“We are all just little dolls of ourselves. Who occasionally pull back the curtains to reveal the real us.” – Bruce Eric Kaplan
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, dining 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 a requirement, 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 windows. They also have a poor (and unfair) reputation for looking cheap.
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Rather than installing plastic blinds, go with faux or solid wood ones. These look quite high-end without actually costing much more than a set of plastic blinds. You can find even the most basic Venetian blinds in countless colors, so choose one to match or complement your kitchen walls.
It’s also important to pick a style that suits your kitchen window shape. While vertical blinds 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 blinds.
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.
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Brown curtains work especially well in kitchens with natural wood floors, counters, or cabinetry. You can also coordinate your kitchen’s wood elements with matching blinds.
Woven bamboo blinds fit right into modern or farmhouse kitchen decor without stealing the spotlight from other design elements. They’re cheap, too. But, if bamboo doesn’t feel right for your rustic kitchen, try a burlap valance 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.
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Tartan is another checkered pattern you’ll recognize, but it’s not as prevalent in kitchen decor. While red or green tartan will bring to mind the Scottish Highlands, neutral tartan (à la Burberry’s trademarked fabric) is surprisingly versatile.
If gingham and tartan are too bold, look for windowpane check fabric for your curtains. 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 decor 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.
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Delicate floral drapes can evoke a French Country or farmhouse aesthetic. Meanwhile, tons of abstract floral prints will look at home in a modern or contemporary kitchen.
The fabric you choose is nowhere near as important as how you use it. In modern kitchens, a roman shade will show off a little bit of your floral pattern even when closed. For a rustic-inspired space, go with a cafe curtain or valance that won’t overpower your other decor.
5. Grey Kitchen Curtain Ideas
Grey home decor’s popularity may have peaked in 2018, but this ultra-versatile color will never truly go out of style. Grey curtains are a subtle departure from all-white decor, and they’ll go with pretty much everything.
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One of the best things about using grey in your home design is the wide range of shades available. Grey blinds and curtains also come in all different fabrics and patterns.
While most at-home amongst modern kitchen decor, you can still use grey window coverings in a farmhouse-inspired space. Hang a semi-sheer tier curtain set or valance 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 light or the view.
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While macrame itself is pretty neutral, it does suit some design trends more than others. This kitchen curtain idea will look great with any rustic design or Bohemian decor. You can also pay homage to the artform’s popularity in the 1970s by using it in a vintage-inspired kitchen.
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 window valance. 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 curtain design. With patterned window coverings, you can accomplish quite a lot with nothing more than a neutral color palette.
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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 fabric isn’t just an option for traditional curtains. 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.
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Roller blinds are available in every color imaginable. You can find them made with sheer fabric to boost privacy while still allowing some natural sunlight to seep through. Thick, opaque roller blinds make a great alternative to blackout curtains.
For a bolder statement, look for roller blinds made from patterned fabric or bearing a screen-printed image. If you can’t find the perfect imagery for your kitchen, 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.
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While a roman shade will completely block light and visibility from outdoors when lowered, it acts as a decorative valance when completely raised. Some roman shades even feature tie backs to resemble a swag valance.
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.
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You can hang a sheer curtain alone or pair it with other window coverings for a custom curtain design. If you opt for the latter setup, be sure to use a curtain rod that can support multiple drapes.
Also, keep in mind that not all sheer fabrics 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 decor. Stripes are a subtle option for homeowners looking for a compromise between plain and decorative kitchen curtain ideas.
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There are plenty of ways to customize your kitchen with striped drapery. Both horizontal and vertical stripes are an option, along with stripes of varying thicknesses. You can pair stripes with any kitchen curtain trend, from sheer fabric drapes to heavy roman blinds.
For a country kitchen aesthetic, striped tea towel curtains work beautifully. You can repurpose old towel fabric or buy premade drapes to use as a cafe curtain or short valance.
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 fighting for attention.
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It’s possible to include patterns and textures in your kitchen curtains without adding color. Many white curtain sets feature semi-sheer fabric with patterns woven into the material itself. You can also opt for a set of curtains with off-white stripes.
