Kitchen Window Treatments: Grease, Steam and Light

A kitchen window treatment has to cope with the nearby hob, greasy steam, splashes and sun on the worktop. Safe solutions that are easy to keep clean.

The kitchen is the hardest-working room in the house, and its window is more than a source of light. There is often a sink or worktop beneath it, the hob may be alongside, and it is opened several times a day for ventilation. The long, layered curtains that suit a living room soon get dirty here, soak up grease and can even be a hazard. A kitchen window treatment first and foremost must not get in the way of cooking.

Safety first: distance from the hob

Fabric burns. If the window is close to the hob, a loosely hanging curtain can touch the flame when a breeze catches it or the window is opened. The risk is particularly high with a gas hob. On such a window:

• avoid long, lightweight fabric on the hob side;
• choose a roller blind, Roman blind or Venetian blind fixed close to the window;
• if fabric is used, plan its length and fixing so it cannot fall over the hob.

When planning the kitchen layout, not placing the hob directly below or beside a window solves the issue at its root.

Grease, steam and smells

Droplets of grease rising during cooking travel with the steam and settle on cooler surfaces, curtains included. Over time the fabric turns tacky, attracts dust and holds on to smells. A good extractor hood reduces this but does not eliminate it. If a window is slightly open while the hood runs, replacement air comes in through it and can swing a light curtain towards the hob, which is another reason to think carefully about where fabric hangs. The key criterion for kitchen materials is therefore ease of cleaning:

• polyester and synthetic-blend fabrics are machine-washable and dry quickly;
• aluminium Venetian blinds can be wiped, but the number of slats makes cleaning slow and, in a greasy environment, it has to be done regularly;
• roller fabrics with a coating that tolerates wiping keep grease on the surface where it is easy to remove;
• natural linen and cotton look lovely, but grease soaks deeper into them and they do not take well to frequent washing.

A window above the sink

If the sink sits below the window, the treatment is exposed to splashes and wet hands. Fabric reaching down to the sill gets dirty and stays damp. A roller, Roman or Venetian blind that stops above the sill is more practical. If the sash opens inwards and the mixer tap is tall, check whether the sash hits the tap when opened; if it does, a cassette system fixed directly to the sash is convenient.

Light and glare

In a kitchen, light is also needed to work. Direct sun on the worktop is dazzling on glossy surfaces and heats the kitchen in summer. A fully darkening treatment, on the other hand, forces you to switch on the lights during the day. The most comfortable solutions filter light without shutting it out: a translucent roller, screen fabric, a Venetian blind with tilting slats, or a short curtain that leaves the top of the window open.

The classic café curtain was designed with kitchens in mind. Covering only the lower half of the window, it blocks the view from the street while letting light in freely above. In a ground-floor kitchen it strikes a good balance between privacy and daylight.

The dining area and the wider interior

Where kitchen and dining area are combined, the windows may have different jobs. A practical roller or Venetian blind suits the window by the hob and sink, while a softer, longer curtain suits the window next to the dining table. For a consistent look, both are chosen within the same colour palette, for example by picking a roller fabric in the tone of the long curtain.

When choosing pattern and colour, keep kitchen realities in mind. Very pale or white fabric shows every mark; a small print in a mid-tone hides everyday traces far better.

Kitchen window checklist

• The treatment is far enough from the hob and cannot fall into a flame.
• The material is washable or easy to wipe.
• It does not hang into the sink or onto the worktop.
• It does not block the window from opening or hinder ventilation.
• The work area is not left without daylight during the day.
• If there are small children at home, cords and chains are kept safe.

In apartment and villa renovations, Zaferoğlu İnşaat plans kitchen and dining areas together with the interior design. When the positions of the hob, sink and window are worked out on the same plan, choosing the kitchen window treatment becomes much simpler.