How to Choose the Best Kitchen Window Treatments

You know how parties often go - everyone ends up in the kitchen.  This is certainly true at my house.  I am not sure why that is.  Maybe it is because the hosts are often still cooking or preparing food and so the guests naturally want to hang out where the people are.  Or, maybe it has something to do with the whole “hearth & home” aspect of our past, and centuries of life where staying warm was paramount and eating was more about survival than pleasure.  Whichever it is, the kitchen is usually a place of congregation and comfort and therefore a natural focal point in most homes.

This is probably why the kitchen is one of the most common home remodeling projects.  And, the right window treatments can add that finishing touch that can really make a room beautiful.  Realtors and home appraisers know this and when they are assessing your home’s value they look at the kitchen and bathrooms first because those are the rooms that can add real monetary value and influence a purchasing decision. 

So, which window treatments are best for kitchens?  One of the main factors that must be addressed is the environmental conditions that often exist, namely heat and humidity; and let’s face it, sometimes even smoke.  Because of these conditions, it is wise to purchase durable blinds and shades made from synthetic materials.  For example, faux wood blinds and shutters.  These also come in vinyl and composite. 

If you are interested in preserving the view from your kitchen windows you may want to look into solar shades, which are a type of roller shade.  Solar shades come in varying levels of opacity depending on how much light you want to let in.  They are also made from synthetic materials and come in a wide variety of colors to match any décor.  These types of shades look great and reduce the amount of solar heat gain as well as UV damage to your furniture or other home accessories.  Similar to solar screens are roller shades.  They too offer different levels of light filtering but also come in solid fabrics that offer greater room darkening, even blackout.  

Next up are cellular shades and pleated shades.  Both have a similar look, with folded pleats, but pleated shades don’t offer the insulation of cell shades.  Both are attractive, fairly durable and come in a wide variety of colors and textures.  These types of shades offer a classic look and are a great way to inject some color into your kitchen’s décor.  If you are interested in greater insulation, cell shades are one of the best and they come in single cell, double cell and triple cell with the latter offering the most.  Additionally, these shades can be ordered with the top down/bottom up option which is a great way to let in light while still preserving privacy.

There are other choices such as mini blinds, roman shades and woven woods. But, in my opinion the latter two options are not ideal because they are, more often than not, made with fabrics that are a little less easy to clean which over time can be a pain.  Mini blinds will work fine but again, cleaning each individual little slat is a cumbersome process.  If you have ever had to clean mini blinds you’ll know what I mean.  I would recommend to stay away from wood blinds and shutters in the kitchen as they are not quite durable enough for the kitchen environment.