6 Curtain Tips for Rooms with Low Ceilings

If your room has low ceilings, it can be difficult to dress your windows.

However, there are quite a few designer tips you can use to make your room appear taller and choose the right curtains.

Tip #1:

Use Vertical Stripes

Vertical stripes draw the eye up and create the illusion of height, while horizontal stripes do the opposite. This simply means to opt for curtains with vertical stripes to make your room appear taller. Stay away from banded curtains with color-blocked fabrics at the bottom as those will draw the eye down instead.

Striped curtain in various blues. Find it here.

Vertical stripes in black and white are great with rooms with low ceilings…

…while horizontal stripes will make your room appear wider only, but not taller.

Tip #2:

Choose Snow White Fabrics

White fabrics help make a room appear larger, even when they have a bit of a pattern. However, you’ll have to have natural light coming through and choose curtains with light-filtering privacy linings instead of blackout linings to see this desired effect.

White and light blue fabrics on curtains. Find it here.

Cream-colored curtains achieve the same effect of bringing more light in, albeit to a lesser extent.

Tip #3:

Use Outside Mounts, Not Inside Mounts

Inside mounts aren’t the best solution for rooms with low ceilings as they will make the ceiling appear even lower. Whenever you have the option, always choose an outside mount instead of an inside mount.

An inside-mounted London valance. Find it here.

An outside-mounted London valance.

Tip #4:

Hang Your Curtain Rods 1″ to 3″ Below Your Ceiling

Now that you know you’re wise to do an outside mount instead of an inside mount, the question is where to hang your curtain rod.

The answer is simple – as high as you possibly can!

Hang your curtain rods 1 to 3 inches below your ceiling line or crown molding.

If you have a valance, your valance will likely cover more of your wall than your window, and that’s perfectly fine. It’s what professional designers do to make low ceilings appear higher.

Tip #5:

Choose Flat Window Treatments

If you have both a low ceiling and a small room, you’ll have to keep things as simple and as decluttered as possible.

When it comes to window treatments, that means choosing flat and simple styles and staying away from excessive layering of styles that use a lot of volume and fabric.

Simple box-pleat valances are great for small rooms. Find it here.

While balloon valances are a great attention piece for most rooms, the fact that they use so much fabric and take so much space doesn’t make them the best option for small rooms with low ceilings.

Tip #6:

Choose Long Curtains Instead of Valances and Shades

This tip is based on the same principle as choosing fabrics with vertical stripes instead of horizontal stripes.

Anything that creates horizontal design elements will make your room appear taller, while things that create the illusion of width will just bring attention to a low ceiling.

For that reason, it’s a good idea to choose long curtains wherever you can instead of top treatments like valances and shades.

Long drapes are typically not the first choice for bathroom windows, but they work in this case to create the illusion of height.         

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