Floor-to-Ceiling, Extra Long Curtains

 

 

Curtains are one of the few decor items that not only fulfil an important function but also offer the immense aesthetic potential to vitalize the room with colour, pattern, and texture. They add alluring charm to a room, soften the hard surfaces, and contrast the flat silhouettes of the walls and windows with their rippled contours. Extra long, floor-to-ceiling curtains up the game further and almost double up as accent walls, adding drama, glamour and opulence to the mix.

If you’re exploring dressing your doors and windows in this stately version of drapery, this blog is for you. Drapery experts at The White Window share how floor-to-ceiling, extra long curtains can make a monumental difference to the room’s aesthetic and functionality. They also suggest the key details that require attention when dressing any window with extra long made-to-measure curtains, revealing their tried-and-true tricks of getting them right every single time. 

The Unparalleled Excellence of Floor-to-Ceiling Curtains

 

That ‘more is truly more’ is exemplified in the exceptional ability of floor-to-ceiling curtains to blend luxe elegance with unparalleled functionality. No window treatment exudes such luxury and grace as the flowy trails of extra long drapes that cascade like a waterfall from the topmost point in the room, drape like magic and touch down like a dream. They are exceedingly befitting for dressy ultra-formal rooms where anything less might fall short of projecting the desired grandeur. Only such full-scale drapes speak to the proportions of extra large windows and flatter the expanse of tall spaces. And, paradoxically, they are also the saving grace for rooms with low ceilings, and not-so-generous-sized windows. As if all this is not enough, floor-to-ceiling curtains come with many discreet perks, such as:

• OPTICAL ELONGATION: By making a direct visual connection between the ceiling and the floor, floor-to-ceiling curtains highlight the full vertical span of the room. Thus, they make the ceiling ‘appear’ to be higher and optically elongate the room. Whether you are trying to decorate a small room with a low ceiling that looks slightly cramped and low-lit or if you want to highlight the luxury of a high-ceiling room, floor-to-ceiling curtains should be your topline choice. For an even more impressive visual effect, consider installing full-length vertical striped drapes on a low-profile track attached directly to the ceiling. Over and above the full-length curtains themselves, the stripes cascading from the highest point to the bottommost end act as a subtle guide to the eye accentuating the height of the room.
• EFFORTLESS CAMOUFLAGE: Homeowners often face challenges dressing windows of varying sizes within the same room. Using curtains or shades of different lengths can highlight this inconsistency, drawing attention to the mismatched sizes. Full-length, extra long curtains provide uniformity, creating an optical cohesion among mismatched windows. Additionally, for windows positioned awkwardly, whether close to the ceiling or floor, floor-length curtains help minimize the visibility of these design shortcomings, tricking the eye into overlooking their odd placements.
• SHOWCASES SPECIALITY WINDOWS: Arched windows, triangular windows, semi-hexagonal windows and other angled windows are architectural gems that call for special treatment. But as much as they are a whimsical dream, they are also a styling challenge when it comes to hanging curtains. If you hang curtains that trace the curved or angled profile of the window, you will have to rely on speciality hardware which tends to be pricier and usually only supports stationary drapes. But with floor-to-ceiling curtains, you can dress your windows with straight poles. The grandeur of your long stately drapery will complement the distinctive beauty of these windows and the cost of hardware will be lighter on the pocket in comparison to speciality hardware.
• OFFERS OPTIMAL INSULATION: For light sleepers or night workers, who often desire complete light blockage, extra long, floor-to-ceiling blackout curtains are ideal, effectively preventing light from seeping through the edges. Additionally, they offer better insulation for cold nights compared to shorter curtains. Since full-sized windows can be significant sources of heat loss in winter, covering them completely can help retain warmth. Similarly, if expansive glass windows or sliding doors open to your patio provide a sunlit living room but leave you overwhelmed by heat and glare, ceiling-to-floor lined drapery can be the perfect solution.

Designers’ Styling Advice for Flawlessly Elegant & Optimally Functional Floor-to-Ceiling Curtains

 

Draped across the full length and width of a window wall, a set of striking floor-to-ceiling curtains can serve as a standout feature, akin to a thoughtfully designed accent wall. Undoubtedly, it is their distinctive elegance that makes us adore this grand drapery style, however, full-length drapes provide more than just beauty. They combine style with utility, create the illusion of higher ceilings, conceal architectural imperfections, highlight key design elements, and fulfil the crucial roles of managing light and ensuring privacy most impressively. And so, if you’ve also given in to the irresistible allure of floor-to-ceiling curtains and drapes, stay with us for the handy tips to slay it with style:

Decide the Suitable Drop Point

 

While it is clear that floor-to-ceiling curtains scale the full height of the room, the exact drop point of the curtains can vary. Accordingly, their visual appeal, ease of operation and practical convenience of usage will also differ. We classify these drop points broadly into four categories:

• FLOAT: In this position, the curtains seem to be ‘floating’ as they are just a tad bit short of touching the floor. Curtains at this drop point don’t gather dust easily and operate most smoothly. But they allow some light to seep into the room from the bottom edge.
• GRAZE: Curtains that gently touch the floor are ‘grazing’, giving off a very tailored look due to the right fit. Light leaks from the bottom are minimised and the curtains operate smoothly.
• BREAK-PUDDLE: At this drop point, the curtains touch the floor and then extend by about an inch. It is ideal if you have uneven floors, making it difficult to achieve the high-precision ‘graze’ position.
• PUDDLE: This is the extravagant style of drapery where the curtains’ trails are pooled on the floor. Undoubtedly, it is chosen to make an aesthetic statement, and functionality is not the key requirement or is met by another window treatment. Puddled drapes are highly formal and are best left stationary as decorative features and default focal points of the room.

For high-traffic zones, ‘float’, ‘graze’ and ‘break-puddle’ are ideal as the curtains will operate freely. Whereas if you’re looking to make a bold design statement or match the grandeur of the fabric itself, ‘puddle’ is most suitable.

Pick the Heading Style with Forethought

 

Since floor-to-ceiling drapes are longer than usual, they are also relatively heavier. If your room is exceptionally tall and the fabric is heavy, you can expect the drapes to be a tad more challenging to glide on the pole due to their weight. So, choose a heading style that provides maximum ease of operation. You can visit our Drapery Headings Style Guide where we have explained each of our over dozen heading styles in detail. However, if you want a short answer to which heading style could be most functionally beneficial for full-length drapes, we’d say - all curtain styles that have rings or grommets in their headers - and this makes any of the pinch pleats, grommet tops, and flat panel tops your top candidates for extra long curtains.

Choose Apt Hardware and Mount It Correctly

 

Extra long, floor-to-ceiling curtains call for hardware that can manage the weight. So, check the load-bearing capacity of the drapery poles before you install them. And, if you’re aiming for a sleek finish, opt for curtain tracks so that curtains make seamless contact with the ceiling. Alternatively, you can also mount the hardware on the ceiling to ensure a flush finish where the curtains meet the ceiling. If however, you don’t want to lose the opportunity of bringing another decorative layer with traditional drapery poles and their sculptural finials, make sure that you mount them as close to the ceiling as you possibly can for maximum elegance.

Check Compatibility

 

No doubt floor-to-ceiling, long drapes are an attractive proposal, and yet, they are not for all rooms or all windows. Before you finalise on going full scale, check the compatibility of the window and the settings. In these situations, we advise avoiding floor-to-ceiling curtains for practical and safety concerns:

• KITCHENS, BATHROOMS AND LAUNDRY ROOMS: These rooms are not formal spaces that need the dressy approach of extra long drapes. And they are most difficult to manage where moisture is high and water on the floors is an everyday reality, not a rare mishap. Go for short curtains or sill-length treatments in these spaces to prevent mould formation and maintain hygiene. Short curtains are also safer to use in these high-traffic zones whereas long drapes can cause tripping accidents.
• WINDOW WITH HEATERS: Windows with heaters are best left uncovered so that the heat they generate is accessible. So, use sill-length treatments for functional purposes and install stationary floor-to-ceiling drapes to frame the window if you don’t want to miss the chance to go grand.

The Bottom Line

 

In most homes, long, floor-to-ceiling drapes are the perfect choice for formal spaces, with only a few exceptions. Tall windows and feature windows deserve the stately treatment of full-length drapes because anything less just doesn’t do them justice. Small rooms and low-ceiling rooms seek to mask their unflattering dimensions with the full-height coverage of floor-to-ceiling curtains. Bedrooms and media rooms look to long curtains for unsurpassed insulative protection from extreme climate. This versatile style of drapery has precious offerings that neither designers nor homeowners can resist. So, if you too have fallen for them, take advantage of the tips and ideas laid down in this blog and get floor-to-ceiling drapes for their unbeatable elegance and functionality. Off to the shopping spree!