Measuring for New Curtains – Your Essential Guide

Contrary to popular belief, measuring for new curtains is actually a relatively simple job. Nevertheless, it remains surprisingly common for buyers to go home and summarily find themselves stuck with curtains that are entirely the wrong size.

Whether out to pick up a standard curtain size or made to measure curtains, the process remains exactly the same. Simply follow these very basic instructions and chances are you will find it difficult to go wrong:

 1 – Take Curtain Track Or Pole Measurements

Assuming there isn’t already a track or pole in place, you will need to measure both the inside width of the window recess and the distance you would like your curtains to extend beyond the edges of your window. Generally speaking, it is advisable to add somewhere in the region of 20cm to each side of the window, in order to allow the curtains to be opened as wide as possible.

 2 – Measure Curtain Width

When it comes to measuring the exact width of the curtains you will need, it’s important to take into account curtain gather. For example, if you want your curtains to be perfectly flat when they are closed, the width of the curtain should be pretty much identical to that of the pole. On the other hand, if you want there to be some gather (waves, curves etc.) when the curtains are closed, you will need to order curtains that are somewhat wider than your pole. Gather all comes down to personal preference, so consider your own.

3 – Measuring Curtain Length

It is entirely up to you whether your curtains drop as far as the windowsill, slightly below the sill or all the way to the floor. If you are ordering custom made curtains, you will be able to choose absolutely any length you desire.  Generally speaking, curtains that drop all the way to the floor should reach around 2 to 4 cm above the floor to prevent dragging. Sill-length curtains should leave a gap of around 1 cm above the sill, while those that dropped just below the sill should finish around 10 cm below it.

And that’s really all there is to it. Generally speaking, ready-made curtains are available in a wide variety of standard sizes designed to suit the overwhelming majority of standard window sizes. Nevertheless, it is always a good idea to consider custom made curtains in order to take home window coverings that suit your exact preferences and tastes.