Net curtains are a fantastic tool for creating a cost-effective one-way mirror out of an otherwise typical window. They also help protect rooms from damaging sun rays that can damage carpeting, furniture, and the temperature of your living room.
Given the busy nature of most cities, these curtains will keep the inside of your house a looming mystery to passersby or overly curious neighbors. They also tend to be a bit more inexpensive than alternative curtains like voile.
Where should net curtains sit on the window to be most effective?
As a general rule of thumb, between four to six inches above the window frame is ideal for setting the top of your curtains.
This gives the windows a few more inches of perceived height. The end of your curtain can sit at around 3 inches past your window sill, just above the floor or in a ‘puddle’ of cloth to give a more romantic feel to the room.
While these three different methods are all perfectly acceptable (I will go into more detail on them below), there are quite a few don’ts when hanging net curtains!
The Different Heights Net Curtains Sit At (and Why!)
A few inches past the window sill
This tends to be the most practical and straightforward approach when setting curtains. They are highly recommended for people with pets or children, as they gather less dirt, fur, and errant footprints.
They also still do their intended job of obstructing sunlight and maintaining the privacy of whatever room you place them in.
These work very well above counters, sinks, and for smaller, bathroom windows.
Pros
- Practical, easy to clean.
- Fantastic for their ease of use if they are in a room that you will be using them often in.
- If the windowsill has a household appliance, furniture, or object underneath it these will hang just above without having to be folded behind or rolled up.
Cons
- They tend to look a bit more plain and unremarkable than the two styles listed below
- Sometimes you are at risk for these looking a bit too high off the ground, giving a less pleasing aesthetic to the overall window.
- Have to be very specific when ordering, as these can very easily not be the desired length, whereas the others offer more give.
Just Above The Floor
This measurement is the best of both worlds! This creates a more personal, laidback look without the concern of it catching dirt while also being much more pleasing to the eye than the window sill curtains.
This style is very much “in fashion” at the moment and you will notice most places utilizing this style of curtain setting.
These are ideal for people who want a more “filled-in” window without all of the hassles of a small lake of fabric at the base of their floor.
Pros
- Very popular and aesthetically pleasing style
- Fools the eye into thinking it touches the floor without all the mess that comes with that style.
- They will give more visual length to your window, giving the room more implied space overall.
Cons
- Lacks the romance of ‘puddled’ curtains
- Requires an unobstructed area below the window for these to sit properly
- Less ideal than shorter curtains if your window is going to see a lot of use (adjusting the curtains)
Pooling onto the floor
These curtains can range anywhere from two inches to ten inches past floor level and create a romantic, more intimate feel to the room. These curtains are great for places like bedrooms or areas where you won’t be adjusting the windows often.
Great for anyone wanting to give a room some much-needed majesty and a cozy familiarity.
Pros
- Very visually desirable, creating a relaxed pop in any room.
- You don’t have to stress as much about the exact length, as you might with the previous settings.
- Adds both size and elegance to the rooms that they are in.
Cons
- If you have any two to four-legged children roaming around, these will almost certainly start to collect some unwanted additions to the bottom.
- This style really should only be on windows that don’t see much use, as the added length can make them prone to damage and hard to work with.
- Try to avoid thicker materials as they can tend to look less glamorous and more like you are desperately trying to avoid sunlight.
The Fundamentals of Net Curtain Setting
Width
When people are first-time homeowners one of the biggest mistakes they make is measuring their window and ordering curtains that match those measurements. When their curtains finally do arrive, they are left with giant, blinding gaps of sunlight where more material should be. Do yourself and your wallet a favor and avoid this.
The rule of thumb for any curtain width is around two to three times the measurements of the window.
This creates a fuller, more established look to your window and also makes sure you won’t have to deal with the summer sun heating up your house.
Be sure to also get curtain rods that extend well past the windowsill. When you get curtain rods that are the exact size or slightly less, it ends up making your curtains and windows appear unremarkable and minuscule.
Fabric and Color
A lot of times people will have an idea in their head of what curtains should look like, and once they get them hung up it is a far different picture. One of the biggest reasons for this is that people purchase the wrong fabric and color when deciding on a set of curtains.
Net curtains tend to run on the thicker side and can usually be a bit heavier. So while it may be okay to use a cotton fabric in a room with too much light exposure, using black cotton curtains with a jardiniere style (a cut in the middle to allow in more light) might be the wrong decision.
Hang Them With Appropriate Hardware
There is no shortage of methods to use in hanging your net curtains, but each one does a very specific job.
Some people prefer the ease of use that comes with Command hooks, where you can just slap them on and use them with any sort of wall decoration, or curtains! They are one of the simpler ways to hang curtains, though make sure the weight does not exceed 7.5 pounds.
If you have the conventional window panes found in most residences you can look for tension rods that fit the dimensions of the window you are looking to cover. These fixtures are incredibly simple to work with, though they are meant for lighter net curtains and unfortunately cannot be set above the window in a more fashionable style.
If you find that your curtains are swinging above the other suggestions weight class and you are not renting, you can break out a drill and install a curtain rod above the window yourself. This is typically recommended for heavier fabrics or longer curtains that will need reliable support.
Hard-mounted curtain rods also offer a variety of styles for you to choose from, rather than a more limited selection using other avenues.
In Conclusion
Curtain setting, like most things in interior design, offers a variety of options. While a person could certainly be forgiven for thinking it is a simple process, it is not as complicated as it seems.
Try to get a grasp on where you are going to hang the curtains, what would best reflect the look you are going for, and what you can utilize from this article to make sure your windows and living space look fantastic!