Four Ideas for Kitchen Window Treatments
Window treatments for your kitchen should allow light into the area and improve the appearance of the space as well as being practical in a room where so much cooking takes place.
Choosing a window treatment for your kitchen can be a fun task and not too tough if you measure any curtain you are thinking of buying against those criteria. Always ask yourself whether the window treatment will block too much light and whether it enhances or detracts from the style of your kitchen, as well as looking how practical it will be to keep clean and fresh.
Here are four kinds of kitchen window treatments that are especially popular. Think about which of these would work best in your kitchen and if you’re not sure leave a comment below and we’ll try to help.
Kitchen tiers or Café Curtains
Tiered curtains are a simple style of curtain that lets a lot of light in while maintaining moderate privacy. Café curtains usually cover the bottom half of the window while leaving the top open to allow in light. Tiered curtains usually have another layer – a valance at the top of the window and sometimes side swags. These curtains are frequently seen in cafés, hence the name. Café or tier curtains often have patterns like plaid or checkers, or images of food items. They generally work well in a casual informal kitchen unless they are in a very tailored formal style in a solid color with something like tab tops rather than gathers.
Venetian blinds can be very effective in a kitchen
Simple Venetian Blinds
Venetian blinds are made from slats of wood, plastic, or metal that can be adjusted to open and close using a rod on one side of the blinds. They can also be drawn up or down using a cord on the other side. People don’t often think of using blinds alone but if you choose a classy set, you won’t need anything else to dress your window. Light colored blinds or wooden blinds look great in kitchens and metallic venetian blinds are also excellent in modern kitchens if they match the appliances or handles on the cabinets. These blinds can generally be wiped clean with a damp cloth but it can be a pain making sure that you clean every slat.
Roman shades
Roman shades will give your kitchen a fine, clean look. They can be completely raised, completely lowered, of half-raised. Because they are made from fabric which is raised or lowered in soft folds they soften the hard lines of a kitchen without give a country or homey look that gathered curtains might point towards. Ready made roman shades come in many styles and colors so it’s easy to match them to the rest of your kitchen but if your windows are not standard sizes they can be custom made for a reasonable price. The only tricky part is cleaning. In general these blinds will need to be dry cleaned.
Kitchen Valance
Finally, you can use a valance on the top half of the window either on its own, or combine it with other window treatments. Valances soften the top of the window and hide an ugly curtain rod very effectively. Used alone they draw attention to a great window or a great view without leaving the window too bare. Combining a valance with blinds or shades is also a great look especially where you feel the blind is too simple for the room. Valances are easy to find or simple to make. If you can’t sew, you can do something as simple as drape a scarf around the curtain rod for an extremely easy window treatment.
Have fun with your kitchen window treatments. You can create some great, unique designs for your windows that will greatly enhance your kitchen when you let your imagination loose.
Cafe Curtains for the Kitchen
Cafe curtains are great for adding privacy to a kitchen. These kitchen curtains span across the lower half of the window leaving a gap above the curtain allowing in plenty of light. Plus you can look out without anyone looking in. They add privacy without blocking the view or the light too much.
As cafe curtains are informal in style, they are particularly suitable for kitchens, in fact it is unlikely that they will be suitable for other rooms in your home. These curtains originated in the cafes of Europe, where they allowed patrons to drink their coffee and enjoy the street scene without being viewed from outside. Because of their origins, they are often called French cafe curtains.
For the heading on cafe style curtains, you can use a simple casement heading through which you slot a rod, which must be positioned at the the right height above the window sill or lower edge. You could also use tab tops or simple tie tops for a heading.
As for fabrics for kitchen cafe curtains, you can use anything from very sheer voile or organza to very heavy cotton or linen. Sheer cafe curtains are best with gathered casement or tie top headings whereas the heavier fabrics are better for tab tops.
If you would like to decorate the top of your windows, you can do so with a window valance and often cafe window curtains and matching valances (so-called kitchen curtain tiers) are sold in a set. These tiered curtains are mainly suitable for family kitchens and those with a country look rather than ultra modern kitchens. You will find many examples of lace cafe curtains and valances which you would not dream of putting next to gleaming stainless steel and shiny cabinets. If you have a contemporary kitchen go for a tab top cafe curtain either in a plain fabric or one with a striped or plaid design.
Here are some great examples of cafe and tier kitchen curtains. Of course, there is not space to show many examples so if you do not see anything to your liking take a look at the huge selection of discount cafe curtains for sale HERE.
 Embroidered White Cafe Curtain (Click image for details) |
Beautifuly embroidered white cafe curtain with eyelet detail. Can be easily slotted onto a rod across the window. 100% easy care polyester. Click here for further details. |
 Daisy kitchen curtains with Tab Top (Click Image for Details) |
Bone colored (off white) kitchen curtains with yellow and white embroidered daisies, button centers and green embroidered leaves. Matching valance available. 100% polyester, machine washable. Click here for details.
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These attractive green cafe curtains have matching valances with gathered headings and green gingham trim. 70% Polyester/ 30% Cotton Click here for details. Also available in blue at this page.
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 Green Kitchen Cafe Curtains (Click Image for Details) |
 Sunflower Kitchen Curtains Cafe Style (Click Image for Details) |
Striking sunflower design on this cafe style kitchen curtain set. Matching valance and swags included to complete the tier. 70% cotton, 30% polyester. Easy Care. Click for further details and low price.
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Priscilla 24″ Kitchen Curtains with standard rod pocket. Matching valance available separately. Machine washable 100% easy care polyester. Click here for further details.
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 Lace Cafe Curtains and Valances (Click Image for Details) |
Country Kitchen Curtains
If there’s one style of room that will really suffer for lack of kitchen curtains it’s a country style kitchen. Whereas contemporary kitchens with their shiny stainless steel surfaces and high gloss doors look fantastic with sleek blinds, something so simple will not do justice to a kitchen which is meant to be the heart of the country home (or at least look as if it is).
If you are looking for country kitchen curtains, don’t worry about finding what you need. You will be spoiled for choice as most designs of curtains for the kitchen are suitable for this style of room and they are the easiest type to find. Typical kitchen curtain fabric is adorned with all sorts of images that shout “country”.
You will find apple kitchen curtains which remind you of orchards and over-filled fruit bowls and you can find them to tone in with every color from the bright green granny smiths type apples which go with fresh bright shades to more rustic colors which are great with a natural colored room and wooden units.
Rooster kitchen curtains may not be for you but there's plenty of choice
You will find rooster kitchen curtains which remind you of a country farm yard and are very effective at extending the country theme. These are generally in natural and rustic colors too – great with your wooden cabinets and cream color scheme.
If you prefer curtains without images of fruit and farmyard you can evoke a country feeling by using very simple floral fabrics. Gingham kitchen curtains are a great choice too for this kind of kitchen.
If you prefer, you can make your own curtains with any suitable fabric. You should find many prints and patterns which will be suitable including the typical country farmyard and fruit images. Just make sure that the fabric you choose is washable. (Kitchen curtains attract grease and dirt from the steamy atmosphere of the kitchen and will need frequent laundering). Also wash and press the fabric before you make up the curtains. Cotton fabrics which are most suitable for kitchen curtains may be subject to shrinkage of up to 10%. If you wash the fabric (and any lining fabric you will use) future shrinkage will not cause a problem.
Although ruffled curtains and simple swag valances lend themselves well to the country look, do remember the requirement for frequent laundering and keep things fairly simple whether you make or buy your curtains.
One simple style of curtain suitable for the kitchen is the cafe style. Cafe curtains cover the lower half of the window allowing you to easily look out and enjoy a lot of natural light while affording you quite a bit of privacy. For a country kitchen choose a simple gingham or chintz floral fabric to stay in keeping with the theme. Large pictures of farmyard animals, sunflowers and fruit bowls don’t work so well with cafe style curtains.
As for colors, it is mainly natural tones which suit country kitchens – all shades of cream, green and yellow can work well depending on the color of your walls and cabinets. Yellow, I think, is especially good in a kitchen as it is found in every shade in nature from bright lemon yellow to dark mustard. My bright yellow kitchen curtains always remind me of sunshine and summer even on the blackest winter day in my north facing kitchen.
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