How to Choose the Best Curtains for Small Spaces

December 26, 2025//

Windows play a key role in how any space looks, and this is especially true for smaller spaces. If you have less wall real estate overall, your windows likely take up a bigger proportion of it.

And the thing that really makes windows stand out in terms of functionality and design? The curtains you choose for them.

If you want to know how to choose curtains for small spaces, as well as some creative curtain ideas for small spaces, you’ll find everything you need to know below. Discover insights on length, fabrics, colors, patterns and space-saving ideas to maximize the impact of your curtains.

Why Curtains Matter in Small Spaces

Curtains matter in small spaces because they directly influence how open or closed a room feels. They influence the scale of a room, as well as how open or closed it feels. This is partly due to the actual space they take up and partly due to their functionality of blocking or allowing light into the room.

Curtains carry dramatic appeal and can be a driving force behind bold, expressive design. Alternatively, they can play a more supportive role, presenting cleanly and neatly to let other elements of the room shine.

In either case, it’s important to pick the right style of curtain—size, fabric, color, pattern—to make your room feel as big as possible without needing any renovations.

Choose the Right Curtain Length

So, what curtains make a small room look bigger? When picking curtains, it may be tempting to assume that a smaller space warrants a smaller (i.e., shorter) footprint.

But the opposite is usually true: selecting floor-length panels is almost always the right call in small spaces.

In a relatively small space with high ceilings, a floor-length panel emphasizes the height of the room, taking attention away from smallness elsewhere. In a room that’s small in all directions, floor-length panels can create the illusion of height, drawing viewers’ eyes upward.

Hang Curtains High to Lift the Room

The other way to either capitalize on actual room height or create the illusion of height is to know how to hang curtains in small spaces. Ideally, you want to hang your curtains as high as possible.

Typical instructions for hanging curtain rods often aim for distances like 2” above a window casing or half the distance between the window and ceiling. In smaller spaces, however, going higher (~4”–6” above the casing) or otherwise closer to the ceiling (within ~3”) lifts the room.

This is a big reason why measuring for curtains effectively means accounting for both the actual dimensions of the window as well as stylistic choices, like curtains hovering over or “kissing” the floor.

Pick Light and Airy Fabrics

In a small space, the fabric you choose for your curtains can have a huge impact on the visual weight and space they take up. Generally speaking, you want to avoid heavier fabrics or insulation.

Instead, opt for high-quality, lightweight fabrics like:

Sheers (e.g., chiffon, silk)
Linen and linen blends
Lightweight cotton
Polyester blends

These fabrics tend to let more light in, even when partially or fully closed. This draws attention away from your dimensions (and the curtains themselves) and puts it on your room’s overall design.

When to Use Blackout Panels in Small Rooms

In some cases, you might need more control over the lighting conditions in your small room, and sheer curtains may not be feasible. These are rooms that would benefit from blackout panels or blinds.

Luckily, you can still balance comfort or necessity with the aesthetic appeal of a lighter option by pairing blinds and curtains, especially when using an easy-to-hang curtain solution.

In larger spaces, hanging drapes or other heavy curtains is a great way to decorate under similar conditions. However, smaller rooms tend to look and feel better with smaller-footprint options.

Use Colors That Open Up the Room

As with fabric, color plays an important role in how curtains shape a room. The right colors can make a small room feel larger, brighter and more cohesive, while others can do the opposite.

The best colors and combinations to seek out for small-space curtains include:

Light neutrals
Soft greens or blues
Tone-on-tone shades that match the wall

Each of these options works a bit differently:

Neutrals form a subtle contrast with the wall and the window that ideally emphasizes the latter.
Blues and greens are soothing colors with less visual weight than red hues.
Matching the walls’ colors will help your curtains blend in.

Choose the Right Curtain Width

Like with height, curtain width can help make a room feel bigger by emphasizing or creating the illusion of space. The magic is in the curtains themselves and the curtain rod.

For the curtains, you want a wide panel. Whether you have wide windows or narrower ones, wider-panel curtains help to maximize the broadness of the window, opening up the room.

As for the rod, you want to hang it wider than the window frame itself.

Extend the Rod Beyond the Window Frame

All curtain-hanging advice assumes that rods will be extended a bit beyond the frame. The secret to making a small room feel bigger is going a bit wider (farther out) than expected.

Using an extra-long curtain rod or hanging curtains well beyond the window frame makes the window itself look bigger. It also allows for more light to come in, even with the curtains partially drawn.

When the curtains are fully closed, this trick will make them look even more impressive.

Keep Patterns Simple and Scaled

Patterns go hand-in-hand with fabric and color in determining how curtains impact the look of a room. In a smaller space, bolder patterns with larger or more unexpected shapes can be distracting. Instead, choose a more subtle pattern or micropattern that won’t overwhelm or draw too much attention.

In particular, some patterns that work well for small-space curtains include:

Thin stripes of low-contrast colors
Small, repeating geometric prints
Soft organic (i.e., rounded) shapes

These kinds of designs echo the design cues of lighter fabrics and more muted colors, taking attention away from the curtains themselves and channeling it toward the rest of the room.

Space-Saving Curtain Ideas for Apartments and Dorms

Beyond your windows, there are other ways you can use curtains to maximize your small space:

Think outside of the box and use curtains as room dividers. This allows a room to be more flexible and multi-purpose as needs change.
Install curtains in place of sliding or swinging doors for closets and storage areas. This design-forward approach can also be practical, making it easier to haul belongings in and out.
Consider hanging double curtain rods in any application for a fashionable layered look. This provides an alternative way to get more light control, if needed, or if blackout blinds aren’t an option. It also allows you to play with design, combining both an accent and a neutral color.

Why No-Drill Curtain Brackets Are Ideal for Small Spaces

Renters, homeowners and anyone else looking to spruce up a small space can benefit from the easy, damage-free installation of a no-drill curtain bracket. These brackets are perfect for apartments and dorms, both in traditional applications and in the creative alternatives above.

Some of the main benefits of a premium no-drill solution include:

Not damaging sensitive walls and areas
Fast and easy installation (fewer tools)
Near-instant removal or repositioning
A perfect fit on finicky wooden trims

For renters, dorm rooms and homes with wooden window trim, no-drill brackets like Kwik-Hang make it easy to hang curtains high and wide without tools or wall damage.

Transform Your Small Space with Curtains

The right curtains can turn any small room into a bright, open and comfortable space when they’re hung high, extended wide and kept visually light. When selecting your curtains, remember that color, fabric and pattern all matter, as do size and positioning. To ensure the ideal hang, you also need to find the right kinds of rods and brackets; ideally, ones that are quick and easy to install.

Kwik-Hang’s no-drill curtain rod brackets make it simple and fast to hang curtains high and wide without tools or damage. Explore our brackets, holdbacks and easy-to-install rods to create a room you’ll love; without turning it into a weekend project.