Curtains or Draperies? and How to Hang Them

What's the difference between curtains and drapes?  Traditionally, windows were treated to three types of curtains: a sash curtain to filter light, a draw curtain to block light out and an over-drapery which was purely decorative. Today we think of curtains as sash curtains (often unlined and in a variety of lengths and draperies (never drapes) as those that draw, completely closing off the window.  But does it even matter?  Not to me, I kind of tend to interchange the terms without even realizing it.



Oops, yes that's a rod peeking out there!

After I posted the before and after kitchen back splash, I noticed something in the before picture that I wanted to address.  Since that picture was taken (2008) I have learned a valuable tip in home decorating.  Hang your curtains below the ceiling moulding, not at the window trim.  Now in this particular case, I raised them a little but had to stay below the trim on the cabinets.  Just lifting them up that small amount made a big difference.
 

Attaching rods this way and hanging long, to the floor curtains make the window look longer and therefore make the ceilings seem taller.  If the window is narrow, extend the curtain rods beyond the window and hang the curtains so they barely cover the frame,leaving as much of the window exposed as possible.  Now if the window is really wide and overpowers your room, break up the space by hanging several panels across the window.  This will create the illusion of more than one window and the panel will soften the look and can add color to your room.

Do you have any tips on hanging curtains/drapery that you would like to share?