Measuring Drapery Length

Often it is confusing to figure out where to hang your hardware. The rule of thumb is normally that you should centre the hardware between the window trim and your ceiling or crown moulding. But, there are exceptions to this rule. If you have a bulkhead, it is often more appealing to ceiling mount the hardware. Also, some people like to hang their treatment right below the crown as a means of heightening the ceilings and making the room look bigger.

1. Clearing The Floor:
Clearing the floor is customizing your drapery treatment so that it finishes 1/4" off of the floor. This type of finish works best with grommet panels or a ripplefold heading. Both of these treatments are very straight and sleek in design and tend to look better when they hang completely straight and unobstructed by the floor.

2. Touching The Floor:
Touching the floor means that your drapery treatment will finish right at the floor, just barely touching the surface. This is a popular choice as it sits very neatly and really shows off the fact that this was a custom treatment suited perfectly to your window.

3. Breaking On The Floor:
In the same way that a men's dress pant breaks on his shoe, that is exactly what this finished length looks like. The drapery will sit ½" on the floor, causing it to "break" when it hits the ground. This is a beautiful length for a silk panel that has a lot of structure. It will sit perfectly in place and hold its pleats very well.

4. Puddle On The Floor:
The standard size of a puddling drape is 6-8" on the floor, but this can be customized to whatever amount of puddle you prefer. This is a very specific look that lends itself to a more casual space. Also, you will want to ensure that you choose a fabric that can withstand some wear as it will be on the floor.

Exceptions: Bays, Bows and Arches
The more complicated treatments are those that go in a bay, bow or arch window. A lot of people shy away from draperies in these unique windows, but a custom treatment can really enhance the architecture and soften the space.

There are a plethora of hardware options that work in a bay or bow window. Whether you want decorative or functional hardware, there is a product that will work and we can find it for you.

Any functional hardware such as an I-beam or KS track is bendable and can easily be used in unique window shapes. Even with the curved piece of hardware, the drapery will run smoothly across the entire window.

Arched windows are often ignored in homes because they seem too complicated. We do a number of treatments that can work well in an arched window. Romans, valances and panels can all look beautiful, but it requires a special skill set to create them to the exact measurements.