Designer Tips: Hanging Drapes
So, I did a reel a couple of months ago over on Instagram that caught fire and has over 680K views (which I know isn’t huge by any means… but feels viral to little ole me). Check it out here:
I wanted to share a break down of my tips about hanging drapes that came with that reel for those that prefer reading to watching videos and/or aren’t on Instagram.
In this reel, I’m talking about the window trim… the painted or stained wood pieces that create a frame around your window. For some reason, someone decided it would be a great idea to mount drapes on this trim piece and everyone else followed suite (see photo below). Please, for the love, STOP doing this. Not only does it damage the trim (which is difficult to repair) but it isn’t the most aesthetically pleasing way to hang drapes anyways. This is because hanging them on the trim makes your windows appear squat and blocks natural light since the drapes can’t be pulled all the way open.
This is an example of what NOT to do - if you look closely you can even see how the nails from the bracket caused the top trim piece to split.
Instead, I recommend hanging drapes 6 inches above the trim and 3-4 inches wider than the trim. This makes your ceilings appear taller and windows bigger. You can also pull the drapes all the way open so none of the window is blocked, which allows in more natural light (always a good thing).
Here is a sketch of what it SHOULD look like:
Sketch by Dina Holland
Here is a before and after of the same room (taken from opposite angles)…. obviously there have been other major changes, but you can see how much bigger the windows feel and how it draws your eye up with the drapes hung high and wide.
Obviously there will always be situations where this “rule” doesn’t work (old houses in particular, or homes with heavy molding/trim) but for most homes, just remember the rule of thumb to hang them “high and wide.”
