Curtain Placement: How to Hang Curtains to Make a Room Look Bigger

In recent years, many of us have come to realise that we don’t need massive spaces to live in very comfortably. That being said, if you’re going to live in a smaller home, it becomes even more important that you pay close attention to maximising the use of the space that you do have.

One thing that people often overlook is how they hang their curtains. It can have a surprisingly large impact on how big a room looks – here’s how it can help. 

Go high and wide

Something that can have a significant positive impact on how big your room appears is how high and wide you hang your curtains. The length and width of your curtains will have an impact on how large the room is perceived to be – try going above your window by a few inches, and pass beyond the sides by an equally large margin.

Hanging curtains like this can help to draw the eye around the room more, creating an optical illusion that the space appears bigger than it actually is – great for smaller rooms in particular.

Floor length

While half-length curtains (sometimes called cafe curtains) are all the rage at the moment, they can make the room that they’re in appear smaller than it actually is. If you’re concerned about increasing how expansive your space feels, then it can be a good idea to go with floor-length curtains. 

As we mentioned above, having floor-length curtains helps to draw the eye around more of the room, and in doing so, can make it feel bigger than if you were only to perceive certain elements.

Sheer fabrics

If you want to create a sense of privacy but still want to have your room filled with as much natural light as possible, then you should definitely consider going with sheer curtains from somewhere like Woodyatt Curtains.

Sheer fabrics in a light shade (generally white or something similar) can really help to make a room feel light and airy. If you still want something that can block more light at certain times of day, then you can layer the sheer curtains with a thicker curtain or blind – it doesn’t have to be just one or the other.

Stripes

If you are going to go with a patterned curtain, then consider getting stripes that run in whichever dimension you want the room to appear larger in. For example, if you have low ceilings, using vertical stripes can make the space appear taller, or if you have high ceilings but a smaller space horizontally, then horizontal stripes can make the space appear bigger in that dimension.

These simple tips are easy to put into practice, and can have a genuinely significant impact on how big your room appears. By hanging your curtains as high and wide as possible, and using light fabrics such as sheer curtains, you can make even the smallest space appear much bigger than if you were to use sub-optimal curtain hanging practices.