It is recommended that you hang curtains at least 4 inches above the window frame or halfway through the top of the window and the ceiling. But if you have a high ceiling, you can hang them 8 inches above the window frame or all the way to the top of the ceiling if you have tall windows.

Curtain height affects privacy, as well as the light levels, color, and texture of the room. The optimal height for the curtains to be placed is anywhere from 4 to 6 inches above the frame of the window. The higher you place the curtains on the wall the larger the window looks, it can also make the room look larger.

As a minimum, curtains should be at least 2 inches taller than the window, in other words, there should be a gap of 2 inches between the window trim and the curtain rod. However, it’s preferable that curtains are between 4 and 6 inches taller than the window.

Assuming you’re outfitting a living room or bedroom with average ceiling height (8 feet high), an interior designer’s rule of thumb would be to mount the curtain rod about a half-foot above the top of the window frame—even higher if the total space between the top of the window and the ceiling line is less than 12 inches.

A rule of thumb (from Architectural Digest) is that curtains should be hung between four to six inches above the window frame, so install your curtain rod accordingly. When you hang the curtain rod high, it will make the window appear taller.