Watching the Garden Grow

Work in the kitchen consists of the all-important tasks of nurturing a family through the preparation of food. To be done right, these tasks require ample light, and proper light management requires proper window treatments. And because of the almost spiritual dimension many people associate with food preparation, most homeowners insist that their kitchens be cheery spaces bathed in as much natural light as possible.

Hand-painted shade window treatment
©Studio Shades
A window shade hand-painted in a lattice pattern overgrown with blooming vines
is the ideal companion for a colorful display of potted plants on the sill below.

As the light-filled, functional hub of the home, the kitchen can be spared formality at its windows with no sense of loss. And because kitchens are often at the back of the house, where privacy is greater, their windows may not need protection with a total privacy shield. Instead, window treatments can be completely casual and sparingly covered. Potted plants lining the sills can be dressing enough. With their greenery and blooms, container plants invigorate a kitchen with real life while the plants themselves thrive in the sun.

Pennant valance window treatment
©This End Up Furniture Co., Inc.
Topped with only a pennant valance in sunny yellow and white checks with blue
trim, this kitchen window is left bare except for three herb topiaries gracing its sill.

For more decorating ideas around the home, see: