The Ultimate Guide to Hanging Draperies

Beautiful, high-quality draperies can elevate your space to a new level. Draperies add character and charm to a room, as well as warmth and light control. Hanging new draperies is a quick and easy way to give your room the makeover it may have needed for some time. But how do you go about starting the process of installing window treatments? Drapery Rods Direct is here with a curtain hanging guide! We can help you transform your space with these drapery hanging tips.

Choosing The Right Hardware for Your Drapes

Finding the right draperies that suit your style may seem like a difficult task, but choosing the right hardware for your installation can be an even trickier issue. The wrong product can hinder your installation, as well as clash with your carefully-selected furnishings. The window style and placement will often dictate what hardware will work properly. How do you know what hardware is best for your curtains and windows? We have already made an Ultimate Guide to Drapery Hardware that sheds light on this difficult process.

Drapery Hardware Options

There are numerous ways to go about hanging your drapes. Here are the components you’ll need to achieve the masterpiece dwelling in your mind’s eye:

• Rods – These are the rails your draperies actually hang from. They must suit the window and hold the weight of your drapery. To ensure that your curtain rods do not collapse under the weight of the fabric, choose a pole or rod that is durable enough to handle whatever curtains you have chosen to decorate your window.
• Finials - This decorative piece is usually attached to each end of the rod to prevent your rod and curtain from sliding off the pole and/or bracket. Finials can be elaborate or simple, small or large, and add character to your room.
• Brackets – The brackets attach to the wall or ceiling and hold up the rod. You must take into consideration the weight of your draperies when choosing your brackets. A cheap bracket will cause a full curtain collapse that can leave lasting damage in your walls. Always choose drapery hardware whose quality matches that of your curtains.

Drapery Hardware: Wood or Metal?

Selecting what material your rods are made from is largely a matter of personal taste. Both wood and metal decorative drapery hardware must be strong enough to hold up your curtains without sagging or breaking. Kirsch wood and metal drapery rods come in a wide range of finishes and designs that will suit any style.

Wooden Drapery Rods

Wood hardware with dark or metallic-accent finishes complements a more traditional style. For a more relaxed, natural feel, lighter woods or painted finishes create a fresh, carefree look.

At Drapery Rods Direct, we have two lines of wooden drapery rods and accessories to choose from. Our Wood Trends Collection brings a classic look to window dressing. High-quality and elegant, Wood Trends drapery rods come in two diameters, two styles, and nine different finishes for ultimate customization. For a more detailed look with old-world charm and high-end glamour, our custom-finished Buckingham Collection is a great option. Meticulously hand-painted and hand-finished, the Buckingham Collection is available in three diameters and 15 beautiful finishes. 

Metal Drapery Rods

If your style is very modern, metal drapery hardware can carry out that look. At Drapery Rods Direct, we carry four lines of decorative metal drapery hardware, from wrought iron styles with a rustic finish to sleek contemporary designs. Our collections include: 

• Designer Metals Collection
• DRD Elemental Collection
• Wrought Iron Collection
• Iron Art by Orion Collection

The Kirsch Designer Metals collection offers a wide variety of finishes and styles. Rods are 1 3/8” in diameter and are available in both telescoping styles and a one-piece rod that can be cut and/or spliced for a custom size. Select from multiple finial styles to create a sleek, modern look, or a classic, farmhouse look. Rings can even be paired with bypass brackets to cross wide spans, increasing the versatility of this collection.

DRD Elemental drapery rods are inexpensive and simple to hang. The 1” diameter rods are not as sturdy as other collections, but they will work well with lightweight grommet curtains that are currently on-trend. Offered in two styles and two finishes, they’re great for little-used rooms, apartments, and starter homes.

Kirsch’s Wrought Iron collection has a rustic, old-world charm. These rods are 1” in diameter and can hold very heavy draperies. Five finishes and three bracket depths, double brackets, and a bypass option give you endless ways to incorporate your vision for your windows. Rods are available in two lengths and can be cut and spliced to create custom sizes.

Iron Art by Orion is a beautiful, custom-made, high-end option. Drapery Rods Direct carries these rods in two collections, two sizes, and many different, beautiful finishes, including several crystal finial options. These rods are made individually just for you, and take a little longer to receive, but are well worth the wait.

Determining How you Want Your Curtains to Hang

At Drapery Rods Direct, we often field questions about where on the wall to hang the draperies. There are a lot of options, and the best place to hang curtain rods will depend on the mood you are trying to create. Here are some questions to consider:

Floor or Sill Length?
Is your room casual or classy? Longer draperies that kiss the floor create an air of dignified formality that works well in a lavish home. Shorter curtains that hang at the bottom of the window frame will solidify a relaxed setting and are often better in a child’s room, bathroom, or kitchen.

Should your draperies touch the floor?
Curtain length depends entirely on the room and the look you are trying to achieve. Longer pinch-pleated draperies on large, imposing rods can be formal, while floor-length tab-style curtains on iron rods lend a more casual air. Swaths of fabric sweeping across the window and puddling dramatically on the floor can create a romantic or dramatic focal point.

How wide should your curtains be?
Your draperies are more than just one of the decorative elements in your room. If you want operational draperies for privacy and light control, your curtain panels must be wide enough to cover the entire window when closed, with enough fabric to maintain fullness.

Pinch-pleated and rod-pocket draperies look best when constructed with fabric panels double or two-and-a-half times the width of the drapery rod—which should take into consideration enough wall space on each side of the window to “stack” the draperies off the glass when they are open. Tab-top or flat panel draperies should equal one and one-half times the width of the rod. Curtain rod placement is very important to get the look you want, so make sure your curtain rod brackets are installed to accommodate the drapery style

Different Methods of Hanging Draperies

Having a wide range of drapery hardware and curtain material broadens the options for dressing your windows, but those options also depend on the idiosyncrasies of your particular window. Many homes have unique architecture and window design that make the placement and function of the draperies a more difficult process. Whatever your situation, it’s always a good idea to consult with a professional if you are not sure about the best way to hang your curtains. Drapery Rods Direct has a team of experts to help you tackle problem windows, so contact us!

Hanging Curtains on Specialty Windows
Specialty windows, such as bay windows, need drapery hardware designed to conform to their unique shapes. Depending on the functionality and style of the draperies, either decorative or basic rods can be put together with components to create customized angled configurations.

Installing Draperies in the Office
Having curtains in the office has many advantages. When selecting the best drapery hardware for an office environment, take into consideration the daily tasks that are performed by your staff, as well as what kind of windows your building is equipped with. Perhaps your windows let in a lot of bright, distracting light and glare on the computer screens. If that’s the case, look for insulated draperies that block out the light and heat. However, if your windows have a northern exposure, you may opt for a sheer or lightweight drapery that creates privacy but does not completely block the light. Heavier draperies can also save on energy costs. In the winter, they help keep in the heat, and in the summer, they do the opposite.

How to Ensure that Your Draperies Enhance Your Home’s Style

Decorating the interior of your home is an involved process that can take years to complete. Adding draperies into the mix is a great way to polish and complete the look of a room, but this process must be taken with careful consideration. You don’t want your hard work on interior design to go to waste because of the wrong draperies.

Stick with Your Color Palette
If your home is filled with neutral colors, then bright neon-hued draperies are not the way to go! However, using draperies as a pop of color in a room can create a tasteful appearance. But if you aren’t comfortable with your interior design skills, don’t worry. Choose a color in your room, and match the material to that color. You don’t have to put too much thought into your curtains to achieve a well-crafted look, as long as your colors match.

Don’t Clash Patterns
If the upholstery of your room has pronounced patterns, it can be very tricky to add another loud design to the mix. The patterns in your furniture, pillows, and throws are already creating a great harmony for your space, so it’s best to find a simple, solid drapery in a color that’s already in the room. However, if you truly want extravagant drapery for your window, match the strongest pattern currently in the room.

Less is More
You really don’t need to go all-out to achieve a well-designed room. Sometimes the simplest approach is the best. If you like neutrals, opt for several different tones and textures. If you have a stand-out piece, such as a multi-colored rug or elaborate piece of furniture, let that item have center stage and choose simple items to enhance it. And if you have a fantastic view, by all means dress the window in a way that makes the most of it!

How to Hang Drapery Rods

Now that you have an idea of how you want your curtains to look and what drapery hardware you will use, it’s time to think about measuring and installing them!

In tandem with selecting the draperies themselves, you need to determine how wide your curtain rods need to be. We have a handy guide on how to measure curtain rods so you can make sure that you purchase the correct size. If your draperies require rings, ensure you have enough curtain rings before you begin the installation.

When choosing curtains, make sure that you purchase panels that are about two times the width of the drapery rod. This is important because if the panels are too wide, they will crowd the window, and if they are too small, they will not cover the entire window. Pinch-pleated curtains should equal the width of the drapery rod at the top where they are pleated, with extra to overlap in the center and to fold back to the wall (return) on the sides.

Your drapery rod installation will depend on the product you choose, whether that is stationary poles sitting on brackets, traverse rods, or custom Architrac rods. Whether you have your rods professionally installed or do it yourself, accuracy is important. If you are hanging the draperies yourself, make sure you measure carefully and mark with a pencil the places you will need to drill before you start in order to avoid making multiple holes.

The final and most rewarding step in the process will be hanging your drapes! Consider also installing curtain holdbacks or tiebacks to make it easy to keep the draperies open.

Hanging Drapery Rods?

If you have questions about how to hang drapery rods or aren’t sure about your design process, you need the help of drapery experts. The team at Drapery Rods Direct has the experience needed to help you transform your room into a well-designed space. From tips on installing drapery hardware to helping you pick out curtain rods that complement your room, speak to a representative today and see how we can help you complete the look of your room. 1-800-251-5009