How to Hang Curtain Rods on a Window Close to the Wall

by Leah James
    Choose a specialty rod for a window close to an adjacent wall.


    Window treatment professionals typically recommend curtain rods longer than the window frame. The extra space on each side, called stacking space, lets you uncover most of the window glass when you open the curtains. When one side of the window sits close to the adjacent wall, it gets tricky. If you hang a rod that equals the window width, you can’t open your curtains all of the way. Instead, opt for a specialty rod and hang it so your light and view are unrestricted during the day.

    Swing-Arm Rods

    Swing-arm rods, which are sometimes called crane or portiere rods, have hinged brackets on one side. To open or close a curtain, you swing the rod as you would a shutter or door. Choose a single swing-arm rod with an arm the width of your window with frame; some versions have telescoping arms. Install the bracket at one of the top outside corners of your window’s frame. If you install it on the side furthest from the corner, you can swing the arm 180 degrees so it rests next to the window. If you install it at the side of the window that’s close to the wall’s corner, the rod will open to a 90-degree angle that’s parallel to the adjacent wall. Choose the side that works best for you.

    Return Rods

    Classic curtain rods have finials at both ends. Those finials take up wall space, but they're just decorative. A return rod doesn't have brackets. The ends curve back toward the wall so the entire rod length is usable space. If you opt for a return rod that projects three to six inches away from the wall, the curving ends of the rod serve as stacking space for your open curtains. Center a return rod over your window, and allow at least one inch between the rod's end and the end of the wall so the rod doesn't look crowded. Mount the rod at least two inches above the top of the window frame.

    One-Way Draw Rods

    If your curtains have pleated drapery-style headers, hang them from a traversing rod with a one-way draw. Choose a rod that draws open away from the crowded end of the wall. Position the rod end closest to the end of the wall just past the edge of the window frame. Extend the other end of the rod four to eight inches past the window frame. When you draw the curtains open, they'll stack back on the extended end of the rod without blocking too much of the glass. When the curtains are closed, you won't notice the rod is longer on one side. Mount the rod between somewhere between the top of the window frame and the bottom of the ceiling molding. The higher the placement, the taller the ceiling looks.

    Corner Rods

    If the wall adjacent to the tight spot also has a window near the corner -- which is common architecturally when the room is positioned at the corner of the structure -- installing a corner rod serves both windows and solves the rod placement problem. Corner rods are available in both pole and traversing styles. Some versions are bendable so you can customize the rod to your windows. Others feature two rigid rods joined with a corner connector. Install your corner rod no less than two inches above the top of the window frame and no higher than two inches below cornice molding or ceiling line. If you use a pair of curtains on each window, measure the distance between each window and the corner. Then, make sure the ends of the rod extend past each window by the same amount. To use a single, wide panel on each window, the non-joined ends of the rod should extend four to eight inches past their respective window. Open single panels away from the corner so they stack back on the extra rod length at each end.

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