How To Correctly Hang A Cafe Curtain Rod For A French-Inspired Look

Like most designers and homeowners out there, you've probably succumbed to the quaint charms of the French-style cafe curtains. Though these curtains were first adapted by the Viennese in the 19th century, they are often associated with French bistros and restaurants — and who wouldn't want to bring that French je ne sais quoi into their home?

At half the size of a full curtain, cafe curtains are designed to cover the bottom sash of a double-hung window. In addition to embracing the French cafe culture or country-style aesthetic, this curtain style brings more light into a room while offering residents their privacy. They also require minimal effort in terms of installation, making them a renter-friendly window-covering option. And since they use only half the amount of fabric that a standard window needs, cafe curtains are easy on the budget as well.

Successfully pulling off the French-inspired cafe curtain look depends on the correct positioning of the rod against your window. To fully cover your window's bottom half, make sure that you secure your curtain rod slightly higher than your window's central point, leaving enough space between the curtains and the sill to avoid any contact. Curtains do sag over time, so keeping the rods a bit higher than your window's bottom half will help compensate for any future sagging.

Brass rods imbue that nostalgic, country home-style feel, especially when paired with matching brass rings to hold your curtains, while black or silver rods can bring a contemporary touch. For single or small double-sized windows, a ⅜-inch to ½-inch curtain rod diameter will keep your curtain and window ensemble visually proportional and balanced–size up your rod for bigger windows to avoid sagging.

You can perfectly hang curtains directly onto the rod with curtain clips and hooks (IKEA SYRLIG offers 10 clips for $9), but putting in a little effort to achieve that coveted, French-inspired, handmade look can make a big difference for your cafe curtains. We suggest using the classic pinch-pleat method, where you sew small, evenly-spaced pleats across the top of your fabric directly onto your curtain rings to give your curtains a fuller look and a better drape overall. Keep your curtain fabrics simple and avoid major mistakes that make your cafe curtains look outdated, opting for sheer and breezy cotton or linen with minimal and discrete patterns. To keep them fresh and current, also consider swapping out your fabrics according to the season.