How to...
MEASURE UP
FOR CURTAINS
Window treatments can be used to stunning effect in your interior scheme. Curtains in particular present the perfect opportunity to add style and creative flair. Colours and pattern can be echoed in surrounding soft furnishings to create harmony within your room. One of the easiest routes to style is to use ready-made curtains, and there’s a vast range of modern and traditional styles and shapes to choose from.
Once you’ve chosen your design, it’s important to measure your window and the surrounding space accurately. So before you buy your ready-made curtains, follow our guide on how to measure up for curtains, which features expert advice from Caroline Henchcliffe from Montgomery Curtains.
1
Choose your fabric and design
There is an enormous selection of fabrics and designs to choose from in a huge range of colours. Styles vary from lightweight voiles, laces and sheers for a soft feel and to defuse the light; linen and cotton styles for a natural look, or heavier weight fabrics such as chenilles or velvets, which help to retain heat in the room.
2
Choose your heading type
Pencil pleat: This is the most popular design for ready-made curtains. As well as suiting both track and pole it is easily adjustable for various sized windows. If using a pole, start your length measurement from the small metal ring at the bottom of each curtain ring, to ensure the curtains don’t obscure the pole.
Eyelet curtains are suitable for curtain poles only – the eyelets are often available in different colours, chrome, gold, pewter etc to match the pole.
3
Measure for curtain width
Use a metal tape measure, which will give you the most accurate reading. Start by adding 2.5cm onto your measurement. This is to cater for the overlap, which means the curtains will close comfortably.
If using a track, measure the entire width. The total width of both curtains should then be one and a half to two times as wide as the track.
If using a pole, measure the width excluding the finials (the decorative pieces at each end). The total width of both curtains should be one and a half as wide as the pole.
If fitting a new track or pole, this should extend 15cm to 30cm either side of the window (to allow for the curtains to be stacked back off the window) and 12cm-15cm above the window recess.
4
Measure for curtain length
Curtains are best hung either to the floor, to the sill, or below the sill; we recommend:
Floor-length curtains should hang approximately 2.5cm above the floor Sill-length curtains should hang 1cm above the sill.
Below the sill curtains should hang 15-20cm below, or 3cm above the radiator.
Ready made curtains generally come in three standard drops, 137cm (54"), 183cm (72") and 228cm (90").
