Kitchen Curtains: 4 Ways to Select What’s Best for Your Space

Kitchen curtains offer an easy, affordable way to upgrade your living space. They can also maintain your privacy and come in scores of styles to suit any decor. Whether you have multiple windows, even a bay model or a tiny lookout above your sink, there’s a variety that will please your senses while enhancing the overall appearance of your home. Here are four ways to select what’s best for your space. 

1. Evaluate Your Space 

Your journey to the kitchen curtains that knock your socks off begins with an honest, mindful appraisal of this living and cooking space. Think of yourself as an artist. Whatever you have in your existing pad is your partially completed canvas — especially if you rent, and radical renovations like knocking out walls and replacing appliances won’t happen anytime soon. What colors and overall vibe would suit this area while meshing with your unique tastes? 

For example, you might dream of a 1930s kitchen complete with a center island and tiles galore. However, your existing kitchen is a postage stamp-sized slit in your studio apartment. Can you locate the coveted island outside this space, or will you choose a completely different aesthetic? Your answer to this question helps determine which kitchen curtains will fit the space best. 

Fortunately, there are multiple types of curtains to choose from to outfit your kitchen stylishly. For example: 

• Blackout curtains typically go in bedrooms and living areas, although you might want some for your kitchen if glare from the window disrupts your TV viewing or interferes with working in your off-kitchen home office. 
• Single-panel curtains hang on only one side. You can sweep them up and drape them over the rod to let light in or use them to block light. 
• Grommet styles are fabulous for kitchens, as they provide easy opening and closing. 
• Cafe curtains are popular in kitchens. They usually sit on a tension rod within the windowsill — no drilling necessary — and cover only a portion of the window. 
• Floor-length curtains aren’t popular in kitchens but might be appropriate if you have giant wall-sized windows or sliding glass doors. 
• Apron curtains stop just below the windowsill and are a popular kitchen choice. 
• Scarf curtains loop over the rod, creating an elegant, upscale appearance. 

Those who only have tiny windows might decide that the best kitchen curtain of all is none. You can find one-way window films that will block the outside view for privacy, at least during the day. While you can see in at night, most passersby won’t be able to glimpse much.

2. Cater to Your Lighting Needs

Windows let in natural light, which is good for you in multiple ways. Research shows that sufficient exposure to the sun’s rays benefits health. According to Daniel Windred, a post-doctoral researcher at Flanders University in Australia, those regularly exposed to bright daylight decrease their risk of premature death by 34%. As much as you might want kitchen curtains for nighttime privacy, the right tiebacks let you take advantage of el sol to benefit your health. 

Therefore, prioritize letting as much natural light in as possible. If you don’t like the added chore of tying your kitchen curtains back during daylight hours, opt for a gauzy version that allows the sun to filter through while obscuring edges and details from outside eyes. 

Another option is a cafe curtain. They need not hang along the top edge of your window. If you’re in the habit of frying bacon bottomless — a bold if potentially painful act — slide that tension rod down like sidewalk cafes do to obscure the lower half. 

2. Work Toward a Unified Theme 

The right kitchen curtains can unify a theme. You can do so in various ways. For example, you might choose to reupholster the cushions on your kitchen chairs to match the fabric. 

If you’re handy with the sewing machine, you can craft custom kitchen curtains and covers in any style imaginable. Who knows? You might decide to open an Etsy shop and earn extra money selling your wares to others who fall in love with your design. 

Your overall interior decorating style also helps you pick the best kitchen curtains. For example: 

• Farmhouse curtains are often black or white with a rustic flair. 
• Modern curtains might be sleek black, gray or feature a unique design. 
• Coastal styles often incorporate off-white and blue. 
• Victorian styles are more formal and might demand heavier, floor-length curtains. 

When choosing your overall theme, go back to step one and look at your canvas again. What would look best in the space you have to work with? For example, white and soft gray tones can make tiny spaces appear larger. 

3. Consider Passive Solar 

Passive solar refers to taking advantage of the sun’s rays for heat, not only light. However, this condition becomes a bit tricky in your kitchen. After all, you might not necessarily want it warmer in there when you run your oven in August. 

Part of evaluating your space means factoring passive solar into the equation. Many people, especially those in the north, appreciate the added warmth the sun’s rays bring, even when they bake. However, those in warmer locations might consider thermal kitchen curtains. While these can reduce heat loss up to 25%, they also block added heat sneaking in from the outside. 

4. Leave Room for Growing Things 

A sunny kitchen windowsill can be the perfect spot for a herb garden, but you could damage your crop if you knock your plants over while opening and closing curtains. A cafe-style hang with open glass beneath works well for many such gardeners, as the pots and plants serve as an additional block against outside prying eyes. 

Another alternative is to notice where the sun strikes your kitchen. If it always falls against a blank wall, consider transforming an old pallet into a hanging herb garden to enhance your decor, bring more green growing things inside and always have fresh thyme for cooking. Of course, you’ll still need the right tiebacks for your kitchen curtains so you can let photosynthesis do its thing. 

Selecting Kitchen Curtains 

Replacing your kitchen curtains is one of the most inexpensive ways to upgrade your space. The right tips and tricks help you select a shade or pair that works with any decor, serving a privacy function while also improving the overall aesthetics of your pad.