It took me a while to get around to watching the new Queer Eye series on Netflix when it first came out a couple of years ago. But several members of the OGT Team kept pestering me to watch it, and now I’m very glad they did, because I ended up loving it! Not only is it uplifting and full of positive messages, but you can also pick up some great tips and tricks from the Fab Five throughout!
And speaking of which, the Fab Five’s resident design guru Bobby Berk shared a great decor tip in one episode that addresses one of the most common decor mistakes that people make! And when I say “decor mistakes,” I’m not talking about questionable color schemes or peculiar wall art—I’m talking about small decor choices that can end up having a negative effect on the overall look of a room.
These sorts of mistakes are so easy to make, because you may not even know what the issue is in the first place! And the decor mistake I want to talk about today fits that description perfectly.
Related: How To Make Your Home Look Brand New For Zero Money
The Problem
So what is this common decor faux pas? It’s when people hang their curtains right at the top of a window frame. As Bobby says, “Putting the curtains right at the top of your window makes your window look smaller and your ceiling look shorter.”
It’s all about the visual effect your curtains are creating, and no one wants their room to scream small windows and short ceilings, right? Of course not! So what’s the right way to hang your curtains?
Related: 7 Mistakes You Made When Arranging Your Furniture
The Solution
The good news is that this “mistake” is very easy to fix! In terms of your curtain rod placement, you just need to think up and out. Bobby says, “If you hang your curtain rod six inches to a foot above your window, it actually makes your ceiling seem taller and your windows feel bigger.”
Related: 7 Little Hacks That Will Make Your Home Feel More Luxurious
Aren’t these Before & After photos AMAZING?! Simply raising the curtain rod and extending it out to the sides a little bit completely transforms the space! Say goodbye to dark and cramped, and hello to light and airy!
Troubleshooting Tips
It’s relatively easy to change the placement of your curtain rod, but you may run into an issue with curtain length. If your curtains are the perfect length now, they may end up being too short once you raise your curtain rod. But there are a few easy ways to get around that issue.
The first solution would be to buy a longer set of curtains. Curtains typically come in a few different lengths, so choose the next longer length than your current curtains.
You can either let the extra length “pool” on the floor (like the curtains in photo at the beginning of this section), or you can hem them to the correct length. (Don’t have a sewing machine? Use a fusible bonding material to “hem” the curtains using just your clothes iron!)
If your curtains are just one or two inches too short after repositioning your curtain rod, try adding curtain clips to the tops of your curtains! The clips will give your curtains the couple extra inches they need, and they’ll hang at just the right length without any other alterations.
More Ideas You'll Love
Related: 10 Unexpected And Clever Ways To Use Curtain Clips
I hope you find these curtain tips as useful as I did! It’s amazing how much of a difference such a small detail can make. :-)
What’s your best home decor tip?
Wow! Big difference! I would like to know why curtains are now being sold by a single pannel!!!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I love this! I also hang my rod wider than my window so that when my drapes are open, they barely touch the edge of the frame. It makes the windows also look wider! I love your blog and it is the first thing I read every morning!! Thank you
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thank you for such a great tip! You share sooo many of them. Your newsletter is the ONLY thing I look forward to opening in my e-mail. Just wanted to finally say, “Thanks”!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thanks for the tip on the curtain rods as I’m getting ready to do curtains in my newly remodeled bathroom, but the pooling them on the floor idea, I think that looks super messy. That’s like people who don’t hem their jeans properly and just walk off the excess length. Not a fan, but definitely will try the top of the window idea.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thank you for your informative articles. I have a question. Where is the best location to place valances above a short window in a bedroom?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I hope you bring us more of these problems and ideas! I do not know about this trick because I live in a rental. When thinking about trying in my bedroom, I realized that the hardware I needed to hold up the rod to support my curtains was going to cause too much ‘damage’ (not for me but for my landlord). I made them out of a queen, top bed-sheet and they are really are heavy! But they pool really nice on the floor! I haven’t had to buy store curtains for a very long time.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.What do you do if you can’t raise your curtains? If I moved mine up 6 inches they’d be touching the ceiling. We’ve got the rod just a tiny bit above the frame of the window. They do have a ruffle on top.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.As I read this post, I was trying to guess what the solution was going to be and came up with curtains should be more neutral with less patterns and less bold colors – but I was completely wrong!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.U could also make or purchase “false Panels” that go from above window to floor on either side of window that don’t touch the radiator. Put up mini blinds or choose a type of shade to actually cover the window for privacy or block light.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Color & window covers !
Absolutely! Huge decorating mistake! Although, I do realize that some people’s living rooms or bedrooms don’t have enough wall space for staple furniture due to their size… :( Nevertheless, for those rooms that do have enough wall space, couches and/or TV’s, entertainment centers etc, should never be placed directly in front of a window, as it looks awful & for the various reasons you stated, infmom.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.The curtains pooling on the floor is not a necessary part of this tip – you can hem them or use shorter curtains :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Hi Chrissie! My ceilings are pretty low as well, but as you can see from the photos, I still used this tip! The curtains start very close to the ceiling, but it’s no problem!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.They are from World Market, I bought them a few years ago :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Mine are 3-4 inches out from the window frame on each side :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thank you, Jillee!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Great idea Bonnie!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.The curtains don’t have to pool on the floor! This tip is meant to point out how to hang the curtain rod – you can always do that and then hem the curtains to the perfect length! :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Hang the rod so that the shower curtain hangs at the perfect length – just one or two inches from the bottom of the tub :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.That’s a great tip, too!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I think the curtains r stunning
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I usually extend them out about two to three inches on each side. I make light pencil marks and eyeball it, though, especially with decorative finials that extend out.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thank you, Danette!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I made curtains for a long time and the curtain length had to be half to one inch above the carpet and the curtains fell and looked great once the materiel settled in. I do not like them sweeping the dust off the floor, they then become daggy
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Right on.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Donna, You can get anchors, not really sure the correct name for these little plastic deals, but they work great in sheet rock, drywall, any wall without studs you might need. You tap a hole in the wall, push the anchor into the hole then put your screw in it, It spreads the anchor out and will hold whatever you want to hang. They are rated according to the weight of the object you need to hang. You can get them at most any hardware store, I have bought them at WalMart.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Hi Gail and Donna, the anchors that you’re referring to are called molly’s. I was just talking about them the other week when trying to hang a curtain rod in my bedroom. My issue is that I have an 8 foot sliding glass door that butts up against the closet door and wall so there’s no room for the final on the one end. I don’t want to use a boring white rod since it will show. Any suggestions?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thank you Stephanie for the info on the anchors. As for your curtain rod, I have no clue. You don’t say what type of curtains you are using. If they are sheers, the only thing I can think of is to use the white rod and spray paint it the color of your curtains so it won’t show through since there is no space for the final.
Hi Gail! Spray painting the rod is a great idea. Thank you! I plan on putting up an insulated type of curtain with a sheer behind it. I live in Florida and my bedroom window faces the West, so I get a lot of sun and added heat I do not need. But I’d also like to be able to open the curtains and not see the ugly slider. Now all I have to do is pick out curtains! Thanks again for the great idea!
Hi Gail!
They’re called “wall anchors”. You described how to use them perfectly.
Hugs to all from NYS!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I may do that in the future too. Thanks for the great idea. Do you put an outer privacy curtain on too or just the vinyl?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thanks.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Bonnie: What a GREAT Idea!!! I’m going to snag this idea. :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thank you for these great tips–guilty as charged!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.This is definitely true!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.That is such a great idea. I will start this project next week. Cant wait to see how it turns out. Love all the tricks and ideas you give us. Thanks Jillee.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thanks Sirena!
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