Elegant Kitchen Curtain Ideas to Complement Your Culinary Space
In many homes, curtains represent little more than a necessity. Without them, our private abodes would be vulnerable to unwanted sunlight and peering eyes. But whether in the bedroom, living room, or any room in between, curtains also present an opportunity to flex your design skills.
Do you need window coverings in your kitchen? Not always. Even if curtains or blinds aren’t required, though, they can elevate your kitchen to a whole new level of style and luxury.
Keep reading for the best kitchen curtain ideas and how to implement them in your own home. You’ll quickly see what you’re missing out on with bare windows.
1. Kitchen Curtain Ideas Using Blinds
Blinds are easily one of the most efficient ways to add privacy and dress up your kitchen window. They also have a poor (and unfair) reputation for looking cheap.
Rather than installing plastic , go with faux or solid wood ones. These look quite high-end without actually costing much more than a set of plastic . You can find even the most basic Venetian in countless colors, so choose one to match or complement your walls.
It’s also important to pick a that suits your shape. While vertical can look dated on square windows, they can be a sleek option for exceptionally tall or narrow windows. Indoor shutters are another great way to bring a touch of personality and class to a standard set of .
2. Brown Kitchen Curtain Ideas
Perusing kitchen curtain ideas for a spark of inspiration is fun, but it can also convince you to buy a set of curtains that are overly loud and in-your-face. Whether outfitting a brand new kitchen space or updating existing window coverings, neutral brown shades might just be the best fit.
Brown work especially well in kitchens with natural wood floors, counters, or cabinetry. You can also coordinate your ‘s wood elements with matching .
Woven bamboo fit right into modern or farmhouse without stealing the spotlight from other design elements. They’re cheap, too. But, if bamboo doesn’t feel right for your rustic , try a burlap or roman blind instead.
3. Checkered Kitchen Curtain Ideas
Check patterns can actually break into several types. Gingham and buffalo checkered fabrics are perhaps the most popular in home decor, going hand-in-hand with the country farmhouse look. Black-and-white gingham is super trendy. Red is also easy to find.
Tartan is another checkered pattern you’ll recognize, but it’s not as prevalent in decor. While red or green tartan will bring to mind the Scottish Highlands, neutral tartan (à la Burberry’s trademarked ) is surprisingly versatile.
If gingham and tartan are too bold, look for windowpane check for your . This classic pattern goes with all kinds of modern and contemporary decor.
4. Floral Kitchen Curtain Ideas
If the thought of using florals in your kitchen window curtains makes you cringe, you’re not alone. Look past this apprehension, though, and you’ll discover that florals come in all different styles, very few of which, by the way, will make your kitchen look like Grandma’s.
Delicate floral can evoke a French Country or farmhouse aesthetic. Meanwhile, tons of abstract floral prints will look at home in a modern or contemporary .
The you choose is nowhere near as important as how you use it. In modern kitchens, a roman will show off a little bit of your floral pattern even when closed. For a rustic-inspired space, go with or a that won’t overpower your other .
5. Gray Kitchen Curtain Ideas
Gray home decor’s popularity may have peaked in 2018, but this ultra-versatile color will never truly go out of style. Gray curtains are a subtle departure from all-white decor, and they’ll go with pretty much everything.
One of the best things about using gray in your home design is the wide range of shades available. Gray and also come in all different fabrics and patterns.
While most at home among modern decor, you can still use gray in a farmhouse-inspired space. Hang a semi-sheer set or to soften the look as a whole.
6. Macrame Kitchen Curtain Ideas
Do your kitchen windows offer plenty of privacy and perfect lighting, yet you still feel something is missing? A macrame panel will fancify a bare windowpane without blocking natural light or the view.
While macrame itself is pretty neutral, it does suit some design trends more than others. This idea will look great with any rustic design or Bohemian decor. You can also pay homage to the art form’s popularity in the 1970s by using it in a vintage-inspired .
Macrame is commonly a product made from natural cotton or hemp rope, but this is really just the tip of the iceberg. Tons of rope artists sell custom-dyed macrame hangings that can easily double as a . If you can’t find a local macrame artist, check out online crafting marketplaces like Etsy.
7. Patterned Kitchen Curtain Ideas
You don’t need to rely on garish colors to add visual intrigue to your kitchen window curtains. With patterned window coverings, you can accomplish quite a lot with nothing more than a neutral color palette.
Houndstooth and chevron are two patterns that are incredibly popular in contemporary design. There’s also no shortage of patterns inspired by tried-and-true trends like art deco, southwestern, and mid-century modern.
Of course, patterned isn’t just an option for traditional . Patterned roman and roller shades are commonplace as well.
8. Roller Blinds Kitchen Curtain Ideas
If an ultra-functional kitchen window treatment is your top priority, roller blinds might be the best option. Roller blinds are quick and easy to raise and lower — more so than vertical and Venetian blinds — and they come in a variety of styles.
Roller are available in every imaginable. You can find them made with sheer to boost privacy while still allowing some natural sunlight to seep through. Thick, opaque roller make a great alternative to a .
For a bolder statement, look for roller made from patterned or bearing a screen-printed image. If you can’t find the perfect imagery for your , custom printing might be an option.
9. Roman Shade Kitchen Curtain Ideas
Roman shades are the ideal cross between blinds and drapes. You can find roman shades made from tons of fabrics. You can also find shades made of woven wood, though these aren’t as popular.
While a roman will completely block and visibility from outdoors when lowered, it acts as a decorative when completely raised. Some even feature tiebacks to resemble a .
10. Sheer Kitchen Curtain Ideas
Sacrificing your home’s natural light is hard, especially when decorating a smaller space. Sheer curtains are an excellent compromise between letting light in and filtering the outside world.
You can hang a alone or pair it with other for a custom curtain design. If you opt for the latter setup, be sure to use a that can support multiple drapes.
Also, keep in mind that not all are alike. Options range from nearly transparent to practically opaque, along with everything in-between.
11. Kitchen Curtain Ideas with Stripes
Patterned curtains can look busy, especially in a kitchen design with lots of other wall decor. Stripes are a subtle option for homeowners looking for a compromise between plain and decorative kitchen curtain ideas.
There are plenty of ways to customize your with striped drapery. Both horizontal and vertical stripes are an option, along with stripes of varying thicknesses. You can pair stripes with any trend, from sheer drapes to heavy roman .
For a country aesthetic, striped tea towel work beautifully. You can repurpose old towel or buy premade drapes to use as a cafe curtain or short .
12. White Kitchen Curtain Ideas
There’s nothing wrong with choosing a white window treatment over something more daring. In an all-white kitchen, white drapes will blend in seamlessly with your decor as a whole. In a kitchen already filled with tons of bright colors, they will melt into the background rather than fight for attention.
It’s possible to include patterns and textures in your without adding . Many white curtain sets feature semi-sheer with patterns woven into the material itself. You can also opt for a set of with off-white stripes.
13. Valance Kitchen Curtain Ideas
14. Plain Kitchen Curtain Ideas
15. Modern Kitchen Curtain Ideas
16. Cottage Kitchen Curtain Ideas
FAQs
Does every window need a covering?
The short answer: No.
The long answer: You don’t need to hang curtains or blinds over every kitchen window. Technically, you don’t even need window treatments in your kitchen at all.
Unlike in the bedroom or bathroom, kitchen curtains are almost entirely optional. Leaving one or more kitchen windows completely bare is fine if that’s what best suits your family’s lifestyle.
With that said, kitchen curtains and blinds are still super useful for adding privacy or filtering light. For example, you’ll probably want to install some type of covering if your kitchen windows face a busy street or directly into the sun. Anything else is purely for decoration.
Are curtains or blinds better for a kitchen window?
When designing your own kitchen window treatment, there aren’t any rules about using blinds over curtains (or vice-versa). Instead, many stylish windows feature a combination by pairing Venetian blinds with a fabric valance.
Blinds offer easier control when it comes to light coming through your kitchen window. If your window faces east or west, being able to quickly close a set of blinds might come in handy when blocking out intense sun rays.
If you’re more concerned about looks than functionality, curtains offer far more options in terms of design. Even the sheerest curtains still offer some privacy and light filtration, just not to the extent of a set of blinds.
What is a sink skirt?
With the rise in popularity of rustic and farmhouse decor trends, you’ve probably seen your fair share of sink skirts in magazines and DIY shows. Sink skirts are short, under-the-counter curtains that disguise plumbing or replace traditional cabinet doors.
It’s easy to feel like sink skirts are inherently dated. But there are plenty of ways to incorporate modern curtain styles into the trend. They can also help an open-concept kitchen look neat and tidy (even when, in reality, it’s quite the opposite).
Kitchen Curtain FAQ
The short answer: No.
The long answer: You don’t need to hang curtains or blinds over every kitchen window. Technically, you don’t even need window treatments in your kitchen at all.
Unlike in the bedroom or bathroom, kitchen curtains are almost entirely optional. Leaving one or more kitchen windows completely bare is fine if that’s what best suits your family’s lifestyle.
With that said, kitchen curtains and blinds are still super useful for adding privacy or filtering light. For example, you’ll probably want to install some type of covering if your kitchen windows face a busy street or directly into the sun. Anything else is purely for decoration.
When designing your own kitchen window treatment, there aren’t any rules about using blinds over curtains (or vice-versa). Instead, many stylish windows feature a combination by pairing Venetian blinds with a fabric valance.
Blinds offer easier control when it comes to light coming through your kitchen window. If your window faces east or west, being able to quickly close a set of blinds might come in handy when blocking out intense sun rays.
If you’re more concerned about looks than functionality, curtains offer far more options in terms of design. Even the sheerest curtains still offer some privacy and light filtration, just not to the extent of a set of blinds.
With the rise in popularity of rustic and farmhouse decor trends, you’ve probably seen your fair share of sink skirts in magazines and DIY shows. Sink skirts are short, under-the-counter curtains that disguise plumbing or replace traditional cabinet doors.
It’s easy to feel like sink skirts are inherently dated. But there are plenty of ways to incorporate modern curtain styles into the trend. They can also help an open-concept kitchen look neat and tidy (even when, in reality, it’s quite the opposite).
