A finial is the (usually) decorative end cap on each end of a curtain pole.

The ‘drop’ refers to the length of the curtains from top .

The window recess is the hole in the wall that the window fits into.

Please take all measurements in centimetres.

It depends! It’s entirely up to you, but there are three usual lengths: floor length, below the sill, and sill length.

If you choose floor length curtains, we recommend that you take 15cm off your pole/track to floor measurement if there is any risk of fluid appearing on the floor near the curtains. This stops the fluid being wicked up by the curtains and then needing to wash them. If your curtains are a little longer than pole/track to floor measurement, they will pool on the floor, which can look stylish, but it can also become a trip hazard, and will pick up dust.

Just below the sill curtains sit, usually, around 15cm below the bottom of the window sill. This gives good coverage, and is often chosen if there is a radiator or other obstacle underneath the window.

Sill length curtains sit just on the window sill, perfectly touching. If you’re measuring for sill length curtains, check if your sill is exactly level. If it isn’t, we recommend measuring the length in three places and taking the shortest. However, a different curtain drop is probably a better choice. Sill length curtains are quite unusual. For more information about curtain length, check out our blog.