wood finishes

Selecting the Best Kitchen Window Treatments: Over the Sink

/ Larry Walker

By SelectBlinds

The kitchen and dining room are the heart of any home. Holidays, laughter, Sunday dinners, cooking, homework, late night chats, etc. That’s why so many of your best family stories start in the kitchen.

Custom window treatments provide a fashionable finishing touch that accents and complements the way you design your own interior spaces. Lots of opportunities to highlight with colors, patterns, and texture. Window coverings provide light control, privacy, and peace of mind.

A kitchen is a unique space, and you may have different considerations for how you decorate the windows, based on where each window is located. Your choice of window treatments offer additional opportunities for touches of softness and style in the middle of bulky, metallic appliances and smooth, hard surfaces.

Select Blinds bamboo / woven wood shades for the kitchen window
Select Blinds bamboo / woven wood shades look great in your kitchen sink window,
but be careful about water and moisture in the area.

Maybe you want kitchen window curtains. If you only have one window in your kitchen, you’ll want window coverings that let as much light as possible filter in, while still being able to maintain privacy. You may consider sheer shades. If you have a kitchen window that faces the street, privacy might be a primary concern, with incoming light also being important, but perhaps slightly less so. You may want window coverings that offer a unique view, like Top-down Bottom-up shades. Then there are those windows immediately over the sink. What looks best over them? Time to get cooking. Read on as we serve up a deeper dive into kitchen window ideas and considerations as you find what fits best with your personal style and sense of décor.

Decorative Window Coverings

If you’re thinking about a covering for a kitchen window over the sink, be extra careful that you keep the right kind of materials in mind. You can still go with stylish bamboo/woven wood shades or Roman shades, but be aware that because this area over the sink often involves water splashing, spills, etc., you might have to be extra careful to avoid water damage. Wood blinds are also at risk for getting wet and possibly warping or discoloring, but you might just love the way they look in that window over your sink. It’s always up to you, just be aware of the risks that are involved if you decide on a material that doesn’t take well to water.

Select Blinds light filtering roller shades for the kitchen window
Select Blinds light filtering roller shades allow just the right amount of light
and view into your kitchen, without compromising your privacy.

Privacy

As mentioned, privacy may be a concern if your kitchen sink window faces the street or a neighbor’s home. Roller shades may be what you’re comfortable with in terms of providing privacy, and perhaps with some light filtering functionality.

Light Control

If your kitchen sink window faces the east or west, you’ll especially want to take account of direct incoming sunlight. Direct UV rays can be harsh on your eyes, your skin, your furniture, and they can definitely crank up the heat in a room. A stylish, but heavy-duty solar shade may be what you want to employ over your sink to protect yourself and your interior while you’re doing dishes after evening summer cookouts. Solars are typically constructed of durable PVC materials, so they’ll look great and maintain that “brand new” look for a long time to come. You can also custom order them with the degree of UV blockage of your choice.

Also, consider aluminum mini blinds for your kitchen sink window. Aluminum shades built to last, with plenty of light and privacy settings.

Select Blinds Solar screens for the kitchen window
Select Blinds Solar screens help block out harsh UV rays,
while keeping your kitchen cool. They look great, too!

Functionality and Longevity

In addition to durable solar shades and aluminum blinds for your kitchen sink window, there is another excellent option for a food-prep, dishwashing area. If you love the look of real wood blinds and shutters, but can’t bear the thought of them getting wet and warped, faux wood blinds and shutters might be just the perfect find.  

Not only do they perform amazingly at maintaining light and privacy, they also look great, they’re also super easy to care for, and they’ll last forever. You can clean them with little more than soap and water as needed. Many faux wood slat constructions also feature insulation against heat and cold. The lush look and feel of real wood in your home, and their resilience ensures they’ll never warp, crack, chip, or discolor when exposed to water, food stains, or steam. And much less expensive than real wood. Low-maintenance, and no worry.

Select Blinds Faux Wood Blinds for the kitchen window
Faux wood blinds give any kitchen window a crisp look and feel,
along with privacy and light adjustments.

SelectBlinds’ Staff Recommends:

Here are some of our favorite suggestions for the window above your kitchen sink.

Remember, kitchen window treatments can serve a design/decorative function to go with your kitchen’s décor, but especially for the window over the sink, it should also be durable, provide privacy, and block out harsh UV rays. Choose whatever kind of blinds work best for you, but remember that the most functional ones for that particular window are moisture- and mold-resistant. Happy decorating!

#BlindsWeLove     #kitchenblinds

Why Wood Still Wows in Interior Design

/ Larry Walker

Since the Stone Age, wood has been the go-to construction material for builders and designers. Compared to steel and concrete, writes Clay Risen of Popular Science, it’s “cheaper, easier to assemble, and more fire resistant, thanks to the way wood chars [who knew??]. It’s also more sustainable. Wood is renewable like any crop, and it’s a carbon sink, sequestering the carbon dioxide it absorbed during growth even after it’s been turned into lumber.”

More simply put, because wood used to be a living organism, it contains a spiritual energy that affects us in a positive way and helps create a relaxing environment. (Don’t believe me? Search “forest bathing” to learn about the benefits of walking through a forest of trees.)

Wood’s Zen-like presence can be found everywhere in interior design. Its natural organic properties make it one of the most versatile elements evident in all good design, and a simple way to bring nature to every room of your home.

The root of great design

In addition to its soothing effects on your senses, wood is one of the only materials that can be finished to look like shiny marble, or in almost any way you can imagine. There are lots of techniques for texturizing, smoothing, painting and staining wood to give it the look you want. Or left in its natural state, wood can be crafted into truly gorgeous, one-of-a-kind designs that showcase its unique imperfections, knots and grains.

Photo via Stanley Furniture on Wayfair

Wood can be used virtually everywhere – inside and out – as a design element to complement any style. In addition to the durable, classic beauty of fine wood furniture, envision it on your floors, walls, ceilings, patios and in accessories throughout your home.

‘Woodn’t’ this look spectacular hanging in your home? You can see why Pinterest users have pinned this gorgeous wooden pendant light to so many lists.

Nail any décor from country to contemporary, traditional to transitional by mixing and matching wood finishes. Sustain your look for years with reclaimed and refinished wood used in doors, windows, flooring, ceiling beams, and as a decorative accent almost anywhere.

Can’t afford to re-floor with wood? Reach for it on your windows with natural woven wood coverings (like our new Veronica Valencia Island Woven Wood in luscious Lomaloma), or real-wood blinds like our 2” Select American Hardwoods (shown here in Old Mahogany).

Need some more inspiration? Here’s a link to 18 incredible DIY ideas (like this sweet little side table) to create your own unique wooden designs. Let us know how they turn out. Post your projects in the Comments section here on The Blinds Spot blog.