I was taught my an interior design student to hand the rod 4 6 inches above the top of the window frame and take the panels to the floor.
How high should curtain rod be above window frame.
John and i determined that for the duplex we wanted to place our curtain rods 10 5 from the outside of the window trim weirdly specific i know and 3 down from the ceiling.
Go high a rule of thumb from architectural digest is that curtains should be hung between 4 to 6 inches above the window frame so install your curtain rod accordingly.
When you hang the curtain rod high it will make the window appear taller.
Most curtains are hung approximately 3 inches above the top of the window frame but if you want to give your room the illusion of extra height you can hang the curtains as high as you like.
For example on a 54 inch wide window you could extend your curtain rods up to 9 inches on each side 54 divided by three equals 18 so your rod can be up to 72 inches long.
So i alter a solid or print heavier fab panel with a sheer panel.