Light control and glare reduction are important considerations, however most people want to maintain as much natural light as possible in the kitchen area. Finding this nice balance is easy depending on your needs. Privacy in the kitchen may not be top priority but if you can’t bear to wash the dishes in front of the window over the sink as sun beats in, it is time to think about a window covering. If your kitchen receives a lot of sun it can increase the temperature and turn your kitchen into an oven itself, again making it an uncomfortable place to be. Solar shades, horizontal blinds, honeycomb shades or roman shades and woven shades are all wonderful choices.

Window shades such as roman shades or woven shades provide privacy and light control when needed and look beautiful raised or lowered. Solar shades come down when needed and allow view through to the outdoors when down but reduces solar glare and heat penetrating into the room.

Horizontal Blinds, whether natural wood or vinyl, offer an added architectural effect. The white tones compliment kitchen cabinets and furniture; as do the beautifully stained wood or vinyl blinds. Adding decorative tapes, which hide the string ladders, presents another point of decoration.

Honeycomb shades offer a less expensive covering to kitchen windows, while providing light control and excellent insulating qualities. The cell sizes provide even more choices as do the great variety of colors. Another possibility is to choose the top down, bottom up feature which allows the shade to be lowered from the top only or raised up from the bottom only.

All these window shades and coverings can be topped by lovely fabric valances and/ or side panels. These make the kitchen homey and inviting.

Roman Shades
Roman shades are one of the most versatile and popular window coverings on the market, add that they can be very energy efficient and it is a top pick on our list of insulating window treatments. Roman shades are available in a number of different fabrics which can determine the amount of energy efficiency they provide. Dante Hill has an option to use a thermal liner with our roman shades increasing the insulating qualities and providing an additional barrier against the elements. Many of our customers love the roman shades because they function up and down like other window shades but can offer increased insulation and be a decorative statement for any room in your house. Roman shades come in several styles and are available with the top-down bottom-up option and a variety of lift controls. Some roman shade styles are available with the cordless operating feature which is wonderful on Patio or French doors.

Drapery Panels
Drapery panels have been a time tested and proven barrier against the elements. An excellent option for sliding doors and windows of any type, drapery panels are another decorative and versatile solution. Multiple header options like the Parisian Pleat, Back Tab and Grommet Styles to name a few, as well as several drapery lining options including our insulating favorite, the thermal lining, are available. Add a cornice board on top or some other type of valance and then you’ll be on your way to sealing up the house in style and saving your money for a rainy day!

Honeycomb/Cellular Shades
Honeycomb shades, also known as Cellular shades, are an excellent choice because they are designed to trap air in between the cells or honeycombs of the shade providing an insulating barrier minimizing the outside temperatures from entering through the window shade and into your home. Likewise, this insulating barrier is instrumental in preventing the warm air inside your home from escaping. The great thing about the honeycomb shades is they do the same thing in warmer weather by trapping the cool conditioned air inside and the heat of the day outside, again forming a barrier against the temperatures. This makes the honeycomb shade a great way to treat your windows all year round.