What length and width for your curtains?

No standard defines the length of a curtain: it derives from the height at which you install the pole and the drop you want to achieve. The figures below are trade benchmarks from upholsterers and decorators, named as such. The dimensions of the curtains mentioned come from their title in the catalogue.

Length of curtains

Measure the drop height: from the hanging point to the floor. For an eyelet curtain, the hanging point is the top of the pole; for a curtain with clips, hooks or gathering tape, it is the bottom of the rings or track. Then subtract 1 cm if you want the curtain to graze the floor, add 2 to 5 cm for it to break slightly on it, 10 to 20 cm for a puddle effect. Measure on the left, in the centre and on the right: floors and ceilings are rarely straight, and it is the shortest dimension that matters for a grazing drop.

Height of curtains

The height of the curtain depends first on that of the pole. The trade benchmark is to install it 10 to 15 cm above the frame of the window. To visually heighten the room, raise it halfway between the frame and the ceiling, or just below the ceiling: the curtain then gains 20 to 40 cm in height and the window appears taller. A pole installed flush with the frame, on the contrary, squashes the window and leaves the wall visible above the fabric.

Height of curtains relative to the floor

Three drops exist. The grazing drop, 1 cm above the floor, is the neatest and easiest to maintain. The broken drop, 2 to 5 cm resting on the floor, gives a softer appearance and compensates for an uneven floor. The puddle, 10 to 20 cm on the floor, suits heavy fabrics such as velvet and low-traffic rooms: it collects dust, and one steps on it near French windows. Above a radiator or a window with a sill, stop the curtain 1 cm above the sill, or 10 to 15 cm below.

Standard curtain height

There is no official standard height, but dominant formats. Of the 166 curtains in the catalogue whose title indicates the dimensions, the heights are concentrated at 250, 280 and 300 cm, with some models at 260, 270, 298 and 350 cm. The 250 cm format suits the ceilings of recent housing; 280 and 300 cm suit poles installed high and period ceilings; 350 cm, high ceiling heights.

Curtains 3 metres in height

A 300 cm curtain hangs from a pole installed at around 300 cm: 310 to 320 cm ceiling in a period flat, or pole mounted at the ceiling to stretch a window. The catalogue offers heights of 298 and 300 cm (Madura Milos and Shadow, Raw Room) and, beyond, 350 cm models (Madura Lina, Carlina and the Santorini voile) for 3.50 m ceilings.

Curtains 220 height

Curtains 180, 210, 220 or 230 cm in height correspond to poles installed low: low ceiling, beam above the window, window with a sill whose height to the floor you want to cover. These formats are rare in ready-made; the simplest solution consists of taking a 250 cm curtain and shortening it with a hem, sewn or iron-on. Measure before cutting, curtain hung, and keep 1 cm margin for the grazing drop.

The table below links the height measured below the pole to the curtain height to choose. All formats are in our curtain collection.

Curtain width

A curtain is not meant to be stretched flat: it needs fullness to form pleats, even when closed. The standard guideline is a total fabric width equal to 1.5 to 2 times the length of the curtain pole. Below 1.5, the closed curtain looks stretched and lets light through at the edges; beyond 2.5, it becomes bulky when open and obscures the window. In the catalogue, more than nine out of ten curtains whose title gives the dimensions measure 130 to 150 cm wide, and a few extra-wide models reach 200, 300 and 350 cm.

Calculating curtain width

The calculation is done in three steps. Measure the width of the window, including the frame. Add 15 to 20 cm on each side to obtain the length of the pole: the open curtain then sits against the wall and does not obscure the window. Multiply this length by 1.5 to 2 and divide by the width of one panel. Example: 140 cm window, 175 cm pole, requiring 260 to 350 cm of fabric, i.e. two 145 cm panels (290 cm, a fullness of 1.65) or three 140 cm panels for a more gathered effect.

How to calculate the length of a curtain pole

Length of pole = width of window + 30 to 40 cm. With heavy curtains (velvet, lined blackout), allow rather 25 to 30 cm on each side, as they take up more space when open. The pole must not hit a perpendicular wall or cupboard: if space is limited on one side, offset the whole assembly and open the curtain on one side only. Poles and their brackets are in the curtain pole collection.

At what height to install the pole

10 to 15 cm above the frame in most cases; higher to make the room appear taller; on the ceiling, on ceiling brackets, when the space between the frame and the ceiling is less than 20 cm. Install the pole before ordering: it is the pole that determines the height of the curtain, never the other way round.

The poles, brackets and finials from the publisher are brought together in the Madura curtain pole collection.

Eyelet curtains

Rings sewn into the top of the fabric, threaded directly onto the pole. The pleats are regular and deep, the curtain slides well, and the top of the fabric extends slightly above the pole: it's the top of the pole that serves as the measuring point. Eyelets require a pole, not a track. A fullness of 1.5 to 2 is sufficient. This is the most common heading in the Madura catalogue (Milos, Thasos, Shadow, Lina, Carlina).

Pencil pleat tape

A tape sewn to the back of the curtain, with cords that you pull to gather the fabric, then hooks that attach to the rings or gliders of a track. It creates tight gathers and a more formal appearance, and can be adjusted to the nearest centimetre in width. It requires more fabric: 2 to 2.5 times the pole width. You measure the height from the bottom of the rings or glider.

How to attach curtains with clips

Clip rings slide onto the pole and clip the top of the fabric. Space them every 10 to 15 cm, starting with the two ends, and always clip at the same depth so that the bottom hem remains straight. To create regular pleats, clip the fabric alternately in valleys and peaks, every other clip. Clips allow you to hang fabric without a heading, a linen panel, a sheet or a voile, and to adjust the height by a few centimetres by clipping lower down.

How to shorten curtains that are too long

Three solutions without changing curtains. Raise the pole, if the gap to the ceiling allows: this is the neatest option. Fold the top of the fabric backwards and hold it with clip rings, for an excess of 5 to 15 cm. Make a hem, sewn or iron-on, beyond that. On eyelet curtains, the hem is always made at the bottom, as the eyelets fix the top. Clip rings and accessories are available in the Madura curtain pole collection.

Linen

Linen filters light without blocking it, creases and drapes softly. When thick, it provides privacy during the day; as a voile, it allows the view through. Washed linen has already been softened and creases more evenly. It does not block light: in a bedroom, it should be doubled up or paired with a blind. Models can be found in the linen curtain collection.

Voile

A lightweight fabric (cotton voile, linen voile, fine polyester) that preserves privacy during the day whilst letting light in. In the evening, with lights on, it becomes transparent from outside: plan for a second curtain or blind for night-time. Voile can be hung alone, or on a double rod in front of a thick curtain.

Velvet

Heavy and dense, it hangs straight and dampens light and room noise. It requires a sturdy rod with closely spaced brackets, and suits a broken drape or pooling well. The Dario by Madura, in blue velvet measuring 137 × 260 cm, is one example.

Blackout

A very dense fabric or one coated on the reverse that blocks daylight. On its own, it does not achieve complete darkness: light passes through at the top, sides and bottom. For a bedroom, fit the rod high and wide, let the curtain graze the floor and allow for 20 cm overlap on each side. Blackout models can be found in the blackout curtain collection.

Thermal curtains

A thick or lined curtain creates an air gap in front of the glass and reduces the sensation of a cold surface near an old window. The effect depends mainly on installation: fabric to the floor, overhanging rod, top of curtain close to the ceiling. No insulation data is given in catalogue titles: judge by thickness and lining.

Polyester, finally, does not crease, keeps its colour in sunlight and washes easily: it is the material of Raw Room curtains. See the polyester curtain collection.

What colour curtains go with white walls

With white walls, three approaches work. Off-white or ecru extends the wall and makes the window disappear behind the light: this is the choice for small rooms. Natural linen, beige or sand warms up a cold white without creating contrast. Bold colour (terracotta, green, deep blue) makes the curtain a decorative element: repeat it in a cushion, rug or artwork in the same room. Avoid pure white against an off-white wall, which makes the wall look dirty.

How to show off your curtains

Mount the pole high and wide, let the fabric graze the floor and give it enough fullness: these three adjustments matter more than the fabric itself. Steam the curtain once hung to remove creases. During the day, hold it back with a tieback at mid-height or one-third from the bottom. Layer a voile and a thick curtain on a double pole to add depth. Light tones are in the white curtain collection and the beige curtain collection.

Which curtains for patio doors

Patio doors require a continuous curtain pole or track, extended by 20 cm on each side, and wide curtains. Two panels of 300 to 350 cm (Madura Thasos or Shadow in 350 cm width) avoid multiplying 140 cm panels. If the patio door is used for passage, open the curtain on the side opposite to the opening, to avoid rubbing it with each passage. Combine with a wide voile curtain, such as the Santorini 300 x 350 cm, for daytime privacy.

How to fit curtains on a roof window

A standard curtain hangs in mid-air under a sloping roof window. Two solutions: one pole at the top and a second at the bottom of the window, which hold the fabric against the slope; or a blind adapted to the roof window, easier to operate. To dress a roof window with curtains, choose a lightweight fabric, such as a tab-top voile, which the two poles hold without distorting it.

Curtain length for a small window

Three possible lengths: to the sill (the curtain stops 1 cm above), below the sill (10 to 15 cm lower, which dresses the window better), or to the floor to enlarge the window and the room. In kitchens and bathrooms, a net curtain, fixed to the window frame, is sufficient. Blinds are in the blinds collection.

Madura (France) covers the essentials of the catalogue: eyelet curtains, pencil pleat curtains, sheer curtains, blackout curtains, in heights from 250 to 350 cm and in large widths up to 350 cm, with matching curtain poles. See Madura curtains.

Raw Room prints patterns on polyester in 250 and 300 cm heights, for windows that become a graphic element. See the brand Raw Room.

Gabrielle Paris works with linen: thick linen, washed linen, herringbone linen voile, jacquard or striped, in 280 cm height. See the brand Gabrielle Paris.

Nobodinoz offers cotton sheer curtains in checks and stripes of 140 x 280 cm, designed for children's bedrooms. See the brand Nobodinoz.

House Doctor (Denmark) publishes plain curtains, in white and brown-grey, to match its decorative universe. See the brand House Doctor.

A living room with 250 cm ceiling height, 140 × 215 cm window

The frame leaves 35 cm to the ceiling: the rod is mounted at 245 cm, just below the ceiling, to make the window look taller, and measures 175 cm. Drop height: 245 cm, so a 250 cm curtain that breaks 5 cm on the floor, or shortened by 6 cm to just graze it. Width: 175 × 1.5 to 2, i.e. 260 to 350 cm, so two 150 cm panels (300 cm, a fullness of 1.7) like the Raw Room 250 × 150 cm.

A Haussmannian bedroom with 310 cm ceiling height, two 120 cm windows

Rod mounted at 300 cm, 160 cm long per window. To sleep in darkness, a blackout eyelet curtain on each side, but 270 cm models would leave a 30 cm gap: choose a 298 or 300 cm curtain (Madura Milos or Shadow) and pair it with a blackout blind fitted inside the reveal. Matching bed linen is chosen from the bed linen collection.

How to whiten curtains

Follow the care label first. For a white curtain in cotton, linen or washable polyester, soaking for a few hours in warm water with added sodium percarbonate, then a gentle wash, revives the white without damaging the fibre. Avoid bleach on synthetics and on linen, which it can weaken or yellow. Hang the curtain on the rod whilst still damp to dry: its weight smooths out the fabric.

How to whiten yellowed curtains

Yellowing comes from sunlight, tobacco, cooking or washing with coloured linen. A first soak in sodium percarbonate is often enough; repeat it rather than increasing the dose. A curtain yellowed by the sun on one side only will not always return to its original colour: in this case, reverse the panels from time to time so that wear is even. Velvet and coated blackout curtains are dry-cleaned or treated according to the manufacturer's instructions. Machine-washable curtains are in the polyester curtain collection.

What The Cool Republic orders placed between January and September 2026 show in the Curtains collection. Shares are counted by number of orders, not quantities, so that a large purchase doesn't weigh more than another.

The most requested brands

In order of orders: Nobodinoz, Raw Room, Madura.

The most ordered models since January

• Khaki green and pink checked cotton voile curtain 140 x 280 x 1 cm Wendy, Nobodinoz
• Beige polyester curtain 300x150cm Buttered caramel 1, Raw Room
• Limestone beige linen curtain with black trim 150x280 Carlina, Madura
• Eyelet Curtain Coconut Light Beige fabric, Madura
• Blackout Curtain with Gathering Tape White Blackout, Madura

• Measuring the window instead of the height beneath the rod: curtains are ordered according to the fitted rod, never according to the frame.
• Fitting the rod flush with the frame: the window looks cramped and the wall remains visible above the fabric; raise it by at least 10 to 15 cm.
• Stopping the rod at the edge of the window: when open, the curtain covers 15 to 20 cm of glass on each side and darkens the room.
• Taking a single 140 cm panel for a 180 cm rod: without fullness, the closed curtain is taut and lets light through at the edges.
• Relying on a blackout curtain alone to achieve darkness: without a 20 cm overhang on each side and without reaching the floor, light gets through all around.
• Leaving a curtain pooling in front of patio doors: it gets stepped on, wears out and collects dust; save pooling for windows with little traffic.