Kitchen Window Ideas to Enhance Natural Light and Style

Some say windows are the eyes of the house. If the kitchen is the heart of the home, then its windows deserve special treatment. Kitchen window treatments don’t just enhance the look of your kitchen. They also provide privacy and light control. When choosing kitchen window treatments, first consider what practical features mean the most to you. Then look at the huge array of kitchen widows ideas that include Roman shade, roller shade, wood blind, and curtain options.

Is it hard to narrow down your choices? Browse through our best kitchen window ideas and see what will work best with your kitchen cabinets, countertops, and other decor.

1. Blinds for Kitchen Window Ideas

Blinds are a classic window treatment idea because they are easy to adjust and provide a clean, simple window covering solution. Blinds work equally well in a traditional or contemporary kitchen. They are also easy to install with basic DIY skills.

Depending on where they’re purchased and the materials used, blinds can be extremely affordable or quite expensive. If you want the appearance of expensive wood blinds, look for a faux wood blind product instead. These are made from recycled plastics and will last much longer than the cheap plastic blinds available at your big chain retailers.

2. Maximize Space

Corner kitchen windows provide twice the light, but figuring out a window treatment may be more challenging than with a standard window. However, a simple pair of shades or blinds can do the job nicely.

You can also get creative with curtains when covering a corner window. Hang three panels of semi-sheer fabric—one on each outer edge and one where the corners touch. Gather the fabric with tassels or decorative ties during the day. At night, release the ties and spread out the material to cover the windows.

3. Counter Height Enhancement

A counter-height kitchen window is one that fills the space above the kitchen counter. These windows need shorter-length shades, blinds, or kitchen curtains. They also look nice with a simple valance or cornice panel above. Some upper cabinets have wooden cornices that stretch across window tops.

Because these windows are smaller than some, cafe curtains may be all you need, with or without a valance. These half-height curtains provide adequate privacy while allowing maximum light exposure during the day.

4. Embrace Rustic Charm

Shutters are popular farmhouse kitchen window ideas. Some manufacturers make shutters from recycled plastic instead of wood, but they create the same look. Shop for these “polywood” plantation shutters if you prefer them over the barn-style kitchen shutters common in farmhouse decor.

White linen Roman shades have a loose weave that filters light and softens the look of your kitchen windows. Their simple white design won’t compete with the other focal points in the room. If your farmhouse kitchen has a more cottage or country vibe, consider full lace curtain panels or a softly printed floral fabric with decorative tie-backs.

5. Bring Nature Indoors

Plants are not technically a kitchen window treatment but millions of potted plants adorn kitchen windows around the world. Plants grow well next to a sunny kitchen window and can provide privacy if you group planters together.

Trailing vines form a natural valance when placed on a shelf or atop your upper cabinet. If your window receives substantial sunlight, try potted succulents instead of ordinary green plants. A vase of cut flowers is a bonus positioned beside the kitchen window.

6. Make a Statement

Large kitchen windows let in a lot of natural light, but they create privacy concerns after sunset. A big picture window may need vertical blinds or long drapes. Huge windows may do best with between-glass blinds that you can open and close by remote control. These are expensive replacement windows, but they’re usually worth the cost.

If your kitchen design includes both large and small windows, you don’t have to have matching window treatments. However, it’s wise to keep roughly the same color for visual continuity.

7. Sleek and Chic

Modern kitchen window treatment ideas should be useful but simple. Consider the new roller shade products that can be raised and lowered from the top or bottom. This allows you to easily adjust the lighting and privacy in your kitchen around the clock.

If your modern kitchen has a monochromatic color scheme, layer a valance over a Roman shade made of the same fabric. You can also layer curtains over a roller shade in the same color or perhaps one step up or down on the color scale.

8. Functional and Stylish

If your kitchen window is directly over your sink, as many are, be sure to choose a window treatment that won’t dangle into the kitchen sink. Cafe curtains are a traditional treatment for over-the-sink windows. They feature a valance and short curtains hung several inches below the valance’s hem. This provides privacy but allows light to flow freely through the gap.

You may be concerned about sun protection, especially if it shines brightly through your kitchen window. Too much exposure to UV rays can damage interior materials and furnishings. It can also be bad for your skin if you spend a lot of time in the kitchen. Flat Roman shades with a UV-protective privacy lining are ideal.

9. Innovative Ideas for Easy Access

Sliding kitchen windows come in all sizes, from small slider windows over the sink to full-size sliding glass doors. Small kitchen sliding windows can usually accommodate the same window treatment ideas used on other window styles.

Sliding glass doors usually need long drapes or vertical blinds that open easily so people can pass through. Be sure to purchase a quality set of blinds, as inferior sets break easily.

10. Valance Inspiration

Kitchen window valances soften a window frame and add color or pattern to your kitchen decor. Valances can vary from a few inches tall to over a foot long. They may be straight or scalloped, plain or fancy, and often trimmed with decorative ribbons, tassels, or fringe.

Since the point of a valance is to add a splash of color or texture to your kitchen, it doesn’t have to be fancy. In fact, you can make a simple valance with no sewing involved.

11. Practical and Decorative

A kitchen window with a shelf can limit the available window treatment options. Traditional blinds, shades, and curtain panels can get stuck behind the shelf. One solution is to hang cafe curtains below the shelf and place a valance at the top of the window. You can also put a row of plants or colored bottles on the shelf to provide privacy while allowing natural light in.

Sometimes the shelf in the middle of a bay window or box window bumps out past the kitchen wall. If that’s the case, you can mount curtains or shutters to the wall and draw them closed at night. A pair of sliding barn doors would also work over a bay window with a shelf across it.

12. Space-Saving Solutions

A small kitchen window needs kitchen window ideas that aren’t overpowering. If you choose curtains or a valance, you can hang them a few inches higher than usual to make the window look bigger.

If a small window is your only kitchen window, keep your shade, blinds, or fabric as sheer and open as possible. That way, you will maximize the amount of natural light that filters in.

13. Stunning Backsplash Ideas

Whether you call it a backsplash (in the United States) or a splashback (in Great Britain), the idea is the same: an easy-to-clean area between the countertops and upper cabinets. In some homes, your backsplash may extend around and even above your kitchen window. If so, choose your kitchen window treatment carefully.

If the backsplash is white subway tile or another solid color, choose a fabric shade or valance in a printed fabric that coordinates with the rest of the room’s decor. If your splashback features painted tiles or other highly-patterned features, keep the window treatment simple. A plain shade or basic blinds will control light and privacy without taking the focus off your tilework.

14. Creative Ideas to Inspire

Your kitchen window design ideas will vary according to the type of decor you’re into. For example, contemporary kitchen window treatments will be very different from the curtains in a rustic kitchen. The style of window you’re trying to cover will also have some weight in your choice of window treatments.

For example, French patio doors and casement windows both open outward but need different window treatments. A large arched window may need sunburst shutters on top and plantation shutters on the bottom. A bow window is like a curved bay window, usually with a window seat. Consider having curtains, blinds, or shades custom-made, as these windows can be tricky to cover on your own.

FAQs

What should I put on my kitchen window?

A huge assortment of kitchen window treatment products is available today. If you want to stay away from traditional curtain panels, look for window shades, shutters, or blinds. Printed Roman shades, woven wood shades, and roller shades are good choices. Faux wood blinds or shutters are durable alternatives to real wood.

How do you cover a window without curtains?

You can add privacy to your kitchen window without installing curtains, blinds, or shutters. For example, use tall houseplants to block the view or line a row of colorful bottles on the window sill. Apply a lacy, frosted, or stained glass window film on the lower panels of a large window, or cover the glass with contact paper.

What window treatments are in style?

Layer tone-on-tone shades and curtains for an on-trend look. Turn to the newer neutrals that have a hint of color. Examples include blush, soft coral, and white with just enough blue or green to notice it. Garden-inspired textiles are popular for fabric window treatments.