Choosing the Right Curtains for Narrow Windows

Start With the Recess, Not the Fabric

Narrow windows are a quirk of British homes — the slim sash beside a chimney breast, the tall Victorian slit in a hallway, the boxy little window above a kitchen sink. They let in less light than their broader cousins, so every centimetre of dressing counts. Before you fall for a fabric, spend ten minutes understanding the space you are working with. Measure the recess width at the top, middle and bottom, because old walls are rarely square, and take the narrowest figure as your true width.

Note whether the recess is deep enough to hang a blind inside it, and how much wall sits either side. If there is less than about 8cm of wall on each side, a curtain that opens fully will still cover part of the frame — which is fine, but it changes what you buy and how much light you keep.

Measure Twice: Width, Drop and Stack-Back

For curtains, the pole or track should run roughly 10–15cm beyond the frame on each side where space allows. On a narrow window that is a luxury, so if your wall is tight, keep the extension symmetrical — even 5cm each side looks deliberate, whereas a lopsided overhang looks like a mistake.

Then think about stack-back: the bundle of fabric that sits at the side when the curtains are drawn open. As a rough rule, allow around a third of the curtain width for each side. A 90cm window with 1.5 times fullness needs about 135cm of fabric, so each open curtain swallows roughly 22cm of your precious glass. If that sounds grim, reduce the fullness.

• Fullness: 1.5x is plenty for pencil pleat on a narrow window; 2x looks luxurious but eats light.
• Drop: measure from the underside of the pole or track to where you want the hem — sill, below sill or floor.
• Clearance: floor-length curtains should hover 1–2cm above the floor, or puddle 2–3cm if you like a softer look.

Roman Blinds: The Neat Solution for Tight Reveals

When there is barely any wall to play with, a Roman blind is often the answer. Mounted inside the recess, it takes up no wall space at all and folds into a tidy stack at the top, so the whole window is clear when it is raised. Mounted outside, just above the frame, it can make a small window look taller.

Choose a blind with a slim cassette or a simple headrail rather than a bulky pelmet; deep valances visually shorten a window and add unnecessary weight. For bedrooms, a blackout lining is worth the extra cost, but ask for a bonded or sewn-in lining rather than a separate one, which adds bulk to the fold and makes the stack fatter.

Roman blinds also work beautifully layered with curtains — the blind for privacy and evening light control, the curtains for warmth and softness. On a narrow window, keep both in the same tonal family so the layering reads as texture rather than clutter.

Poles, Tracks and the Art of the Slim Fitting

Thick wooden poles with chunky finials are lovely, but on a narrow window they can overwhelm the opening. A 19–25mm metal pole, or a slim 28mm wooden one, keeps things in proportion. Where the window sits close to a corner or a wall, a ceiling-fixed track or a recessed track is neater than a pole with a projecting bracket, and it lets the curtains run right to the edge.

Eyelet curtains need about 4cm of clearance above the pole; tab tops need more. Pencil pleat on a track is the most space-efficient heading and gives you precise control over how much fabric you lose to the stack. If you want to save width, a single curtain pulled to one side can look intentional on a very narrow window — particularly beside a door.

Fabric, Lining and Light Control

Lightweight fabrics — voile, linen blends, cotton lawn — let daytime light filter through and fold into a smaller stack. Heavier weaves block draughts and noise, which matters on older windows and in front of a radiator. A thermal lining adds warmth in winter and keeps a room cooler in summer, useful in a small space where temperature swings are felt quickly.

For narrow windows, avoid large-scale patterns; they get chopped by the fabric edges and lose their rhythm. Small-scale prints, subtle stripes running vertically, or plain textures with a visible weave all flatter slimmer proportions. If you love a bold print, use it on the blind rather than the curtains, where less fabric is on show.

Small Tricks That Make a Narrow Window Feel Generous

• Hang high: fitting the pole close to the ceiling draws the eye upwards and adds apparent height.
• Keep it clear: tie-backs and holdbacks pull fabric off the glass during daylight hours.
• Match the wall: curtains in a similar tone to the paintwork blur the edges of a small window and the room feels calmer.
• Go outside the reveal: an outside-mounted blind or a curtain that starts above the frame gives the illusion of a bigger window.
• Mind the radiator: if one sits below, stop the hem at or just above the sill rather than trapping heat behind fabric.

Get the proportions right and a narrow window stops being a problem. It becomes a neat, bright feature — one that makes a small room feel considered rather than cramped, and keeps the light exactly where you want it.