STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

I spent 3 long post collegiate years selling drapery in a department store (Creative Writing & Cinema-Television major = really bad job after college.)

You want to at the very least double the width of your window. I usually recommended adding one extra panel on top of the doubled width amount to give the look fullness (as long as it isn't a window that you plan on tying the drapes back on either side.) Basically, you want the panels to pleat nicely across the windows and not look like they are stretched to cover them. And you want to measure from sill to sill (if your windows have these.) This is because you want the drapes to come out a bit on either side of the window.

You also need to measure the length from the floor to where you want to place the curtain rod above the windows (usually about an inch or so above.) The standard length that they sell is 84 inches, but you can sometimes find a 96 inch set if you look. The drapes should either just touch the floor or hover slightly above it. If necessary, most dry cleaners will hem drapes.

Thanks, girls, for the help. The length isn't the issue, we actually don't want the curtains down to the bottom of the floor (for both style and practical purposes, the heating vent is right below the window). But I really appreciate the help on how wide I need the curtains.