This is one of those posts that I get nervous about writing. Drapery length~it's such a touchy subject. Just like all home design, it's a matter of opinion. But my big fat hairy opinion right now is that your drapes should just touch the floor. If they stop three inches from the ground all floating in the air, then it looks like your windows are wearing capris. And capris are out as far as drapes are concerned.
So go around and check your drapes. Are they high waters? If so, here's one way to fix them. I'm off to read all the hate mail I'll get about me thinking drapes that are too short.
89 comments:
I don't have capris, I have curtains that are tooooo long...someday I'll hem them up with my glue gun! ;)
I do love the way they look all pouring on the floor...but it seems like they would get dusty and moldy in my old house.
However, this is not a real concern, since I have no drapes at all!!
Fortunately, we pretty much live in the woods :)
What I do have are what you would consider too short. They are curtains, not drapes. But I call it cottage style and try to slip it by you that way :)
Great series!
No haterade here, I like drapes just at the floor too.
When I was single I had a care taking job in a super fancy 5,000 sq foot "condo" and they had drapes that puddled beautifully all over their hardwood floors. I hated trying to clean around those things because I could never get them to puddle as nicely. From that moment I swore off drapes that puddle.
Interesting idea with the fringe. Did my cats PAY YOU to suggest it? :)
No hate mail here. I have a 2 sets of drapes that are too short and want to add trim to, but one set is very thin and I think will look strange with a heavy trim (they have smocking on the top and they are breezy and white) So, I have been trying to figure out what to do with those!
SMiles!
Michelle
You won't be finding any hate here. Capri drapes (love that term) are one of my least favorite things. I also agree that they should just skim the floor. Not that my agreeing with you necessarily means you're right, because what do I know?
I inherited drapes that puddle when I moved into my new house. It's too expensive to buy all new draperies but I can't get them to puddle right! Can you please help me!?!? A "puddling" tutorial would be the best! They're probably a good 6-10 inches longer than the floor.
Thanks!
Jennifer
I agree totally! I have baseboard heaters under some of my windows. There is only one that I have to do the "capri" thing. On the others, I just don't use those heaters!
I agree totally! I have baseboard heaters under some of my windows. There is only one that I have to do the "capri" thing. On the others, I just don't use those heaters!
AGREED! Capri drapes are a no no! Unfortunately we have HUGENORMOUS windows that require extra extra long drapes...so most windows are drapeless.
I too want your opinion on puddling drapes!
The great curtain debate...look what you started!!! Fantastic series...feeling sad that it is coming to an end!!! xOxO Hugz
I'm just giddy to have finally learned the name of those ropey rope thingies that hang at the bottom of things (real specific, aren't I?). Bullion! I'll be doing that to the drapes in our bedroom and then I have to get something fabulous (toile) to attach to the bottom of our living room drapes and some pom-poms to hide my unsightly uneven hot glue gunning. I say that it's unsightly, but maybe it's just surrealist? Straight lines are overrated. ;o)
I love this post. One of the easiest ways, next to painting, to make a room like new and fresh is to raise your drapes. Love ya, Nester!
P.S. I just have to add that I *love* your blog not only for your fun self and great ideas but also for the comments. Everyone's always so funny and sunny, and I love reading the responses!
No Hate here either. In fact, I just posted about some of your inspiration about 5 minutes ago. Come for a visit if you can.
I'm glad to read your opinion. I have capri drapes on the windows in the addition, and I've been thinking for months that they look funny. Maybe I'll try to sew some fabric to the bottom to lengthen them....
Amen Sista'!
Shell
Amen, sister.
I prefer to err on the side of too long ... slightly puddling on the floor, if not just touching the floor, as you said.
Totally with you on the drape capris.
I have high water curtains in my bedroom...but you know that.
I currently have no drapes or curtains or valences or anything on most of the other windows. I took them all down to remodel and one year I'll get to that.
Capri's.... that's too clever. I agree with you completely though. I like 'em tall and touching the floor.
Jenn
I actually glue gunned some fabric to the bottom of the drapes in my living room. The only problem is it looks like I glue gunned fabric to the bottom of my drapes. I neglected to add trim....hee hee...minor detail. Adding that to the list.
I agree! The shorter curtains just don't look right. All of mine hit the floor.
I am right there with you, Nester. Mine are egg-zactly touching the floor and I'm a little bit nerdy about it. As in, I'd hate for the neighbor curtains to be talking bad about mine, so we steer clear of "flood" curtains round here.
I agree 100%.
I think I'd move puddly drapes UP if possible, if they bother you-move the rod up as high as you need-windows look taller, rooms look bigger, if the drapes go from WAAAAY up top, near the crown molding if you are so lucky as to have it, right down JUST to the floor.Other than that, maybe try puddling them in the middle with tie backs, rather than on the flooor-they just get dirty, on the floor. Boys step on them, husbands step on them, cats play in them...
The white sheer capri drapes-would some super wide sheer ribbon do the trick? This is the time of year to get stuff like that, every craft store in the country has their best selection of ribbons right now. If necessary you could double it up with a row of dainty trim in the middle to cover the seam.
The ones with baseboard heaters-you can get deflectors that will push the heat away from the baseboards so you can have your drapes and not heat them too! (giggle!)
Geez I talk too much!
I like for drapes to just hit the floor, too. Which is pretty funny, since I'm pretty sure ALL my drapes at home are way too long (at least 6" too long) and pool on the floor. It's on my to-do list, I promise!
One day I will tackle them all and sit back and think "WHY didn't I do this earlier?"
That's great advise, in the new tiny rental I'm living in all of the drapes stop short after the window sill & it's always looked weird to me. I'll heed this advise when I go shopping for new ones. :-)
I can't lower my drapes, but they are sheer white material. Would you still recommend something as heavy as the bullion to lengthen them?
I agree, I think that your drapes should just be floor length. Anything above, in my opinion, is just silly and anything over is just way too much maintanance!
I thought your article and main complaint was about drapes being too short, not whether or not too long was a problem. I think too short is not ok, but length after that is a design choice dependent upon style.
If I'm doing drapes to the floor then they go to the floor. I have some clients that want some rooms to just go to the sill, which is fine, but I'm with you on the hovering 2-3 inches above the floor ~ they're too short. To the floor to me means touching the floor ~ no puddles.
First of all I would like to say that I just started reading your blog about 3 weeks ago and I love it!
Second I couldn't agree with you more about the drapery length! One of my biggest pet peeves in the world of interior decorating is draperies that do not touch the floor! I love to see them *kiss* or better yet *puddle* on the floor!
-Sarah
http://timelessstyleblog.blogspot.com/
GUILTY as charged!
it's only because I machine washed my dry clean only curtains... now that I know there is an easy way to fix them, I've gotta do it- I might go with a different color of fabric and hot glue some trim on though....
Yeah, I'm the one with the windows-wearin-capris. :) But in my defense, let me just say that I have 2 boys. Two boys that have trouble keeping their feet off of my curtains. As if there wasn't enough things to mess up in my house, they have to find a way to trip over my curtains. I got tired of having them pull the curtains down on a daily basis. So I had to settle for having short curtains.
For now. I'm trying to make it look "chic" in the meantime....
I am so glad to hear someone else say that. I cannot stand drapes that are too short. It is such a distraction from the rest of the room and my eye tends to focus on that and only that.
Totally agree!!! Capris are out! one of the #1 rules I always give my clients!- that AND to at LEAST double the width of the total window in fabric!
Blessings!
Jill
OH NO...my windows are wearing capris in one of my rooms. I'm headed home now to add some wonderful BURLAP!! :) Thanks for the post! I just love your blog.
note to self... must go straight home and check drapes in bedroom :|
You won't get any hate from me. Except that aimed at too short drapes. I like mine to just skim the floor. Fortunately if you buy drapes at IKEA (and you know I do), they're like a gazillion feet long, so that's not a problem. In Germany, the curtain slider-y things (technical term) are all on the ceiling above the window, so you need long drapes just to make them touch the floor. IKEA has that covered (no pun intended). Their drapes are usually 300 centimeters, which is roughly 118 inches (9.8 feet). We have 9 foot ceilings so I have about 10 inches of drape left over. I'm terribly lazy though and haven't cut them off and hemmed them. I just pinned them up on the back. Shhhh....
floating curtains! I'm with ya on this one!
Tamera@doubledelight
nester, i could not agree more. in drapes and jeans, i'd rather them be too long.
The only high waters I've got are in my bedroom and I intend to make them longer. I was afraid the dogs would think they are chew toys.
Yes, yes and yes! I just posted my fab velvet material find on my blog after dreaming of Pottery Barn drapes. LIKE the grommet look, but due to the cost of even self creating those, I have decided that rings, hooks or rod pocket will do - then I can also hang my curtain at different lengths depending on my mood and the season if I sew a rod pocket and also use rings. Therefore a slight puddle on the floor, or a floor skimming version. The issue tends to be those awful but often necessary electric baseboard heaters that happen to be under the windows. So, now I must determine how to hang curtians to avoid those buggers, avoid the cropped look and avoid a fire!
Haha! The capri comment made me laugh! I think that my windows are just wearing a bikini top---just little valances on them right now---so capris would be an upgrade! I had some longer sheer drapes, but my son kept pulling on them, so up they went and a nice little set of valances are in their place. Whatever works!
-Grace
My heart just sank! :( I have capris in the living room and dining room. I guess I just need to go buy new drapes because the ones I have are not worth saving.
Doesnt work for me. We have base board heating. Ick. So my curtains have to be higher than the heater so I dont start a fire.
I love calling them "capri's". On the other hand, I don't care for the "baggy pants" puddles either!
I'm with you ... just at the floor is the best length. Too short looks like you ran out of materials ... too long is messy. The solution for the lady who didn't know how to get her puddlers to looks right is a needle and thread :-))
I had long enough ones, but I put them up extra high, to cause that "look up" and make the room feel taller (short ceilings) effect. And then I added a solid colored valance to the bottom of my curtains (stripes) and decided that the two tone and two pattern paneled curtains suit me just right!!!
I have puddlers in some rooms and some rooms they are just right. I really need to clean up the puddles, huh?
Mine were not capris . . . they just weren't really long enough for the room and I needed drapes hung closer to the ceiling.
I was planning on using your solution, when I found some oh-so-cheap valances at Target and stich-witched them to the bottom of my panels. http://heloufamily.blogspot.com/2009/03/my-newly-mis-treated-windows.html
I felt like I was doing you proud, Nester!
Baseboard heater deflectors-I just googled them and they seem to be about $6 each, and adjustable for any width. No more capri drapes!
I only know about them because they came with my house!
Oh Boy! I totally agree.....but I'm in a bad situation.
My house has lovely HUGE moulding above and below EVERY window in the house. Yes it is beautiful, but oh the DUST!!!!
Anyway, Sadly I'm restricted to inside mount drapes.
So, do I get a pass? I have a set of drapes to the floor that are inside mounted, I just haven't hemmed them yet....they look funny.
What do you think?
I agree. Draperies should skim the floor and they should be hung as high and close to your ceiling or trim molding as possible. It's like wearing vertical stripes. It makes your ceiling seem higher and your windows seem taller.One trick I have found for drapes that are an inch or 2 short is to take the rod out of the pocket and hang them from the rod with clip on (or sew on) rings.
I did this in my bedroom and it worked beautifully.
I love this series of tips and I will be sad when you get to number 31!
Mom to Tate: Fire Schmire, don't you want your drapes to be cool?
someone will actually take that seriously won't they?
New word: capri drapes.
And Colleen--thank you for answering all the questions girl, you are a wealth of info!!!
Love the "capri drape" definition - it's perfect!!
Can you help me though? Under every window in our home we have a radiator. The bedrooms have the low profile baseboard radiators. The front of the house as large cast iron radiators that are covered with radiator covers that look like cupboards. So. Drapes. What do I do? I have capris in my son's room since he needed something to keep out the draft from our 85 year old windows. The rest of the house no window coverings. And I don't live in the woods. I live on a parkway in Denver. The speed limit is 30 which gives people ample opportunity to look and see what we're having for supper. I have pictures if you're interested in helping.
Puddleers: if you like em, more power to you, I find they are hard to keep looking intact with boys running around hiding be hind them but I think they can be very pretty.
If you have puddles and want them shorter: raise the rods, do the ring clip idea that someone suggested {brilliant} or hem them/hot glue them shorter. Not a bad problem to have!
I am with you on this one...just grazing or hovering above the floor. Not too short and not too long...really don't like the puddle thing!
Janell
New house, drapes/curtains all LACE as it is a Victorian house. They all hit a good foot below the window and 8 inches above the floor - but the baseboards come up to meet them. Is that like wearing tall socks with capris? Anyway, I've left some up b/c a bit of privacy is nice even when I want to have the shades up and taken others completely down because froofy is not really my style. The lovely window moulding actually looks great with nothing covering it up! And zero is the budget for windows for now, so I'm enjoying what I have.
Wow! Those look like my drapes in my living room! I have high ceilings so it was a challenge to find something that worked! I love your info! Thanks!
Geepers I feel better. I thought my drapes were TOO long. At my house it's dogs and not boys that like to get behind them, and it always bugs me to see them all wonka after one of my little daschunds decides he has to look out the french doors to bark at a squirrel.
I want to share how I solved a drapery issue. I bought 6 inexpensive linen panels at Target for my 3 living room but none of the panels were exactly the same length. They were off just enough for me to notice even before I hung them. I also wanted them to stay back on the rod, as in to the sides so we could use the blinds for privacy. In ther words the drapes did not need to function. So I bought wide ribbon and sewed a 'V' in 7 places on each panel. Each V is two feet long, or two one foot pieces of ribbon. I tied the ribbons on the rod. That way I can adjust them so they match in length. I love the playful and unusual look of the ribbons too.
Nester, I don't know what we are going to do when you finish this series. I am going to miss it.
LOL-Nester I'm a grandma who has never in her life had the money to do it "right"-so I've done it with what I had!
I think I'll stick with maybe clicking on the links though-I feel a bit over-the-top giving advice on Nesters site! LOL! I have no filter, if I think it, it just shoots out, whether my keyboard or my mouth!
So, what about little boy rooms? I have a 4 year old and a 3 year old and I'm afraid they'll pull the curtains off the wall if they hang that low. They've done it before! Any suggestions would be appreciated!
I have the same OCD. I went as far as to add more fabric to the bottoms of my shower curtains just so that they hit the floor
My curtains fall just to the floor like that PB photo which is the way I like them BUT they aren't hung high enough at the top. I just haven't felt like fixing it either. Besides I can't really afford new drapes.
agree, agree, agree! Love the capri analogy!
mine are just the right length... love them, but they are more tempting for the kids to twirl around in them ;)
Nester-
Will you cover hanging pictures? I'm not sure how high to hang paintings above my couch in the living room. I thought I read one time you hung them eye level, but I think that's too high on the wall behind a couch.
Thanks
Agree - this is one of the "hairiest" debates - but yes I prefer curtains just short of skimming the ground .... great blog. Gena
I agree with you...curtains skimming the ground really do look best. But then, I have a question that maybe you can help with.
In our house, the heat vents are not flat in the floor. The heat comes out of the walls, and the metal vents go about 4 inches up the wall. Then, to make matters worse, the vents are located right under the windows in all three bedrooms, the dining room, and the living room. ACK!
If I bring my curtains to ground level, they block the vents. No heat! No good!
So...can I get a pass for hemming them up to just above the vents? Or, do you have any more design-friendly suggestions? I suppose I could move. Ha ha.
Love drapes that hit the floor.
The ones in my living room and dining room could be called "petite girl buys pants that are long rather than petite"...like it or not...i love that my drapes puddle on the floor!
And it doesn't annoy my husband...much! And the kids don't step on them...much...
Great series! I'm in major declutter mode. Time to get busy!
No hate mail!!! I love this series! My nest is looking better and better!! xo
Capris....on drapes....you are TOOOO much!!!!!! I love it!!! I wish I had even some capris to add to on my windows...they are barren right now :( You would be in tears :( I am so sorry to disappoint :( One day...when we actually sell our other house...I WILL have curtains...NOT capris :)
I lived WITHOUT drapes in my living room and dining room for years. Finally I got some really nice drapes for the two rooms. The just touch the floor. One thing I did not think about was the dog hair. We have a Basset Hound. Nuff said. I do not know why she is not bald. There is so much hair on my floors. I dust mop a lot. Yet the bottom of my drapes look awful. There is enough dog hair on them for a whole 'new' dog.
Oh well, you learn to like the look of dog hair..it kinds of looks like 'fur trim'
I ordered dupioni silk drapes from Restoration Hardware, and was told to have four to six inches added to the length so they will puddle, and I was so pleased when they were put in. I love the puddle look esp. on silk panels, but it is a preference. JMO
**Post idea** How to make decorating children (particularly boy!) friendly. Or your children decorating friendly.
Because I love floor length curtains but if they were within arms reach my one year old would either be half way to the ceiling or eating the chunk of drywall he just pulled out...so it's sill length for me. :( Also, no table scaping on the coffee table, no breakables within reach, no prettiness below three feet. I'm not a fanatic about it but still, does decorating have a height requirement? You got your boys to pick out tassels, I'd be picking tassels out of my boy's teeth! Does it get better when they're older???
On an other note, I bought some half made toile curtains the other day at goodwill just for you! It looks like someone got overwhelmed by the sewing and quit. Enter ze glue gun!
Butting in, uninvited,for clarification on what constitutes a "puddle", for those who like their panels long...(my very first design intern job was as drapery go-fer - this information is emblazoned on my brain for the duration)
Any panel that grazes the floor is said to "break" at the floor, and anything not breaking at the floor is too short. A break can be as deep as 6", sometimes longer for formal inner lined silk panels that are sometimes tied back. A true puddle requires anywhere from 18 to 27 inches of fabric (formal construction dictates it be self-lined) beyond the natural break at the floor - because the break is still supposed to be there, and the puddle "pools" gracefully beyond that. It's hard to dress if there isn't enough fabric to work with. (which is where Nester's brilliant idea about adding length comes in....)
Amen. Puddle away.
Lol....I think you need to post on puddling..wow
I checked my puddle and if it was 18" to 27" it would be way too long I think it just depends ... I have plenty of puddle and mine only had not even half of that added to the length. JMO
You crack me up! Thanks for the good advice!
LOL..I don't hate you. I love your recommendations. But how do you feel about drapes puddling on the floor? I am one of the lucky ones who does not have to cover my windows for privacy anywhere in the house. But the few drapes I do have puddle in the floor. :) Lynn
P.s. I just read where some have ask for a puddling tutorial. LOL..that's so funny. xo
Too short of windows are like tea length bridesmaids dress. No one looks good in them, no one would wear them in real life, so why, why do people still buy them?
Mine are happily puddling on the floor. I love them.
Best,
Sarah
Oops. I mean curtains, not windows. You know what I mean. :)
Best,
Sarah
is there a different solution? I'm not a big fan of those tassel things. I fixed my curtain rod so that it's not hiding the light but I don't know what to do to fix my curtains?
For those of you with baseboard heaters (or wall radiators, like me), I found something that worked for us. Have stationary panels on either side of the window, on a rod wider than the windows, of course. These should touch the floor, as a frame for the window.
Then have inward curtains that hit just at the sill or the bottom of the window, like Roman shades or simple bamboo ones. Those can actually do the job of covering the windows at night, but they'll still be framed with floor-length curtains on either side.
Great series, Nester! Miss chatting with you.
The fringe is a great idea. I love my new drapes, hung them high enough I think but a bit too short. I have heat registers right under them so thought maybe it was ok,didn't want to block the heat. But Fringe is perfect! Off to shop for fringe...
Yes, but my husband goes nuts on me and starts ranting about fire if the curtains aren't at least 3 inches away from a baseboard heater. It looks horrible!
But...what if there are baseboard heaters - should drapes cover those? Mine stop and don't cover them - CAPRIS!
Deb
I have the same color in my living room! Except it's by SICO and it's called "Greyish sage".
I matched it with SICO "Indigo Denim", which is a very dark navy. You can see it in this totally unrelated blog post : http://clawsmopolitan.vox.com/library/post/wheres-the-cat.html
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