I had planned on sharing another part of my bedroom makeover, but I got tied up in other directions, and didn’t have a chance to complete my next reveal. But stayed tuned, I hope to wrap it up very soon (see how I said hope – it doesn’t mean it’ll actually happen, but it’s wishful thinking)!
Instead, I have a great post for you that will be informative and eye opening.
Earlier in the week when I shared my newly made lined window panels, I started to ponder how others think window treatments should be hung. I sometimes take for granted that homeowners know the tricks that are innate in my brain. I saw this picture via pinterest, but created my own illustration to visually show the best way to hang window treatments to allow as much natural light to shine through and visually enlarge the space.
Do you see a difference between these two window examples?
(I hope you do)
Which would you choose to be the best way to hang a window drapery panel? And why is one better than the other?
Well let me share my answer and why!
My illustration starts with two of the same sized windows.
Then we’ll add some window treatments.
On the left side are window drapery panels that mostly cover the window and are hung on a rod that is placed directly above the window trim.
On the right side are window drapery panels that extend out to mostly cover the wall, leaving only about 1-2″ covering the window. They are placed on a rod that is half way between the window trim and the ceiling. 
Well if you haven’t realized yet, the right side is the right way to hang window drapery panels.
And this is why~
There is a HUGE amount of additional light that shines through when window drapery panels extend out and are mostly placed on the wall surface. Here’s an illustration showing the amount of light entering the space (seen in blue) for each window example.
This illustration shows how much of the window drapery fabric is covering the window (seen in red). Only a sliver of fabric covers the window on the right side, but a huge amount of fabric is covering the left side.
And here is an overall illustration of how the draperies look side-by-side.
Positioning window treatments more on the wall than over the window, not only allows for more natural light, but it also heightens the room and visually widens the window.
Take a look at some real-life examples.
Let’s first start with the WRONG way of hanging window panels.
The window hardware is smartly placed to bring the eye up, but the window panels cover the window WAY TOO MUCH – unless you don’t want to see your neighbors this is NOT the way to hang drapes. (via Southern Living)
In this example the drapery hardware is placed on the window frame, so the panels appear to be hovering over the door allowing only a small amount of light to shine through. (via ChicColes)
Now let’s check out the RIGHT way to hang drapery panels.
* Allow in a HUGE amount of natural light
* The higher placed hardware heightens the room and allows the eye to be drawn up
* The window feels wider
The window hardware is placed close to the ceiling allowing for the draperies to heighten the room. This is such a well-designed space with the same fabric used on all of the windows, they are different drapery styles (roman shades and long panels). (via Decor Pad)
Another well-designed space! Even though the ceilings are high this room feels even higher with the long, luxurious window drapery panels positioned to allow as much light to shine through. (via Decor Pad)
How are the window treatments hung in your home?
I link my projects to some of these parties: Skip to My Lou, Dittle Dattle, Between Naps on the Porch, Today’s Creative Blog, Home Stories A to Z, All Things Heart & Home, Savvy Southern Style, House of Hepworths, Finding Fabulous, Creation Corner, The Shabby Nest, Tatertots and Jello, Funky Junk, Under the Table & Dreaming
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This is an excellent post! I’m sharing it on Facebook. :)
Susan recently posted..upcycled luggage and a contest!
Thank you Susan – so sweet! Jenna
So glad to see this post, Jenna. It always seems to be an issue for people. Your examples are so practical and helpful to remind us of how to make the most of the light, the windows, & trick the eye into thinking the ceiling is taller. Great post, thanks!
Gracious Spaces recently posted..Shabby-Glam Bedroom
Thanks so much Jennifer. As a Designer, you know theses tips, but to any everyday homeowner, they might not! Thanks for the kind comment :)
thanks for the tutorial. I tried to get my window guy to measure wider than the window to hang the drapes but to no avail. A man for you! Sometimes I persue things that aren’t right and other times I’m just too lazy and let it slide.
Michele in IL. recently posted..Nightstand before n after
lol, very true Michele! Well if you ever redo the windows, you can show him this tutorial, and hopefully he’ll “get it”!
What a great post. I had no idea there was a right and wrong way. We haven’t added draperies to our home yet and I’ll keep this in mind when we do.
Thanks so much!
Nicole Maki recently posted..Full of Smiles: Tube Fun
Thank you for the kind comment and I am so glad to have shared some design tips with you! Jenna
Thanks for the tutorial. I will be rehanging my drapes immediately. In my living room I have a shorter window above a widow, what is the correct way to hang my drapes? I only put drapes on the bottom window.
Thank you for explaining this so clearly. I had heard similar advice before but it’s helpful to see it all drawn out so specifically. My problem is that most curtains sold at the big box stores (which is my price range) are only 84″ long and would not touch the floor if I hang them up high. What should I do to handle this? They’re supposed to pool a little on the floor, right? Thanks!
A drawing tells a thousand words, right?! Yes, you are right that most stores offer 84″ long drapes only, but some places like Bed Bath and Beyond or Overstock.com offer longer sizes. At BBB you have to order them, but they’re the same price or slightly more for the longer size, but still very affordable. If you like to sew, another idea is to add a band of a solid color at the top or bottom to make them the length you need. This look is very “in trend” right now. ~Jenna
That was wonderful. Thanks for sharing that. I had no idea but it is so obvious now:)
Tanya recently posted..Pinterest Inspired Week #3
So glad you found some inspiration with this post, Tanya!! xo Jenna
thank you! i’ve got some bedroom curtains to hang-i need this!
dawn recently posted..Last Day of Summer…..
Thanks Dawn, glad you found some inspiration with this post! Jenna
A picture is worth a thousand words! That illustration says it all! Thanks for sharing.
Sharon @ mrshinesclass
Absolutely – so glad this helped you! xo Jenna
Happy Thanksgiving ! You showed the right and wrong way to hang curtains, I do not believe that there is a right or wrong way. I think that it is up to the person who is hanging them, they have to live with it.I did not like either way, so does that make me wrong?? I like my curtains with a valance, and pulled back. That is just my way to do it because I think it is a lot more becoming to my room. Im not being rude, I just think that you hang your curtains the way YOU like them, not some decorator says what is right. I have Never went and bought curtains. I look in books about curtains, or one showing rooms and curtains, I pick the ones I like, then I make them. I have plenty of light and I don’t have the gap between the top pf the window caseing to the rod. It just makes it look like the curtains are just there, Curtains are a huge part of the room, and they should do the job that they are there to do, and that is to make the windows become part of the room and inhanse the look of the window. Thank You, this is just what my thoughts are. You and yours have a wonderful Thanks Giving . Gerry
Thank you for this great public service! Poorly hung drapes are one of my pet peeves!
condo Blues recently posted..Make a Stenciled Bottlecap Bracelet
Thanks Lisa!!! Me too!
Thanks for a great tutorial! I had heard this rule before but never knew the reasoning behind it! However, I’m dying to know what to do about other types of windows…I have a bay window in my bedroom that’s got me stumped!
You are very welcome Stephanie! Apply these same ideas to other windows even if you don’t use long drapes. Hang your valance as high as possible only to cover a small part of the window glass. Jenna
Great post…Luckily I’ve already hung my curtains high enough, now I’ll have to go check how much window/light they’re blocking. I’m wondering if you have an opinion about roman shades. In one of the examples above there are roman shades hung at the ceiling and covering the whole window as opposed to hung inside the window frame which I’ve seen more often. Is there a “right” or “wrong” way to hang roman shades? Or maybe is there a reason why you’d want to choose one method over the other? Maybe one is more formal…or?
Hi Sarah! Thanks for the comment. I would use the same rule of thumb to hang roman shades. Hang them as high as you can, so only a small portion cover the top of the window when fully up. Then you can adjust how much they cover the window from that point. Hanging them high, heightens the window more. -Jenna