Choosing Curtains for the Functional Kitchen

The kitchen is often the center of the home; a place where family and friends come together to talk, cook and eat. So why is it so often overlooked by the eye of fashion? Kitchen curtains give any kitchen a warm and welcoming air as well as add a hint of style. Available in a wide range of colors, prints and patterned motifs, kitchen curtains are easy to find and create.

The kitchen can be a messy place. Cooking oils and grease float through the air and food splatters with the slightest flick of a fork. For this reason, it's best to stick to machine washable fabrics such as cottons and polyester blends. Not only can heavier fabrics be difficult to clean, but they also tend to absorb smells and odors more so than their lighter counterparts. Fine fabrics such as silk, sheers and laces can work for kitchen curtains provided they are an appropriate distance away from the stove and sink.

Drapes and long panels rarely survive in the kitchen environment. Not only can kitchens be high traffic places, making long curtains unlikely, but they require much more care to keep clean. The short styles of valances, swags and café curtains are preferred in the kitchen because they stay out of the way and tend to remain a bit cleaner from their position at the top of the window.

Kitchen curtains can be plain and simple or brightly colored and fun. For a sleek kitchen outfitted in stainless steel and chrome, try a box valance at the top of the window to add a hint of color. Perhaps you prefer to add a homier air to an industrial-flavored kitchen with a softer swag or curtain scarf. Less formal kitchens can benefit from a set of traditional checked or striped curtains.

Country kitchens are a popular theme. Make your curtains convey this style by choosing bright, cheerful patterns. Why not try something lively and choose a funky chicken or rooster print? Common curtain patterns include gingham, calico and canvas.

You can find kitchen curtains at most major department stores and/or national retail chains. Still stumped on choosing curtains? Why not create your own? Simply visit a local fabric and craft store and stock up on fabric, needle and thread and a good pair of sewing scissors. Pattern books are available in these stores as well as in many hardware and home improvement stores. A few cuts and some basic stitching puts you well on your way to hanging up some atmosphere in your kitchen.