A kitchen redesign can be one of the most exciting, yet challenging, projects in your home. Choosing cabinetry, hardware, and appliances is an overwhelming process.
Many people forget that the overall kitchen aesthetic is significantly impacted by the window treatments they choose. What good is a beautiful backsplash and the perfect farm sink when ugly curtains hang across the windows?
There are 7 main considerations you should account for as you consider your windows during a kitchen redesign. These questions and answers will help you nail down the perfect window treatment for your new kitchen.
1. Will this window treatment complement the cabinetry?
Many kitchens feature standard cabinet colors like brown, black, or white. These are great classic design options and allow for a greater variety when choosing your window treatments. If you have a neutral palette for your cabinetry, then you can go wild with the color of your window coverings.
A colorful cabinet certainly makes a statement but can limit your choices when it comes to window coverings. If you have a secondary color, either on the cabinets or the molding around the kitchen, it would be best to find a complement to that color.
Colored cabinets should never be matched by the window treatment. This can lead to overkill and may rob the cabinetry of its intended statement.
2. How will this window treatment look with my walls?
There are a couple of things to think about when trying to ensure your window treatments work with your wall color and trim.
First, curtains demand a neutral shade or shutter. Unless your curtains are plain and light colored, a neutral treatment color will allow them to shine.
Secondly, keep your trim or molding in mind. If you have a molding that is a different color than your walls, you should aim to match or complement that shade. It can be tricky to match your window treatment to your walls, but it is never acceptable to match your walls when the trim color is different.
3. How will this window treatment look with my flooring?
Many DIY designers forget the impact their flooring has on the look of a room. If your walls feature a white molding and darker paint, you might consider matching your window treatment with your floor.
A window treatment that matches the floor can also open up a smaller space. It can bring the focus up and around rather than down to the floor. Tying floors and window treatments together can also make your kitchen look more “put together”, which can be a challenge in a room with so much going on.
4. How will this window treatment look with my countertops?
Directly matching your countertops is rarely a good idea. This can promote too much of one color. Finding a way to complement your countertops, cabinetry, and walls can be challenging. The rule of thumb is to avoid making the room complex with your window treatments.
5. How will this window treatment impact light regulation?
It is important to consider how the light pours into your kitchen. Take note of it at different points throughout the day. Is it too bright? Does it feel dark?
Use window treatments to dampen or allow the amount of light best for your space. If brightness becomes an issue, look for wood blinds or darker shades. For those who like a bright, clean look, a white flowing covering could be perfect.
Light regulation can impact more than simply how bright or dark the room is. The kitchen can quickly heat up when using the stove or oven. Too much sun can make a hot room hotter to the point of being intolerable.
However, simply blocking the sun from entering the room can eliminate the pleasant natural light that is good for reading recipes or focusing on fine tasks. The ideal window treatments in your kitchen will keep the room moderately cool while still allowing enough light to avoid using extra power.
6. Will this window treatment provide an appropriate amount of privacy?
Can you see into someone else’s window from your kitchen? Is the street or sidewalk in view? If the answer is yes, then privacy should be a major consideration when selecting your window treatments.
Many designers consider the aesthetic of a window treatment without thinking about the security and privacy of the homeowners. Not all blinds, curtains, or shades are created equal from a privacy standpoint.
If you are already installing a window treatment to block out excessively bright or warm sunlight, then they will likely be sufficient to make sure no one can easily see in the space at night. However, a window treatment selected only because it looks great can ignore this important feature.
7. Is this window treatment a safe option for my kitchen?
The kitchen is one of the busiest rooms in the house. Finding a window treatment that looks great and is functional is ideal. Long, flowing drapes may not be the best solution for an area where full plates and drink glasses will be regularly passing by.
Conclusion
Kitchen design choices often revolve around countertops, cabinetry, and appliances. Window treatments can often be forgotten but would pull together the room in a way you might not have thought was possible.
Seek the help of experts to find the best products for your kitchen while taking the seven things above into account. Finish your kitchen off right with functional, beautiful window treatments!
