Two years ago, I explored the idea of doing a DIY blockprinting treatment on the existing curtains in my living room (below). I'm here to confess that two Julys later, they still look exactly the same. I could never commit to a pattern or color, let alone the time and effort it was going to take. But also, I knew in my heart that I actually needed taller curtains. These were 95 inches (possibly 98 but I can't recall and I'm not going to dig out my tape measure).

I purchased them nearly seven years ago for another home with much lower ceilings than I have now. They worked great then, but are basically just a bandaid in this home that has roughly 12-foot ceilings. In my original post where I shared this image, a handful of readers suggested I needed longer curtains hung higher and TBH, at first I was miffed. "No, I don't! Leave me be," I thought. But that's just my typical knee-jerk reaction for most things; I don't like being told what to do.

When I stepped away from my temporary ego, I, of course, agreed with them. While I'm not a stickler for how high to hang your curtains as long as there is some distance between the top of your windows and your curtain rod—about 10-ish inches—in this instance, I was just barely clearing the sliding glass door and making it look out of scale to the room and ceiling height.

Not to mention, some of my panels were hovering above the floor a few inches while others kissed it. That's kind of the name of the game with cheapy panels from big box store (these are from IKEA).

All in all, my living room curtain situation could use a serious upgrade. Truly, I need 108-inches (or higher) curtain panels but WOOF! They are EXPENSIVE. I've explored custom options for a high-end look since this is the main room in my home and very stately as the full expanse is about the full width of the space. But you guys, buying six to eight custom panels of at least 108 inches is wildly cost prohibitive for me at this moment. I'd be willing to invest in that if this were my permanent home, but it's just a rental so it's a no-go.

My budget restrictions are your gain, as I've decided to put my research hat on and see what's out there. My mission? Extra-long readymade curtain panels of at least 108 inches that come in under $100 each (so under $200 for a pair). This was not an easy feat by any means, especially mostly trying to avoid some retailers I'm not currently shopping from. You can see all my 27 picks if you keep reading, broken up into solid neutral—what most people buy—solid color, and patterned (my heart's favorite).

Before window shopping (ha), let me break down a few facts about what can affect the cost of drapery as prices vary wildly. You might find a cream linen-looking curtain on Wayfair for $60 a pair just as a cream linen-looking curtain on Nordic Knots for $600. What's the difference? Let's break it down:

What Affects The Cost Of Curtains

Just like with anything else in our homes and, essentially, the world, quality is the top driver of price tags (well, and branding but that's very subjective so I'll leave that out). Here are TKTKTKTK aspects that will drive the price of curtains up:

1. Fabric type: Natural fibers are typically going to come at a premium when it comes to window coverings. If you look at the product description between curtains from Amazon and those from even a place like West Elm, polyester is most common on low priced curtains while mid-range to higher-end readymade curtains will be cotton or linen.
2. Fabric weight: This is by far the hardest thing to tell about curtains when you're shopping online. You may think you scored big with $50 100% linen curtains from Zara Home only to find they are incredibly lightweight. This can be totally fine if you want light-filtering curtains, but not so much if you need extra privacy for your bedroom, for instance. Fabric weight can also affect how a curtain drapes (or falls), with wispier fabric weights looking kind of dinky and messy when opened up.
3. Lining: The nicer the curtain, the higher the likelihood that it has a lining. While that's not always true, you'll probably at least get the choice by the retailer for no lining, light-filtering lining or blackout (even sometimes varying degrees of blackout). The strength of the lining will typically drive up the price.
4. Width: Readymade curtains are often between 48 inches and 54 inches wide, and the wider the panel, the wider your wallet has to be to afford them. Keep a lookout for double-wide curtains of 100 inches or so, as well (I have some below). Remember, a good formula to follow for how much width you need is 1.5x the width of your window for a standard look, or 2x for a plush look.
5. General quality: Something to keep in mind with cheaper options on the market are the less expensive they are, the higher your chances of lengths not being exact across the board. Quality control is simply not as high on a mass-produced item then something either custom-made or made to a higher standard (a.k.a. more expensive). Length consistency is one of the most common problems with lower quality curtains, which can be SUPER frustrating if you're trying to cover a large expanse of windows or doors. It's less obvious if you're just using two panels, but when you have six or more, it's a nightmare and looks awful. Though more expensive, a good way to combat this is to get one size more than you need, and get them hemmed all to the same length. This, of course, is tricky when you need 108-inch curtains or more, because many retailers stop at 95/98 inches. If they offer 108, you'll be hard-pressed to find anything higher. 120-inch curtains do exist, and are available on some of the curtains I selected below, but it's not common.

Solid Neutral Extra-Long Curtain Options We Recommend

If you're a neutral curtain lover, I have to tell you about Half Price Drapes, where some of the below were plucked from. It's hard to beat their pricing or value. You may have seem the name pop up if you've ever searched from curtains on Amazon, but they have their own proper website, which I much prefer. Their selection of ready-to-ship curtains under $100 a panel is awesome, especially if you're after linen-look curtains. Definitely a designer "secret source" if you will. Other stores to peruse include H&M Home (though their curtains are a bit on the thin side), Quince, and IKEA, though many of their curtains don't go as high as 108 inches.

1. Mink Textured Faux Linen Room Darkening Curtain - 50"x108" | 2. 2-Pack Long Blackout Curtain Panels - 55"x118" | 3. Barley Heavy Faux Linen Curtain - 50"x108" | 4. Single-Pack Long Wide Blackout Curtain Panel - 98"x118" | 5. Organic Cotton Natural Taupe Window Curtain Panel 52"x108" | 6. Ritva Curtains 1 Pair - 57"x118" | 7. Luster Velvet Room Darkening Curtain - 48"x108" | 8. Safaa Cotton Sheer Curtain, Natural Linen Cotton Curtain - 52"x108" | 9. Sun Zero Amherst Velvet Thermal Extreme Back Tab 100% Blackout Single Curtain Panel - 50"x108"

With neutral curtains, be sure to study the product description to make sure they are what you want. Lined? Linen? Faux-linen? Pleating? Pre-trained? Of course, this applies to all the other curtains on this list, but specifically here because the online options can seem endless and indistinguishable. See if you can find a close-up detail of the texture, too. As I already mentioned, the Half Price Drape options are great (#1 and #3), and have subtle differences you can read more about on their site. Also, #1 is the same one that Caitlin has in her living room (just a different color). She RAVES about them and everyone assumes they are really expensive when they see them.

The Ritva curtains from IKEA are one of the rare panels in this size range but have a nice texture, as does #8 from Etsy (almost like a honeycomb). And don't overlook JCPenney for super affordable curtains, either, though you'll have to dig a bit. These thermal velvet panels (#9) are under $100 for TWO. Wow.

Solid Color Extra-Long Curtain Options We Like

Love the drama and interest of pattern but need to pull it back a bit? Solid color is your jam. I LOVE a solid color curtain, especially in velvet (in the right room). While something that visually weighted wouldn't work in my own living room, a fresh color in a lighter linen just might. Let's explore what I found.

1. Khaki Green Faux Linen Extrawide Room Darkening Curtain - 100"x108" | 2. Velvet Room Darkening Curtain Pair - 52"x108" | 3. Dusty Blue Linen Curtains Pair - 52"x108" | 4. Olivia Signature Thermal Lined 100% Blackout Velvet Curtain - 50"x108" | 5. Wild Rose Velvet Rod Pocket Room Darkening Curtain - 50"x108" | 6. European Linen Curtain Cotton Light Filtering - 48"x108" | 7. Broadway Curtain - Set of 2 - 50"x108" | 8. Linen Cotton Fringed Stripe Trim Curtain, Peach - 50"x108" | 9. Vision Home Chambray Blue Pinch Pleated Full Blackout Curtains, Set of 2 - 40"x108"

My heart belongs to olive green or Swedish blue curtains for my own home, but they're also just so stately without being overbearing that they'd work almost anywhere. The khaki-colored ones from The Home Depot are great because they are extra-wide at 100 inches wide, so you only need one panel for each side for a larger window or sliding door. Something like this is also great if your curtain rod doesn't need a center support and you want to have your drawn panels only off to one side (a good look). The blue on the Quince panels (#6) is so nice. I actually just saw a panel of theirs at Jess’ who was testing out a color. They are lined and she was impressed with the quality. Those terra-cotta velvet panels from Wayfair (#2) are an incredible price and well-reviewed, so def check them out if you're into earthy neutrals. And #9 is another pair for under $100, though note the narrow width of 40 inches due to being pinch pleated.

Extra-Long Readymade Curtains With Pattern

As I mentioned early on in this post, I have dreams of patterned curtains in my living room (the ones I think might be able to work are below...keep reading). The only issue is that I need six to eight panels of 108-inch height to cover my large sliding glass door. That's A LOT. It could end up feeling too visually heavy. Perhaps a subtle stripe or windowpane check would be best, but the heart wants what it wants. Got a window or two to cover in the same room? Go for it! Let me live vicarious through you, please.

1. Cotton Woven Stripe Curtain - 50"x108" | 2. Batik Scallop Edge Curtain, Set of 2 - 48"x108" | 3. Pierce & Ward Foliage Stripe Curtain - 48"x108" | 4. Kyle Cotton Blend Room Darkening Curtain Panel Pair, Set of 2 - 50"x108" | 5. Mist Blue & Crisp White Linen Double Pinstripe Blackout Window Curtain Panel - 52"x108" | 6. Iluka Cotton Lemons Curtain - 50"x108" | 7. Hyacinth Semi-Sheer Printed Curtain - 50"x108" | 8. Cotton Printed Tiger Curtain - 50"x108" | 9. Pierce & Ward Floral Lattice Curtain - 48"x108"

With the patterns on readymade curtains, I most often found petite florals, stripes, or small-scale block-print-like prints, all of which I love and would work great across many styles of rooms. Anthropologie and West Elm lead the pack on offerings in this category, and at this size for the price point we're looking to stay under, especially when you find them on sale. These stores are going to have more of a curated selection, which I think can be really important for patterns. Shops like Wayfair will have a TON of things, and you'll have to weed through a lot of not-so-optimal looking prints.

If you can stretch your wallet a bit, Etsy is one of my favorite places to find curtains made from patterned fabric, but they'll cost you at least twice what you see here (still a huge deal when compared to other custom retailers). Lemons (#6) would be adorable in a breakfast nook or sunroom, and those neutral tigers (#8) are edgy without being flashy. Love them.

It's hard to beat the charm of that rippled edge on #2 (which always sell so well when I include them in a roundup). Two more Pierce & Ward favorites from West Elm right now are #3 and #9, the latter of which could be a strong contender for my own home. The tones are neutral and the pattern might read as a stripe when all together, which I think might be palatable at this much coverage. What do you think?!?

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Thanks for reading, friends. I know how paralyzing choosing curtains can be, especially if it's a big investment due to the size you need, or if you're trying something a little different. But the right curtains can and will transform your room, that I can promise you.

Opening Image Credits: Design & Styling by Lea Johnson of Creekwood Hill | Photo by Sage E Imagery | From: Lea’s Living Room Reveal: Her Pet And Family-Friendly Open Concept Design Agony SOLVED

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