The short answer: mount the rod 4 to 6 inches above the window frame — or higher, close to the ceiling — and extend it 6 to 12 inches past the frame on each side. Then choose panels that just touch the floor. Here’s how to adjust that for your room.
How high
- The standard spot is 4 to 6 inches above the top of the window frame. It works in almost any room and leaves the trim visible.
- For a taller-looking window, go higher: halfway between the frame and the ceiling, or an inch or two below the ceiling or crown molding. In prewar apartments with high ceilings, this is usually the move that makes the room feel finished.
- With a low ceiling, put the rod as close to the ceiling as the brackets allow — or skip the wall entirely and use a ceiling track.
Before you settle on a height, check what’s above the window. In many prewar buildings a steel lintel sits a few inches above the frame, and it can decide where the brackets go. More on that in hanging curtain rods in prewar plaster and brick.
How wide
Extend the rod 6 to 12 inches past the frame on each side. That extra width is where the panels stack when they’re open, so the glass stays clear and the room gets all the daylight.
- Heavier panels need more room. Lined, velvet and blackout curtains bunch up more than sheers — use the larger number.
- A window close to a wall may only have room on one side. That’s fine; keep the rod centered on the window visually, not on the wall.
- Wide rods need a center support so they don’t sag. Most rods include one for longer lengths — use it.
How long the panels should be
Measure from where the panel will hang — the bottom of the rings, or the top of the rod for grommet panels — down to the floor.
- Just touching the floor or floating about half an inch above it looks clean and is easy to live with.
- A 1- to 2-inch break on the floor looks softer and more formal, but collects dust.
- Ready-made panels usually come in 84, 96 and 108 inches. It’s often easier to set the rod height to suit panels you can buy than to have panels hemmed.
NYC specifics
A radiator under the window
Floor-length curtains over a radiator are common in prewar apartments, but fabric shouldn’t rest on a hot radiator. Either stop the panels at the sill, use brackets that hold the rod far enough out for the panels to clear it, or plan to keep the curtains drawn to the sides in heating season.
A window AC unit
Keep the rod and the panels clear of the unit’s vents. Curtains closed over a running AC block its airflow and make it work harder. If the AC is going in at the same time, see window AC installation.
Several windows on one wall
Set every rod at one common height so they read as a single line across the room — or run one long rod or track across all the windows. Long runs need more brackets; with ArtFixPro, anything over 8 ft is priced per bracket ($30 per bracket · $100 min on drywall or brick).
Before anyone drills
- Hold the rod or a strip of painter’s tape at the height you want and step back to the doorway.
- Mark both bracket positions and check them with a level — old floors and ceilings are rarely level, so measure from the window, not the floor.
- Check that the panels you have (or plan to buy) are the right length for that height.
- Find out what the wall is — drywall, plaster, brick or concrete — because it decides the anchor.
ArtFixPro installs curtain rods and ceiling tracks in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens: $100 each up to 8 ft on drywall or brick, $150 each on poured concrete. We mark the height and width with you before drilling and can hang the curtains during the same visit.