Amy, thank you so much for starting this thread. Every once in a while you will see a short drape in a magazine, usually done out of necessity. MCM houses sometimes have goofy windows that require short drapes.

I'm living in an older house (circa 1919) and have a small bedroom with four windows. I've been staring at those windows every morning for over a year trying to figure out what to do with them and have gradually moved to the idea of short drapes. I want drapes, and to-the-floor would be too much fabric for the room.

What I haven't sorted out is rod style and placement and where to end the drapes. Inside mount could logically stop at the sill. But I'm going to do either a wall mount or mount on the frame, and I'm leaning towards making them at least as long as the apron.

I figured the Apartment Therapy site would have something on short drapes and I was right:

Here is a link that might be useful: Curtains cut short

I've been debating this for DD's bedroom and playroom too - visible from each other. I was initially thinking floor length for her bedroom (we have 9 foot ceilings so a 95" would just barely accomplish this), but sill length + 6" for her playroom. I was thinking it might look a bit too strange, but it would let me place something on the floor near her window in the playroom.

Would you let the panels hang when open, or would you use some kind of tie back option?

When I don't bring curtains to the floor, I like to go 6" longer than the sill (depending on width of panel, you'll see why...) to accomodate tie back space on the inner edges. I don't have substantial aprons, so halfway through the apron would not give me enough hang to pull the curtains back and still have the inner edges of the panels at or near the sill.

If the panels were going to hang straight to either side of the window, vs. be pulled back, I would probably go to the sill. Unless I was also pairing with a sheer (I often do), in which case I would take the sheer to the sill and the panel to the bottom of the apron. Just my opinion, but when I see shorter length curtains that fall halfway through the apron, it looks like someone came up an inch too high or low.

IMHO short drapes are awful. Unless they are true cafe curtains (which should be mounted at half height or 3/4 height of the window opening, and hit a tiny bit above the sill), or used in a childs room. If there are rads/hwheaters under the window, a different type of treatment, such as a roman shade should be used. I agree with Amy that a "trouser break" is the best way to go, and if you can't do that, scrap drapes all together.

My family room and eat-in area are open to one another and I have used long in one and short in the other. Long in the eat-in area just seems too formal for the space and the way we live.

I used to have short curtains in all the bedrooms, but have moved to floor length in all except DS's room. Again, floor length just seemed way too formal in there.
For the short curtains, I always like to go to the bottom of the apron, if not a tad longer.

Totally Confused

Well, I guess I see things the same way that Amberley does. I like a full panel, but also, in a kitchen or other casual eating space, I don't like to see a lot of fabric at the window. Airy & light WTs seems right in such a space, so I can understand why you'd find "less curtain" appealing for a breakfast room.

I see no conflict having different lengths in neighboring rooms, as long as the colors & patterns work together. Since you are the color guru Amy, I'm sure you'll have that squared away!

Would an inside mount valance be of any interest, or is that ultra dated? You probably have a pretty view of your garden or some other neat feature from your room. A valance would add interest w/out blocking your view & light, & would add texture & color.

This is by no means an "up to the minute," cool Apartment Therapy WT, but it allows me to see out the kitchen window & have a little textural interest there. It's yardage from IKEA hanging on tension rods. My total investment, including the rods, was $7.00. I'm sure there are more stylish valance options out there!

{{!gwi}}

Awful? ....hmmm.... Amberly I am glad you approve of the trouser break I have everywhere else. My very traditional seamstress was aghast!

Graywings, thanks for the link. Not sure how I missed that. Stinky, never mind AT! You have your own good thing going on! :-)

I am glad I asked because obviously, if I do go with a shorter length, I don't know where to hem! Looks like below the apron. I should add that the bottom of the apron is 14" off the floor. So, these panels will be quite long, even if they're short. :-)

The fabric I am looking at is white with a soft gray pattern. The walls will be soft gray to white...not sure yet. The panels in the adjacent LR match the wall color, so they are also visually low impact, imo.

Totally Confused, I too feel that floor length for my contemporary-leaning breakfast room seems too formal. I like to let function take the lead where I can, within reason. In a playroom, no question!

I would just let them hang straight, Avesmore, and they'll probably be hung on clean, contemporary rods. This is what I have now, leftovers from the 90's on tension rods. Loverly! But, you can get the idea of what I am after. In the winter, DH insists we close the curtains to keep the house warmer. When I took these down in the Spring, I missed the way they softened the room, so I have kept them up year round.

Here is one of the windows shortly after we moved in. I was looking at roman shades with an 11" drop when lifted, so I taped up copy paper to see how it would cover the windows. I like the look of roman shades in general, but they just seem to block the best part of our view. I don't think they would cozy up the room the same way either.

As for the views, Stinky, they're about to get worse. A Sale Pending sign went up on the lot next door and I am suddenly in a tail spin about losing my view, even though I always knew it would happen eventually. It isn't a great view or anything, but now I will be looking at a house and I am duly nervous. I am thinking about WTs, hedges, trees, etc. Eeek!

I have not been interested in decor trends until recent years. Can someone share when shorter drapes were "in" and when they went "out" and what prompted the change? I am just curious. I really like the look of floor length drapes and would not have been inspired to put them throughout my home (slowly as $$ allows) if it weren't for the inspiration from GW. Thanks!

Also, while I love the look of floor length ("trouser break") drapes, I have found one major drawback: spiders. I was closing some silk drapes the other day and found a HUGE (possible Hobo) spider in there. My significant other and I spent the next 5 minutes arguing over who would smoosh the spider. (Don't worry, I do not smoosh all spiders. Just the ones that are possible poisonous spiders. Both of us have been bitten in the house and it's not pleasant.)

I think either Sill or bottom of the apron would be nice on those windows.

One of my favorite MCM short treatments was the use of a large scale plaid that turned into horizontal stripe when the drapes were open.

Wow, those are beautiful windows! Pretty view, too. Hopefully, the house built over there will be tasteful & attractive, but I agree, it would disturb me too, because I'd hate to lose that great space around me. It's so private now.

Love your patio furniture, btw, & the outdoor pillows. Looks so inviting & comfy.

Good luck w/your WTs!

Prickly, I don't really know when the shift occurred. I can tell you that when I first started spinning my wheels about WTs, it was 1991 and the panels I bought then were the ones in my photos above. Full length, tab top, off-white matelasse. We're still seeing all those things out there, though I grew tired of tab tops long ago and I think it is fair to say that that trend is over.

Pal, thanks for weighing in. I value your opinion very much.

S-G, the house will be tasteful and attractive, I am sure. But, it will be a change. For two years I have enjoyed a view I never expected to have. There are bluebirds and goldfinches in the far trees. I probably won't see them darting around at the edge of the woods once the house is built. There are still many nice things about living here, though.

Draperies...or curtains look strange if they don't fall to a definite level....either floor length...just brishing the sill or to the bottom of the apron.
anything else and it looks like you went to Woolworth's and bought a package of ready made curtains.

Tab tops have been in use for several hundred years as a cheap way to attach a window covering to a dowel. Only when something as classic as tab curtains becomes "trendy" is it in danger of becoming old hat.
Fortunately colonial houses will always have some tab curtains.
Linda C

Oh, I imagine that your neighborhood will ALWAYS be a nice place to live. I can see that it's quite lovely. Like you say, it's going to be an adjustment seeing a house there, that's all. Who knows, maybe you'll become the best of friends with the owners, & you'll be SO glad they built that house there!

I have nothing else to offer regarding your WTs! Just came back to enjoy the view from your window & gab about off-topic subjects!

I love Boston & its environs. I'm a southerner who appreciates so much about the particular beauty only found up North. Especially Fall. My goodness, they do Fall with such flair up there. Here, you'll miss the season if you blink! Officially, today's the first day of Fall! Hope you enjoy the Autumn days ahead. Thanks for letting me ramble.

Hi again S-G. Ramble away!

It's funny about the "best friends" thing. I had always soothed myself saying that when they built the new one outside my kitchen window, it would probably be because "my new best friend" was going to move in. Funny how you and I think alike!

Well, the house on the other side of us just sold, the one that is not so in my face. Turns out that person and I have so many interests n common it's almost scary. So, what I am wondering is if I get to wish for two new best friends or not...

It is getting to be Fall here. After the terribly dry summer, the leaves seem to be turning sooner usual. But, what do I know? I have only been here full-time a few years, and I am not a keeper of garden records and the like. I really should be better about that.

I see you opened your kitchen up to the TKOs! :-) I'll keep an eye out and see what they say.

Some windows and decor look better with apron length curtains. I think windows like yours, that are close to the floor, qualify.

I have always lived in the country. My last house was on a 2.5 acre lot in a somewhat wooded area. There was an empty 2.5 acre lot beside us. I enjoyed looking out my kitchen window at the woods. I couldn't see any other houses because they were all built further back on lot. The lot sold. The new people built their house directly outside my kitchen window. One day, we went over to see how construction was coming along, the lady brought me over to her window to show me her great view. It was my former view! I had to bite my tongue. Hard! I know it was their lot and they could build whereever they wanted, but the comment still was thoughtless.

Thanks roses. I agree that the lower windows change the equation some.

Firstlast, that is painful. How did you deal with your new view? I am thinking about fastigiate trees, solar shades and running a pair of climbing roses up and around the window.

I quit washing dishes! Seriously, I just put up with it and looked out the back. Now, we live on a 65 acre farm. No one can build right beside us!