Our windows are 9 feet tall with original wavy glass. Standard curtain rods were never going to work.
The first challenge is the hardware. Standard curtain rods max out at a diameter and reach that looks scaled for a 7-foot window. For 9-foot windows, you need longer rods, larger rings, and hardware that won't flex under the weight of proper curtains. We sourced everything from an architectural hardware supplier rather than a home goods store.
The second challenge is the wavy glass. Original single-pane wavy glass is irreplaceable and thermally inefficient. We chose not to add interior storm windows, which is the most period-appropriate decision, and instead focused on thermal curtains that could pull completely closed on cold nights.
The curtain fabric is a medium-weight linen in a natural, undyed color. We had them made locally — custom length, pinch-pleat header, weighted hem — by a workroom that has been making curtains for historic homes in this city for thirty years. The cost was higher than ready-made. The result is incomparable.
Mounting height: two inches below the plaster crown molding, regardless of where the window frame actually sits. This is the visual trick that makes a window look taller than it is — the curtain rod reads as part of the wall architecture rather than an accessory to the window.
We changed the sconces at the same time as the drapery. BO-HA's wall sconce collection gave us options that worked with both the fabric and the window trim.
The lighting in this room is covered in the post on lighting high ceilings in our 1892 home.
Treating Tall Windows With a Light Hand
Original windows are a feature, so we dressed them to enhance rather than hide them — floor-length linen panels hung high and wide that frame the glass and emphasize the height. Heavy, fussy treatments would have fought both the architecture and the daylight that makes these rooms special.
How Treatments Shape the Light
Sheers and light linens diffuse harsh sun into a soft wash; heavier panels darken and warm a room. We chose lighter treatments to preserve the daylight, then handle evening warmth with layered lamps and sconces rather than dense curtains.
Shop this post: wall sconce collection
