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Whether your idea of a cozy kitchen is reminiscent of a Parisian bistro or the reliable old corner diner, there’s one thing they might just have in common: café curtains. You can probably picture them right now, tailored to fit the lower half of the window — light, and fluttering in the breeze. Maybe they’re printed in a sweet gingham pattern, and there’s even a pie cooling nearby. That’s just the comforting tableau that café curtains can create. In any case, they’re uniquely appropriate for placement in the home kitchen, despite what the name might suggest.
Other window coverings like blinds or roller shades might at first seem more conducive to such a potentially messy part of your home thanks to their typically non-porous materials. That is, of course, until you’ve tried to clean extra virgin olive oil splatter from slats of wood, metal, or, heaven forbid, plastic. Choose a set of washable curtains, instead, and you can keep everything nice and tidy without having to break out the loupe and the toothbrush.
Choosing the right café curtains for your kitchen
This might go without saying, but you’re literally looking for curtains in this case, and you’ll want to steer clear of anything labeled as drapes. Drapes are the long, luxurious textiles that help create something like a formal dining room or a sumptuously romantic bedroom. You also definitely don’t want all that extra material floating around when you’re aiming to follow the proper safety rules when attempting a flambé. Curtains, instead, signal the size and style you’re looking for with that cozy café feel.
Measure twice before buying for the best fit. You don’t want them to look like skimpy single panels, but neither should they bunch up on a rod; aim to create a healthy volume without crowding. They should also fall somewhere in the few inches right above and right below your windowsill for a crisp, intentional appearance. The Martha Stewart Bellefield Floral Sheer Window Curtain Set is a lovely, washable option that will create the café curtain effect in many scenarios, but your dimension mileage may vary.
Curtains are also a terrific, temporary, and relatively affordable way to try out some kitchen trends that can otherwise start to seem pretty questionable, pretty fast. If the years aren’t kind to the aesthetic your kitchen curtains create, you can always swap them out for something else. Then again, you may find that your cute café curtains look cute forever.
