The bedroom is the place you go to relax and forget about the world outside, set the scene for a good night's sleep with blackout curtains to prevent the light and noise from disrupting your peace. If you don’t love the look of these, you can always layer a blackout curtain behind a more aesthetically pleasing fabric curtain for an elevated look.

If there’s a space where you can have fun and go bold with the décor is definitely the children’s room, so choose styles with vibrant colours, statement prints or their favourite characters. Keep it cosy with blackout curtains to block out any unwanted lights – a lifesaver during the summer when they’ll use any excuse to not go to bed.

The living room is the centrepiece of any home, the place to gather around as a family or receive visitors, so picking out the right curtains, both form and function-wise, is key. First consider coordinating with the rest of the furnishings like cushions and rugs. Second think about how much light you want coming in – do you want to keep the room light and airy, or do you want to watch lots of movies? In this case picking the right fabric is essential, so go for sheer or net curtains for a bright space or heavy velvets to make it cosy.

The ideal width of your curtains for windows and doors depends on the width of the moulding of your windowpane or door. Make sure to measure both inside the window frame and out. Measuring your curtain width will help you figure out if you need one curtain panel on either side or whether you'll need two on each side.

The curtain rod or track should extend about 20 cm on each side of the window, but this will depend on the desired effect. The rule of thumb of most interior decorators says the width of your curtains should be at least twice the width of your window for a standard amount of fullness. If you want deluxe fullness, you need to multiple by 2.5, and for ultra-fulness, triple the width.

For the length, consider most curtains will either hang from a track or a pole, and this will dictate the length of fabric you need. Be sure to measure from the top of the track frame to the floor. If the measurement is a few centimetres off the standard curtain lengths, adjust the pole slightly and measure again.

For a softly draping look, leave 1 cm between the bottom of the curtain and the ground. For a more structured drop, allow 5 to 10 cm or more. If you’re not convinced on a dramatic full-length, consider a mid-length instead. Let the curtains fall 1-2cm above the sill or full 15-25cm below the sill for the best effect.

Hanging your curtains just below the ceiling will make your windows appear taller. Similarly, hanging the rod a few inches wider than the window will make your windows appear larger. Allowing your open curtains to sit outside the window frame brings in a lot more natural light.

If you’ve not managed to get the pole up yet, there is an easy way to make an estimate calculation - simply add 20cms to the measure of the width of your window.

Living room curtains should touch the floor for the most stylish effect. This is the case even if the window itself doesn’t extend to the floor. However, if you’re not sure, there are other alternatives; if they need to be opened and closed frequently and you’re worried about the maintenance, curtains that hover a few centimetres above the floor can be preferable. For a more romantic look, you might opt for curtains long enough to puddle on the floor.

No, not only is it not a great look, but it could become a potential hazard. If a radiator is in the way, consider hanging window shades, or a short sheer curtain under your main curtain instead