What length curtains for an 8 foot ceiling?
With an 8 ft ceiling, floor-length curtains are about 84″ long, so buy 84″ panels. Mounting the rod near the ceiling adds height.
Method: Rod 8″ wider than the window each side, fabric 1.5–2.5× the rod width, hung to about ½–1″ above the floor.
Curtains to buy
4 × 84″
Rod 64″ wide · mounted 85″ from the floor
| Rod width | 64″ |
| Rod height from floor | 85″ |
| Fabric width, total | 128″ |
| Panels (50″ each) | 4 |
| Length needed | 84″ |
| Standard length to buy | 84″ |
- • Add 2–3″ to the length if you hang the curtains from rings or clips, since the fabric starts below the rod.
- • Floor-length curtains should hover about ½–1″ above the floor. Hemming a longer panel is easier than lengthening a short one.
Curtain size by window width
For an 8 ft ceiling, a window top at 80″ and standard 2× fullness.
| Window width | Rod width | Panels | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24″ | 40″ | 2 | 84″ |
| 36″ | 52″ | 4 | 84″ |
| 48″ | 64″ | 4 | 84″ |
| 60″ | 76″ | 4 | 84″ |
| 72″ | 88″ | 4 | 84″ |
| 96″ | 112″ | 6 | 84″ |
How it works
Mount the rod wider than the window (about 8″ extra each side) and 4–6″ above the frame, or near the ceiling to make the room feel taller. Curtain fabric should be 1.5–2.5 times the rod width, so the panels look full even when closed, and floor-length curtains hang to about ½–1″ above the floor.
More curtain guides
Frequently asked questions
How long should curtains be for an 8 foot ceiling?
Usually 84 inches if the rod is just above the window, or 96 inches if the rod is higher or you want them to puddle slightly.
How wide should curtains be?
Between 1.5 and 2.5 times the width of the rod. Two times is standard.
How far above the window should the rod go?
Four to six inches above the frame, or close to the ceiling to make the room look taller.