How to Hang Curtains: A Hassle-Free 5-Step Guide
Illustration by: Ellie Schiltz and Getty Images
It might sound like a simple enough task, but there’s a learning curve when it comes to how to hang curtains. Though it’s easy to think you’ve mastered it, something that takes up so much wall real estate warrants a closer look. “Besides the more obvious visual indicators, like a crooked rod or curtains that are shorter than the window, it’s not always apparent you are hanging them wrong,” says Bobby Berk, interior designer and Emmy Award–winning TV host. “It’s easier to know what’s wrong when you can compare it to the right way; then you will be able to see they are not full enough, or too long, or the rod is too low.” Much like sourcing the right-size area rug for a room or hanging framed artwork at the appropriate height, you can get by with what you perceive to be correct until you’re shown how an expert would do it.
And while you could be strictly utilitarian about curtains (which is to say, as long as they block out an early sunrise you’re satisfied), balancing utility with aesthetics can only benefit you. “Curtains can enhance a space by making windows appear larger and ceilings higher,” says interior designer Katie Hodges. “They filter light and add lushness like nothing else can.”
