Draperies are not an easy task! Any honest interior designer will tell you that. There's a lot to consider past determining the color/pattern of them (although that's the fun part!).

How they fit and function in the space is so important as well. So we're here to break down how to determine the best size drapes for your space.

Let's jump right in!

This will determine how to proceed with figuring your length.

First thing's first. How do you plan to use your draperies? Will they need to close at night or are they just there for texture and yumminess? Let's do a little choose your adventure.

"Yes, they will function. I like to dance in my underwear" - move to A

"No, they're just for looks" - move to B

Ok, great! The first detail is checked off the list.

Next is the trickier part: The Width.

The WIDTH refers to the how wide each panel needs to be (side to side). We're going to break this up into two categories of drapery headers, Option #1 and Option #2:

Option #1:

Knife Pleat, Clip Ring, Grommet and Rod Pocket

Draperies with any of the below headers will pull flat over a space unless each drapery panel is ordered wider than the space it actually has to cover.

We strongly recommend ordering your panels wider than your space to allow your panels to have fullness in them when closed. How much extra width is truly up to you and your budget as any extra width is a positive thing but the below is generally what we'd recommend in these scenarios:

SCENARIO #1:
--- Window width: 36"
--- Rod Size: 42"
--- Header: Knife Pleat
--- Recommend Drapery Width (per panel): A pair (2) of 46" (our smallest standard width)This scenario would give you great fullness in the panels when closed. They'd also look nice and full when stacked back to the side of the window as well.

SCENARIO #2:
--- Window width: 65"
--- Rod Size: 75"
--- Header: Knife Pleat
--- Recommend Drapery Width (per panel): A pair (2) of 69" (our 1.5 width standard width)
This scenario would allow fullness in the panels when closed. They'd also look nice and full when stacked back to the side of the window as well. While a pair of 46" wide panels would also work, they would pull mostly flat when closed.

SCENARIO #3:
--- Window width: 85"
--- Rod Size: 96"
--- Header: Knife Pleat
--- Recommend Drapery Width (per panel): A pair (2) of 69" (our 1.5 width size) OR our 92" (double width size) panels.
In this scenario, BOTH options would work fine with the double width (92") giving you a nicer fullness than the 1.5 width (69"). This category of headers are nice in that you have leway in what best fits your budget but still works fine over your space without "skimping" on the width. 
*This recommendation is for a PAIR of the above suggested widths to cover the space.

SCENARIO #1:
--- Window width: 36"
--- Rod Size: Up to 44" (4ft)
--- Header: Pinch/Euro Pleat
--- Recommend Drapery Width (per panel): A pair (2) of 22" (our smallest standard width)
This scenario would give you proper width needed to cover your space. The fullness would be accounted for within the pleats themselves. Be sure that you're bringing your rod wider than your actual window space. We recommend atleast 3" on either side.

SCENARIO #2:
--- Window width: 55"
--- Rod Size: Up to 66"
--- Header: Pinch/Euro Pleat
--- Recommend Drapery Width (per panel): A pair (2) of 33" (our 1.5 width panel)
This scenario would give you proper width needed to cover your space. The fullness would be accounted for within the pleats themselves. 

*As a note, it's ok for the panels to be wider than the actual space you need to cover. It's just not ok to have them not wide enough. If your rod is 50", then you'd still need to go with Scenario #2.

This detail makes things a bit easier for the next step, the Width. With non-functioning/stationary draperies (like yours will be), you essentially only need to care about whether they'll look proportionate to the window space rather than actually needing to cover the window space.

• Single Width Panels (pair): Will always look great on a single window. They can be used for a double width window as well but we don't necessarily love the proportion. But if your budget is limited, they'll still give you a good look.
• 1.5 Width Panels (pair): Works well on a double window (approx 6ft). This size could also work on a triple window if budget was limited.
• Double Width Panels (pair): Works well on anything larger than a double width. The stack here is a bit wide so be sure to consider than when determining the drapery rod size that you'll be using.

Don't forget the STACK BACK...

This helps you figure out the best rod length.

Photo credit: Betz Design Studio. Banded Drapery Panels by Martha & Ash. Find them here! 

The last thing when considering your drapery width is that you allow space for the "Stack back". The stack back is the amount of space your draperies will take up when pushed off your window space. By allowing your rod to be wider than your actual window opening, the draperies will have room to stack back off your window and not hang in your glass area, obstructing any window views. Below is a quick guideline of how much space each width/header takes up:

Stack Back - Pinch and Euro Pleat (per side)
- Single Width (22") : About 5" - 7"
- 1.5 Width (33"): About 7" - 9"
- Double Width (44"): About 10" to 14"
- 2.5 Width (55"): About 14" - 18"

Now take the above stack back measurement and split it in half. That's how much length needs to be added to your rod on either side. For instance, if one panel takes up 7" of stack back, add 3.5" of length to the rod on that side of your window.

**Now that you have your total rod length, make sure to go back and ensure that the width you determined still works for the space. **

You're almost there!

Lastly is the length, possibly the most important aspect to get right. Nobody likes a high water panel, folks. Here's how we recommend determining your length (top to bottom). Please note that this is assuming your hardware is already hanging. (Don't worry if it isn't. Skip down.)

1. Hang your drapery ring on your rod.
2. Measure from the bottom of the ring down to the floor.

That was pretty easy, wasn't it? Next is determining how you want the panels to reach the floor.

No Hardware? You can still determine a good length by estimating the amount of space you'll need to leave for your hardware. If you're using around a 1.5" diameter rod, you'd be safe with allowing 3" of space before your draperies start. If you had a 1" diameter rod with a 1.5" dia ring then more like 2"-2.5". If you're one that likes a big honking rod, we've got nothing for ya. Just kidding, kind of. ;) It all just depends how much space your hardware needs from the top of the rod down to the bottom of the ring.

Following the above should get you off to a great start with your drapery project. If you have any additional questions, we're always happy to help! Just send us a quick message here! 

For more inspiration, be sure to check out our lovely client gallery page and our video tutorials!