The presence in the kitchen of direct access to the balcony is both an advantage and a disadvantage. On the one hand, in the warm season you will have a great opportunity to ventilate the room and provide intensive access to fresh air, on the other hand, it will be problematic to choose adequate curtains.
Usually, for a kitchen room, a relatively short option is chosen, which is less susceptible to accidental pollution and will certainly not reach the fire, however, such a solution will look extremely strange against the background of the door, overlapping its maximum by half. However, even from this position you can find an interesting way out.
Features
It is not so easy to pick up curtains for the kitchen with a balcony door for the above reasons, however, this option for planning an apartment in our country is quite common, and designers, of course, had to solve the problem many times before. The final option in each case is determined individually, taking into account the particular premises and the wishes of the owners, however, general recommendations can be made on how to curtain the kitchen adjacent to the balcony.
- In any case, curtains should be chosen in strict connection with the style the whole room as a whole. A modern-looking kitchen cannot be combined with rustic-style curtains, even if you saw a model that ideally hides the flaws of a doorway. This limits you in choosing the available options, but increases the likelihood that the final result will not be unbalanced.
- As a rule, the door is not completely curtained - a 15 cm cornice protrudes beyond the edges of the window itself on both sides, which is enough to cover the junction of the door with the window, but does not completely mask the door. In most cases, this is a good solution - without being completely devoid of natural light, the kitchen is still curtained.
- Contrary to popular belief, curtains of different lengths are not so nonsenseas someone might have thought. Without proper design experience, it can be difficult to choose a tulle so that it looks holistic and interesting, but professionals often prefer just this option, because it is practical and allows you to more conveniently move between the kitchen and the balcony.
- A good way out of the situation is not to be attached to the ledge at all, instead of hanging the curtains directly on the windows. In our time, there are enough varieties of such a design - the same blinds or Roman curtains look stylish, and most importantly, they do not completely disrupt the perception of a window combined with a door.
The general rule, according to which the material of kitchen curtains should be non-marking and easy to clean, applies in this case.
Kinds
The variety of curtain options for the kitchen is quite large. Consider what varieties of window textiles can come in handy in this case.
Tulle
First of all, it is impossible to completely discard light curtains from tulle. On the one hand, they seem to be of little use for the stated purpose - at least they are always very long and light, therefore they flutter in the wind and can easily end up in the fire.
For this reason, they are relatively rarely used in multi-apartment buildings in the kitchen, but in practice it all depends on how spacious your kitchen is. In a situation where it’s far from the stove, it is precisely such lightweight products that may turn out to be optimal, since they not only give the interior airiness and comfort, but also differ in durability and ease of washing.
Roman curtains
Roman curtains are especially good in that the degree of their lowering depends on the current needs of the owner, and the lower end always looks neat and complete. Usually, the Roman curtain is designed for one sash, because the windows can be curtained, and the exit to the balcony will remain convenient.
So far, this solution to the problem is not very widespread, although there is only one objective minus - it is not very convenient to remove the laundry, and with careless handling, the guiding mechanism and the edges of the fabric wear out quickly.
Roller blinds
Roller blinds are generally reminiscent of the above Roman, only when folded are not folds, but a wound roll. They are traditionally high in density., and therefore come in handy to those owners who believe that their kitchen is unlucky with natural light.
Japanese curtains
An interesting solution may be Japanese curtains, consisting of long and narrow rectangular strips of material, weighted below with special weights. To open or close the window, you will no longer be vertically, but horizontally, as is the case with classic curtains, but this option has an advantage - it does not crease and has a heavier weight, not allowing a long web to take off from the draft and interact with the stove.
Thread-like curtains
Thread-like curtains are a kind of development of the above idea of Japanese curtains - they even consist of narrow strands of beads or textiles hanging to the floor.
Despite their low weight, they are also not inclined to flutter in the wind.
Individual tailoring
It should be noted that for true connoisseurs of the original design, a chic idea may seem to be an individual order of curtains instead of buying ready-made ones. Choosing some unbanal curtains, you may run into the problem when, in terms of design, one model is most liked, and in terms of practicality, the leader is completely different. The meaning of tailoring is to, at the request of the client, combine in one product all the best ideas about the ideal.
Materials
The right choice of curtains for the kitchen is largely dependent on the material from which they are made. It is clear that it will be much easier to look after non-marking material, regardless of what form it took, becoming window textile.
Fabrics of natural origin are still one of the most popular options for sewing curtains. They are good if only because they do not have synthetic impurities, which means that they never emit strange odors or toxins, even when they are in conditions of constantly elevated temperature. With some of the disadvantages inherent in classic flax, cotton, organza and satin, they are relatively easy to care for.
Designers pay attention that such material is best combined with classics and rustic style, and in terms of color, window textiles need to be selected so that it resonates with the furniture, not the walls.
If you don’t want to go too far from the cozy interiors of past years, but at the same time you would like to slightly increase the operational properties of the product, you should pay attention to the mixture of synthetics and natural material. Today, polyester and polyester are so expertly interwoven with cotton threads that at first glance only a specialist with wide experience can notice the difference. But in terms of durability and maintenance, such material will be much more practical, for example, you do not have to constantly iron the product, and you will also be able to avoid too quick burnout of colors.
Roller blinds are often made from bamboo straws and although it is difficult to use for the manufacture of curtains of any other kind, this material can be considered one of the most practical. A bamboo product does not require washing at all, such a procedure is simply not provided for it. The straw is inherent in the ability to keep its original shape for a long time, because the design does not exactly apply to those that easily crumple.
Among other things, bamboo is much denser than any fabric, in terms of protecting the room from light from the street, it is one of the leaders.
If you opted for a filament solution, then it is unlikely to be a laundry either. Due to the small surface of the product, dirt is practically not visible on it. At the same time, threads are rarely used as curtains on their own - most often they are decorated with beads and other small accessories.
Dimensions
The question of how long curtains should be, if there is a balcony door in the kitchen, remains open. On the one hand, the practicality requirements for a classic kitchen require short curtains that are difficult to stain or accidentally set on fire, on the other hand, the presence of a balcony can mean inappropriate drafts or excess sunlight, so sometimes it is better to fence off it as much as possible.
A number of varieties of curtains in their design features do not imply a constant length, since it is determined only by the desire of the owner at a particular moment. These include, for example, Roman and roller blinds - they can be pulled to the very top, or can be lowered down. The possibility of regulation is relevant if you can not give preference to either long or short curtains.
Long curtains are usually recommended only if you can be sure that they will definitely not hit the fire. Usually such confidence is present in a large kitchen, where you can place a stove in two or more meters from the window. For a long product, a significant distance from the work area and dining table would also be a useful factor. - the only way you can give some kind of guarantee that the product will not be constantly dirty.
Despite the inability to completely mask the balcony block, it is the short curtains that remain the most common and practical solution to the problem. They are the best in terms of fire safety and hygiene conditions. - Neither accidental splashes of oil, nor pranks of children or pets will affect their condition in any way. Thanks to this option of curtains, you will get free access to the windowsill, which is very useful if it is wide enough and used as another working area.
Among other things, short curtains will not interfere with the periodic opening of a window or balcony door, and will not cause discomfort when using a sofa or table, which can be pulled directly to the window.
Another advantage of short curtains is that they do not block access to radiator batteries, which means that they do not interfere with the penetration of heat from them into the room, even when the window is curtained. Finally, many styles suggest the use of short textiles, for example, this is the norm for Mediterranean decoration.
Design options
The appearance of the curtains should in one way or another be combined with the rest of the decoration and the atmosphere of the room, because otherwise the interior will seem to be decorated differently and is unlikely to delight the owners or their guests. The main idea in use today is to maintain a unified interior style while changing colors with furniture.
At the same time, it is considered a design mistake if the curtains in terms of shade fully correspond to the color of the headset and other furnishings - in this case even the most beautiful and stylish curtains will merge and simply “get lost” against the general background. For this reason, a slight indentation is needed for a couple of tones in one direction or another, for example, in combination with green inserts, deep olive models will look good on furniture.
It is important to achieve harmony in the style - it is impossible to select window textiles completely independently of other interior details. So, for lovers of classic design, the optimal solution would be tulle and curtains from fabrics of natural origin. Naturally, the classic design can also be different, because curtains with a light and bright floral pattern, elusively reminiscent of summer, will suit for “our” rustic style, and Provence involves the use of pastel colors, which should not be changed when choosing window textiles.
Modern options for curtaining a window with a balcony are relevant only if the modernist approach is used in everything. For example, the same jalousie, which simply because of their specifics do not imply any drawings, look normal except in combination with a loft or minimalism, otherwise it will turn out to be somehow excessively fresh and boring.
The same Japanese curtains in this regard are more universal, they will fit well into the interior, in which other details of the oriental style will be present.
The general rule can be formulated as follows: the more you try to focus on antiquity, the more vivid and interesting your curtains should be, since they were once the main decoration of the room. Most modern styles profess the opposite philosophy. - the curtain can be bright, but not colorful, interspersed with "extraneous" shades are acceptable, but they should not be much.
The only exception can be considered only thread curtains, which themselves can look bewitching - they are well suited for those who decide to add a futuristic gloss to their kitchen.
How to choose?
Everyone chooses curtains for a window with a balcony door in the kitchen in accordance with their own ideas about fashion and style, but there are also such owners who do not consider themselves experts in this field and just want to find a suitable option. The following recommendations will help.
- If you are not interested in newfangled inventions, it is better to stay on a proven solution in the form of curtains made of fabric, fixed on good old cornices.As for the length, it is better to dwell on something in between - curtains to the window sill, completely covering the window opening, but not dragging along the floor, will do. This is especially true for small kitchens, where large-scale textiles would not only pose a fire hazard, but also occupy half the room.
- Rolled kitchen curtains well suited for those who are uncomfortable that the window with the balcony door will either have to be completely closed or opened - also entirely. For each leaf, the roll can be separate, so you get an excellent opportunity to adjust the lighting inside the kitchen, guided by the position of the sun in the sky.
- Whatever set of curtains you choose, preference in terms of color palette is almost always given to light colors. Unlike most other rooms, sunlight is never considered superfluous in the kitchen - it helps to increase mood and improve appetite, and therefore the task of the curtains is to muffle it, but not completely eliminate it. Given the fact that outside the window of your kitchen there is also a balcony, which inevitably reduces the amount of penetrating light, emphasis can be placed on the lightest colors.
- Keep in mind that the shade and pattern on the curtain directly affect the perception of the room. So, the presence of any pattern or ornament, and even with large elements, will inevitably reduce the visual perception of the kitchen, and it can become even closer, especially if you choose a color from a warm palette. At the same time, it is the warm range that adds to the comfort of the kitchen, and many owners consciously refuse the opportunity to "expand" the kitchen, as long as it remains cozy.
How can I make a window?
With a well-thought-out creative approach, the design of a window opening can be a separate reason for the pride of the whole family, so you should pay attention to atypical moves that have only recently begun to be used by professional designers.
A good solution is to use several types of curtains at once, combining, for example, filament and textile curtains or Roman curtains with classic curtains. Such an approach is relevant only in spacious rooms, otherwise it will eat too much free space, but in large kitchens it allows you to perfectly regulate natural light. In addition, hanging two layers of curtains means giving the interior softness, which will inevitably happen with a large amount of textile.
Another interesting option is to ensure the perfect roll call of upholstered furniture with curtains. by using the same material with a completely identical pattern. Thanks to this, the kitchen design looks as holistic as possible, and even the brightest and most colorful curtains will not look like a foreign body. The only reason this approach is not used very often is the lack of variation in design changes, because to maintain the original effect when replacing curtains, you will have to re-upholstery the upholstered furniture.
It was mentioned above that the tone of the curtains should overlap with the shade of frame furniture, but at the same time be different from it. As a rule, modern designers make a slight deviation in the direction of choosing a darker material, for example, with the overall beige palette of the room, the curtains give a soft light shade of milk chocolate. The color of window textiles should not be unique in the interior - it is scattered around the room in the form of small accents.
See how to choose curtains in the next video.