Choosing the perfect track position for face mount curtains

Curtains look truly made for your space when they’re hung at the right height and the track is sized to fit just right. They can completely enhance your space, elongate your windows, and brighten up your room. Even slightly adjusting where your track goes can make a big difference and let visitors to your home know your curtains have been custom-made to frame your windows beautifully.

We asked our experts to list their top reasons for getting your track placement right:

• A track at the right height gives your windows the impact they deserve.

• If your track is too low it makes your windows and curtains look smaller and hemmed in.

• The opposite is also true: mounting a track too high doesn't look in proportion to the window and won't make the most of your beautiful, custom curtains.

• Getting the width of your track right not only looks great, it's also practical. If your fabric stacks off the glass it lets the most light in.

Without a doubt our number one tip is to mount your track or rod above your architrave, also known as your window frame. It gives your plush fabric some breathing room and makes your ceiling seem higher. OK now let's get into some specifics:

• As a general rule mount your track at least half way between the top of your window and your ceiling if possible.

• Mounting your track 2/3 of the way between your window and ceiling is also popular.

• Stack your curtains off your windows. It creates the illusion of a bigger window and frames the space without covering original features such as ornate architraves. Read on to learn more about curtain stacks.

• Wall studs are by far the best and most secure surface to attach your curtain track to. It's well worth buying a stud finder and doing your homework.

Stack is a fancy term to describe your curtains when they are drawn open and gathered to one or both sides of your window. Your fabric stack takes up approximately 30% of your width. Space permitting your track width ideally extends past your window so your curtains stack against your wall.

To stack your curtains off your glass, take your window width and add 30 % to get your track width. Your curtains may still sit on top of your architrave at the sides, which looks lovely for sheers as there's still some filtered light coming through.

Example: Your window is 2000 mm wide with ample wall space either side. 2000 mm X 1.3 = 2600 mm track width.

To stack your curtains off your window completely, take your window width and divide it by 0.7 to get your track width. This is the best stack allowance for lined curtains, so you don't block an ounce of light coming in.

Example: Your window is 2000 mm wide with ample wall space either side. 2000 mm / 0.7 = 2857 mm track width.

For wall to wall windows and sliding doors, you can work out how much of your glass will be covered by the curtain stack. Just take your window width and multiple by 0.3.

Example: Your wall to wall sliding door is 3500 mm. 3500 mm X .3 = 1050 mm of curtain stack covering your glass. For centre opening curtains divide this number by 2.