How do you feel about non-floor-length curtains?

[NewEnglandLady]

I think I did something stupid. I bought 63" curtains. For a bedroom, no less. And the material is silk, which screams "formal". This was an Overstock purchase and they didn''t have the curtains in an 84" length.

I''ve seen shorter curtains work in some spaces--kitchens, bathrooms, informal rooms or cottages, etc., but after I bought them I realized that in this material, in a bedroom (which is large with many windows), I don''t think it''s going to work.

Does anybody have shorter curtains in their bedroom and they feel like it works well? Does anybody think short curtains always look awkward?

 

[noelwr]

I think the curtain should match the length of the window.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

I love them hung from ceiling to floor.

 

[cdt1101]

I chose a short length for my DS nursery in a silk and OH how I regret it!! They look ridiculous and to this day (a year later) I just want to rip them down! But for safety purposes I didn''t want to go long and glad I didn''t because as a curious 1 year there is NO doubt in my mind that if he could reach them he would try to pull on them. So in that sense I''m glad I went short. But from a design perspective, they are awful

I''d say return them.

 

[MustangGal]

We have short (63" I believe) curtains in our bedroom, to keep the cats from clawing them up. I thought it looked odd at first, but now I'm used to it and wouldn't change it!

 

[NewEnglandLady]

Ooo, Mustang, a pic would be great!

This is all helpful, ladies, thank you! Our dogs were another reason I thought the shorter length would be fine--anything that is below their height will quickly be covered in fur. I''m going to wait, see how they look, and if I don''t love them I''ll return them.

 

[DivaDiamond007]

We have short curtains in our living room, bed room and in James'' room and I think they look fine

They''re hung from the top of the molding around the window and hang to the window sill ledge. Our "decor" is casual (read: non existent) though so I don''t think ceiling to floor curtains would look right in our house.

 

[lyra]

You could have a contrasting stripe of fabric added to the bottom if it really bothers you.

 

[packrat]

The living room and patio doors have long ones..not touching the floor but a couple inches above it. I love seeing home shows where the curtains are floor length and pool a little at the bottom but that would so not work for us. The bedrooms have short curtains, the 63" length. I like it b/c our pets can''t sit on them and the kids leave them alone.

 

[Hera]

Date: 6/24/2010 3:12:51 PM
Author: lyra
You could have a contrasting stripe of fabric added to the bottom if it really bothers you.

That''s what I would do. It might have worked in a more casual fabric, but a silk looks best hung to the floor.

 

[pennquaker09]

To the floor always. That''s just me though.

 

[Haven]

I always prefer floor-length curtains over anything else.

 

[KimberlyH]

i''m altering curtains for the babys'' room to be the size of the window (don''t want her tugging them down when she gets older/mobile. i think it depends on the room and decor. our breakfast nook curtains would look ridiculous if they were floor length and the living room would look odd if they weren''t.

 

[Clairitek]

I prefer to have my curtains go to the floor from wherever they are hung. I think it really makes a room.


For those of you who are concerned about safety with floor length curtains and kids, try using curtain rings + clips intead of a rod shoved through a part of the curtain. Then secure your curtain rod to the wall using dry wall anchors and some serious screws. That way, if your kid tugs on the curtain (hopefully) just the curtain comes down, instead of the whole assembly.

Curtain Clips

 

[rhbgirl24]

We have 63" curtains in our office and it looks great, much easier to vacuum and clean around them. But our bedrooms are full length. Unfortunately Nell I agree with your reservations here, I dont think you''re going to be happy in shorter, formal silk curtains.

Darn it!

 

[ladypirate]

We have short (just longer than the window) casual curtains in our bedrooms (not sure of the exact length because I made them, so i just made them to the length that worked). They are off white sheer fabric with a strip of blue along the top and a wider strip along the bottom. We have similar style curtains in our bathroom. I think full length curtains look too formal in an informal room.

That said, the curtains you got sound quite formal which seems like it could look odd in a shorter length.

 

[NewEnglandLady]

I agree with you ladies. Shorter curtains might work in a more informal fabric in a more informal room, but I think these curtains will be going back. Or I love the suggestion of having a darker band of material that reaches to the floor. I think that for this it would be more work than it''s worth since I''d have to find a similar weight of silk, plus buy the cotton backing. And have a seamstress do it all. I will probably just start at square one. Thanks, all!

 

[Prana]

I''m in the minority here, I can''t stand floor length curtains, or long curtains. I have valances on all our windows. I just feel like curtains are a haven for dust, and a place for dog hair and dirt to collect under on the floor.

They do look nice, though!

 

[lilyfoot]

Floor-length is definitely the way to go!

 

[Ninna]

Floor lenght always, valances only in the kitchen.

 

[gemgirl]

When I first bought my house, I had 84" curtains everywhere but the kitchen and family room. Fast forward nineteen years and I can''t do that kind of ironing anymore (I like to wash my curtains, drapes and blinds at least twice a year). It''s 63" for me, all around the house. They''re much easier to keep up with.

 

[pennquaker09]

Date: 6/24/2010 9:10:25 PM
Author: KimberlyH
i''m altering curtains for the babys'' room to be the size of the window (don''t want her tugging them down when she gets older/mobile. i think it depends on the room and decor. our breakfast nook curtains would look ridiculous if they were floor length and the living room would look odd if they weren''t.

I don''t personally have the problem of kids tugging on my drapes, but they will throw their sippy cups at you! But, even if they did tug on them, they''re not going anywhere because they''re pretty secure. If I can find a picture I''ll post them. I don''t know what happened to my digital camera, it''s like it disappeared.

 

[KimberlyH]

penn, perhaps the camera was thrown as well?

i''m also doing shorter curtains because we bought these a while ago for a different house and i''m one panel shy but they''re the right color and fabric, so i''m saving money.

 

[April20]

I accidently bought 60" curtains online, final clearance, no returns when we bought our house. I had a really bad head cold at the time and blame this awful purchase on cold medicine. They just wouldn't work. I ended up selling them on Ebay and broke even.

I like curtains to the floor...

 

[pennquaker09]

Date: 6/26/2010 11:41:12 AM
Author: KimberlyH
penn, perhaps the camera was thrown as well?

i''m also doing shorter curtains because we bought these a while ago for a different house and i''m one panel shy but they''re the right color and fabric, so i''m saving money.

Maybe, lol.

 

[Jennifer W]

All our curtains are ceiling to floor, except in DD's room. There is a radiator under her window and the heavy curtains would have stopped the heat from getting into the room. Also, they suit the window in that room and actually look really good (I did not expect that, I bought them with gritted teeth). Only time I've ever bought non-floor length and it worked out well. I think it depends on the room, the window and the style of the fabric.

ETA we live in a Victorian cottage and this window is perfectly square, with four panes - they might not look so great in a room with tall windows.
Jen

 

[gardengloves]

NEL,

Congrats on closing, moving and settling in. My first purchase to christen new home was also drapes. I love the to the floor look of panels framing windows- its just so classic..

I made the same mistake when we first bought a house. I had 9 foot ceilings and bought 84" drapes. They hung like the 64", from the top of window--- about 12" shy of floor. I had to change them for 96" to hang from above window to floor. If I wanted ceiling to floor, also a great look that would have pushed me to 106", mucho expensive. Hope you can return them and get the 84". They are a great investment, you see them everyday and bring lots of joy.

I took all our drapes to our new home which has 8 foot ceilings and now they puddle on the floor, or I hang them from ceiling depending on room. My point is these are a great investment you can use and reuse in multiple spaces, move them room to room, and you will always enjoy them.

 

[gardengloves]

NEL... to give you a sense of scale, these are 96 inch with 8 foot ceilings., they puddle

 

[gardengloves]

these are 84 inch hung from top of window- 8 foot ceilings, just grazing floor

 

[pennquaker09]

Date: 6/28/2010 10:22:50 PM
Author: gardengloves
NEL... to give you a sense of scale, these are 96 inch with 8 foot ceilings., they puddle

It gives me warm and fuzzies to see beautiful rooms.