How To Achieve The Kiss Look When Hanging Your Curtains

Ever noticed how bare a room without curtains looks? But when you choose the perfect curtains for your space and install them, it finally feels complete. However, one major mistake you can make when choosing a set of curtains is getting some with the wrong length. Depending on the look you're going for, the curtain lengths that are typically available might not be for you — especially if you want to achieve the "kiss" curtain hanging look that most home designers agree is the best.

What's the kiss look, anyway? Well, there are typically three preferred styles you can go for while hanging your curtains. Curtains sporting the "float" look are just about half an inch above the floor. This option is great for high-traffic areas like your kitchen that need easy maintenance. The next option is the "puddle," where excess curtain material basically pools on the floor. This style adds a sense of old-timey luxury to your home, but can easily become a trip hazard and dust accumulation area. Finally, the "kiss" look: Here, the hem of your curtain barely touches the floor, giving it an elegant vibe. To achieve the kiss, you need to measure your curtains accurately.

Most stores sell curtains with lengths of 84 inches, but the standard ceiling height is about 9 feet (108 inches), which means common curtain lengths would likely be too short to get the "kiss" look. You have to find stores that offer longer options like 96-inch curtains ideal for eight-foot ceilings, or 108-inch or custom curtains for even higher ones.

The first step is ensuring you hang your curtain rod right. Ideally, your rod should be placed at half or two-thirds the distance between the top of your window frame and ceiling. You could also consider ceiling tracks if your ceiling is particularly low or there's not much space between it and the window frame.

Now comes the measurements. To determine the curtain length necessary for that kiss look in your space, you need to measure from the rod to the floor precisely. Your measurement has to be exact and take into account how you want to hang the curtains, as ignoring that could get in the way of the kiss look you're going for. CushionSource provides a great guide on how to measure curtain length with different hanging styles. For grommet-style drapes, measure from the top of the curtain rod to the floor and add an extra inch for the part of the curtain that will be at the top of the rod. For curtains using clip rings, you have to measure from the clip down to the floor. Or, subtract the height of the entire clip ring from your curtain length measurement.

A curtain tip we recommend is to add some centimeters to the final length before making your order. This is because it's always easier to fix a slightly longer curtain by hemming or using an iron-on adhesive than trying to figure out how to salvage short drapes. With these tips, your drapes will arrive ready to hang and sporting the "kiss" effect.