Many things can make or break a room...but none quite as swiftly as a pair of ill-conceived drapes. But don't worry, friends, there's a foolproof way to make sure your decor dreams never get squashed by drapery. All you have to do is buy a bigger panel size and then mount them as close to your ceiling as possible.
Let's back up a bit: There's a common misconception that you should buy curtains that fit your window measurements—but this is just plain wrong. You should actually measure the height from your floor to your ceiling—and buy a pair of panels right around that length instead.
See, while shorter curtains mounted just above your windows make your room feel cramped, long, elegant drapes will visually trick you into thinking your ceiling grew by a foot.
A good general rule of thumb: The higher the mount, the grander the room. But if you're a numbers gal, shoot to hang your curtain hardware 12 inches above your window frame. Got that, guys? Now go order some taller drapes and pull out the drill!
