thick velvet, or depending on the room, a quality linen. But if you have very dramatic windows, ie large , or a spacious bay, then I’ve seen curtains with a degree of striping on the edges which looks brilliant. Big blousey patterns though I feel detract from the view and are too shouty. The goal should be framing, not overwhelming. Then again, I guess if the ‘view’ isn’t up to much, then distraction can be a good ploy. Choose carefully though as you’ll seldom get bored of a plain drape or a bit of vertical ticking, but shouty flowers could wear thin after a while unless this is absolutely wholesale ‘your look’.

3. Always go wider than the guides say when it comes to rails or tracks. You want to be able to pull the curtains fully open and not have them cover any of the glazing. This is to maximise incoming daylight. And there’s no point me giving even approximate suggested drops (ie lengths of fabric required) as it entirely depends on the type of curtain top you choose (see below) and the specific width of your windows. If purchasing ready-made curtains, it will specify what width they cover, but double check how wide each drop actually hangs, compare to your window, and buy tracks that enable you to pull each drop entirely away from the glazing. Most rails really are bought too short so the pulled-back curtains block half the light!

4. Always measure the drop once your track, rail or pole is installed for optimum accuracy. As the saying goes, measure twice, cut once.

5. To cover a pole or hang from rings? If draught-proofing is a concern (usually one of the primary rationales behind a curtain) then a curtain that covers the whole of a rail is best. It’ll also help to block out light in bedrooms if street lamps or early morning sun are an issue. While I don’t love pelmets, this is the reason they were invented. Cover the rail, stop the draughts. So I may in fact consider installing these the next time around. Alternatively, you can introduce a ‘curtain skirt’, which is an extra bit of fabric hung directly off the rail to disguise it. But I think it would just be easier to deep pleat and go.

6. A bit more on pelmets. According to The Sunday Times, pelmets are back and cool. See reasons above, but also, they can be used to make a window seem taller if placed strategically higher than the window. As per point 3 though, I think it’s crucial that wherever you put it it’s not blocking the glazing. You do not want to do anything to impede daylight getting in — we need as much light as possible for good mental health! Generally, a pelmet is covered with the same fabric as the actual curtain, but it could absolutely work to pick up another fabric as used elsewhere in the room instead. And they can be flat (basically fabric covered pieces of board) or free-hanging flappy and fringy.

7. Tracks or poles? See point 5. I prefer a track (ie a rail with loops hanging from it that you hook your curtains into), and have always bought the Silent Gliss 1080 aluminium non-corded tracks in white. They come in many lengths and can easily be sawn to exactly the length required at home with a hacksaw. They are strong, discreet and incredibly easy to install. Plus, assuming your curtains have the proper curtain tape at the top, there’s wiggle room to then adjust the drop, hanging them higher or lower as required just by moving where the hooks sit on the tape (or if you shrink your curtains as I did once by throwing a pair in the washing machine. Big mistake, even on a cold wash! I had to fully let down the hems too, they shrank so much).

8. Vacuum curtains to keep them clean. Once a month will do. Just to get rid of the dust and pet hair that will inevitably cling to the bottoms. On velvet, I find a mild solution of cold water with a dash of dish soap and an old toothbrush works just fine for any spot stains. Especially as my dog loves to sleep pushed up against the curtains, so I use this to get rid of his doggy grease too. Whatever you do, do NOT put them in the washing machine unless they specifically say they’re machine-washable. Most custom curtains are not.

9. Can you hang curtains in a bathroom? Absolutely. As long as you can ventilate well so curtains don’t stay damp after you’ve had a steamy bath! In fact, the more clinical the space, the more I think it’s vital to lend them a little softness. After all, this is where we voluntarily make ourselves vulnerable, so some non-sterile space-making really helps here.

10. Don’t forget your linings! I recommend, thermal wadding and black out fabric (for bedrooms) as well as the standard cotton. This will make them into instant insulators, crucial to keep bills down; and for bedrooms, the darker your room, the deeper you’ll sleep. You could install black out blinds instead, but if you’re having curtains made, save money on the blinds and get it all in one on the drapes instead. The extra weight also means they will hang beautifully. And if you already have your curtains and need to add this in afterwards, then you can buy Cotton Domette, a thick fleece like (but choose 100% cotton) lining fabric to add some welly and warmth.

Easy curtain hack, plus the 7 curtain styles to know…

Curtain tape (ie the ready-made tape into which you clip your hooks, and which you use for a pencil pleated finish, ie tight gathers, my fave look) can be bought very inexpensively by the metre. I’ve then bought velvet curtains from Ikea, snipped off the