The Regency style is typified by using vertical stripes on wallpaper or full length curtains both of which are ideal for adding the illusion of more height to the room, along with elegant furniture and carefully chosen accessories and soft furnishings.

With its grandeur and formality you have to keep an eye on the smallest details to pull this look off successfully. By using mirrored surfaces – the coffee table top for example – adds to the glam and also helps to make the room look light and airy without deviating from the style.

Polished chrome plated curtain poles with elegant end finials are the ideal way to hang the curtains. By using coordinating tie backs, or using plated rings to make an central pleat on each curtain emphasises the need to pay attention to detail.

If you opt for gold plated rather than chrome the style leans more towards Regency than Hollywood. Use gold coloured metal curtain poles, rather than chrome, along with gold plated trim and edgings on mirrors and occasional tables.

You can chose to splash out to get the look or create it on a budget – either way will work just as long as you remain true to this style’s principles. If you’re going the budget route a point to remember is that this style isn’t ‘over-the-top’ or tacky – it’s selective refinement using a design style which has been around for many years. You can make savings without losing the look by using clearance curtain poles and making your own bespoke cushions and curtains. Get creative and crafty to emulate the look without having to pay the price tag which is typically associated with modern Regency. Half the fun of interior design is making a style suit you, your home and your budget!

Option 1: Curtains:
Country cottage or larger country homes are suited to floral chintz curtain fabrics and standard styles of ready made curtains – as both a pencil pleat heading hung from curtain tracks or a more trendy eyelet heading which is hung from curtain poles suits this style of kitchen superbly. Offering a practical and charming window dressing.

Option 2: Blinds:
Blinds also play their part in creating a country charm to kitchen windows, more especially blinds made from curtain fabrics such as Roman blinds. If you’re country cottage kitchen revolves around pine as many do, then wooden blinds are also a great window dressing choice if you have the need for privacy. However, if your kitchen window provides views across the countryside and landscape you’ll want to really put this advantage to good use by having your windows unobstructed as much as possible during daylight hours.

Option 3: Valances and Café Curtains
Valances and half-sizes café style curtains are also a great window dressing option, providing the charm you desire and a window dressing which is keeping with the style of your home. Your choice of fabrics extends your options even further. You can choose a net curtains for both the valance and the actual curtains or you can mix and match with net curtains at the bottom for example with a lightweight curtain fabric for the valance.

Sheer fabrics is on-trend this year providing another variation on the theme. Sheer fabrics are the stepping stone between net curtains and fabric curtains. They provide you with privacy at the bottom third of the window and a coordinating valance to give a soft look to the top of your window. Whether you choose plain or patterned sheer fabrics is purely a matter of personal preference.

Take a look at all the options and variations in kitchen window dressing we’ve suggested over this month – hopefully we’ve given you plenty of food for thought as well as offering you styles and designs to suit the style of your home. Don’t leave your kitchen window out in the cold as they can make or break the style of your kitchen and also provide you with a cost effective way to refresh your kitchen.

Option 1: Café Styled Curtains:
This style of window dressing is a cross between a café or net style and full curtains. Typically the curtains are made into small width panels and hung from net rails or tension rods, using metal rings, (which can be found under curtain pole spares) approximately one-third of the way up the window casing. This gives you an informal window dressing that would be ideal for country cottages or retro kitchens depending on the fabric and pattern you choose. For example, a country cottage would favour a floral print or gingham while for a retro look paisley patterns and colours reminiscent of the 1950’s are the bold colours and prints to go for.

As with any half-curtain the only disadvantage to this style of window dressing it that it provided no privacy to the top two thirds of your kitchen window. As such you may like to use a combination of standard curtains and half curtains. Each style of window dressing will be hung independently so there’s no worries about them interfering with each other when both are in use during the evenings.

Option 2: Blinds:
The latest plain roller blinds are available in some very bold colours, along with kitchen blinds with patterns, if you prefer not to use curtains in your kitchen. The latest designs are also user friendly with wand controls or even motorised, as well as the more conventional cord systems. Choose a bright, bold roller blind to use on your back door (if it’s the type which has a glass panel in), as well as your windows to inject splashes of vibrancy without having to completely redecorate.

Option 3: Plain Blinds & Patterned Curtains:
Using plain roller blinds gives you the opportunity to use a patterned curtain fabric without the two clashing against each other visually. You could also swap this around and have plain curtains and a patterned blind – either option will give you a practical and functional window dressing which will suit all styles of kitchens perfectly. Furthermore you will be able to choose colours and patterns which compliment your décor or kitchen cupboards – making this window dressing option very cost-effective.

Option 1: Curtains:
Café curtains are seeing a huge revival this year. Offering a half-sized window covering you can use a variety of different fabrics to get the look to suit the style of your home. The most classical is a net curtain which is slightly heavier than a standard net curtain. These café styled nets are usually panel style in appearance and have a pointed bottom edge. Many have coloured motifs which are pertinent to the country from which they originate. The great advantage of café curtains or nets is that they can be hung from net rails or tension poles which means there’s no need to drill holes into the window casing.

Option 2: Blinds:
You can also achieve the bistro look by using Roman blinds or roller blinds. Roman blinds offer a homely charm and you’ll be able to coordinate the fabric to match or compliment your other soft furnishings and colour scheme. If you prefer roller blinds opt for scalloped roller blinds as the wave-effect edging offers a more casual look than a standard roller blind.

Option 3: Rolled-up Blinds:
The new kid on the block so to speak is a roller-up blind; which is fundamentally a combination of a Roman and roller blind. They differ from roller blinds because the fabric is rolled on the outside of the blind putting it in full view, rather than being rolled into header casing. In a similar fashion to Roman blinds, roller-up blinds are usually home-made, however, rather than pulling up to gather into horizontal pleats they are roller like a sausage – giving a new twist to the other already successful styles of kitchen blinds.

As with Roman blinds these types of window dressing enable you to put your own individuality and design flair to your window dressing. If you’re on a tight budget cheap curtain fabrics can be used to great effect – leaving you with a stylish window dressing that’s sure to be a talking point when friends see them!

Option 1: Curtains:
Half curtains hung from net rails or tension rods are a great way to create an informal looking kitchen window dressing. Choose fabrics to compliment your colour scheme or be bang on-trend and go bold with a plain vibrant colour to perk-up a tired kitchen instantly.

Option 2: Blinds:
Blinds remain a firm favourite as we’ve already discovered during this mini-series, however, half blinds are a new concept to some people and bridge the gap between using full blinds or café style curtains beautifully. These blinds can be placed across the entire width of your kitchen window or divided into separate half blinds for windows which have framing dividing the actual glass.

Ready made wooden blinds – similar to wood-weave roller blinds – provide a natural window dressing which gives you plenty of light and privacy options as you can operate each blind separately and independently. The bottom ‘hem’ of the blinds have a metal rod running through them which helps them to hang correctly as well as helping to prevent too much movement from open windows or doors.

You could also use this idea for making your own half-sized Roman blinds – it will save on fabric if you have exceptionally large windows as well as giving a bespoke look to your window dressing. Making your own blinds gives you the freedom to choose your own colours, patterns and design to suit the style of your kitchen.

Option 3: Classic Combinations:
You can still go natural using both curtains and half blinds; this is an effective way of giving your windows a new look and also prevents prying eyes from seeing inside your home at night – as ‘must have’ prevention for deterring opportunist thieves if you live in a high crime area or if you simply don’t like the thought of anyone being able to see inside your kitchen during the evenings and at night. To coordinate the look use the same pelmet for your curtains as the header rail/pelmet of the blinds. If you want to stay natural look for curtain fabrics made from cotton blends.

Option 1: Curtains:
As kitchens become larger the once uncommon sight of full length curtains is being see in contemporary interiors where rather than a single window entire walls are made of glass. To keep with the sleek, clean lines of contemporary design unobtrusive curtain tracks are used – many are motorised due to the sheer quantity of fabric used to cover these vast expanses of glass. The vintage aspect is seen in the type of fabric and material used in the curtain fabrication.

Option 2: Blinds:
Pleated blinds are also increasing in popularity due to the functionality and practicality these type of blinds offer. Not only can they be raised from the bottom up like a conventional roller blind, they can also be adjusted to cover any area of the window, whether that be centrally or exposing only the top half. This new concept in window dressing offers the ability to adjust the blinds to give privacy and to prevent the sun from entering the room irrespective of how high or low in the sky it is. Vintage meets modern as this style of window dressing is the ideal choice for long, tall windows of Victorian styled homes while embracing the latest window dressing trends.

Option 3: Curtain Panels and Blinds:
Curtain panels and blinds can also be used to encompass old and new. The curtains can be functional as with a ‘normal’ curtain or purely decorative or faux – this is where it appears that there are curtains which can be pulled or drawn together but in reality they aren’t actually wide enough to do so. These curtain panels are held in place with tie-backs and look aesthetically appealing. Privacy is derived from the blind – either roller blinds or a Roman blind. The fabrics of each item (the blind and the curtain panel) can be identical or complimentary depending on personal choice. Using two different types of fabric, for example a lightweight sheer fabric for the panels and a more robust and thicker weight for the blind offers a contrast which again can show where vintage meets modern.

Option 1: Curtains:
Retro kitchens almost always have curtains and it’s here where you can bring the retro look to the forefront of your design. Choose bright colours and retro patterns to make three-quarter length curtains. Simple ribbons to tie over net rails or extendable curtain poles – the type which work on tension so there’s no need for drilling into the window casing. Standard curtain headings can also be used, more especially if you want the curtains to cover the whole height of the window, and standard curtain tracks can be used to hang them. Making your own curtains is part of the retro scene and is easy to accomplish with the use of a sewing machine.

Option 2: Blinds:
Blinds can also be used to get the retro look. Venetian blinds in particular have been around for many decades and offer an easy to fit and no-nonsense approach to window dressings in kitchen. Aluminium Venetian blinds where being used in offices and found their way into people’s homes as an excellent, practical window dressing choice. However, in the post war years the majority of people didn’t have any spare cash to spend on blinds, therefore home-made curtains were the norm for most people, with many opting for curtains made from tea towels until such time came when money for material was easier to find.

Option 3: Valances:
Top valances were also used in the post war years. This type of window dressing gave the look of a window dressing when in reality the valance used the minimum amount of fabric with maximum effect. Today valances are still used, but typically with kitchen blinds rather than as a stand-alone window dressing.

Maybe this is because in today’s world we don’t want people to be able to see inside our homes when artificial lights are turned on – especially when a kitchen is at the front of the house – whereas in the 50’s many kitchens were situated at the back of the house and neighbours kept an eye out for strangers and challenged them if they looked at all suspicious! We also mustn’t forget that many women stayed at home all day, so opportunist thieves weren’t as ‘lucky’ as they may be today – just a thought.

Option 1: Curtains:
Curtains hung by a traditional style of curtain tracks, such as Harrison Drape, will compliment the sleek lines and uniformity of this type of kitchen rather than curtain poles. Be mindful of the pattern and colour of the curtains you choose as the exacting nature of this kitchen calls for shades to match splash-back tiles and wall colours. You could opt for a complimentary colour and use the same colour accessories to match and bring the colours together if you have an eye for colour matching.

Option 2: Blinds:
Venetian blinds in white are also a great choice as they conform to the clean lines and uniformity required for this kitchen style and design. Make sure you fit the blind correctly as any slight disparity may be cause for concern, as precise and exacting fitted kitchens are not kind to the slightest imperfections! Made to measure blinds would be the ideal choice and aren’t as expensive as you may think. By going the made to measure route you won’t have any worries about trying to cut the blinds to the exact size as all of this is done for you, many companies will also install their made to measure ranges, although you should expect to pay for this service. However, the end result will be worth the extra and you’ll end up with a kitchen window dressing which is a fully fitted as your kitchen.

Option 3: Mock Plantation Shutters:
You could choose a wider slat size on the Venetian blinds to compliment the chunky, solid and sturdy look of the cupboards. The wider slats also give a plantation shutter look with the added bonus of practicality, functionality and light control. You could also opt for plantation shutters, however, these are typically fitted to the outside of the window rather than internally, as such they aren’t seen much in run-of-the-mill English homes, although they are being used more as a deterrent for reducing opportunist thieves from taking their chances of breaking into homes.

Today mismatched furnishings are right on-trend and no one bats an eyelid if your chairs are different colours and even styles. This causal approach makes dressing your kitchen windows a real cinch and we have three great options for you to consider.

Option 1: Curtains:
Fabric automatically brings a homely feel and look to a kitchen. When you opt for ready made curtains or choose to make your own is a matter of personal choice. However, as we’ve already mentioned in our 1st post in the mini series it’s not wise to choose curtains or fabrics which aren’t easy to clean and maintain.

You can choose plain or patterned curtains to suit the colour scheme and style of your kitchen – if you want you can opt for fabric patterns specifically designed for use in kitchens – the type that has herbs, coffee beans etc. Alternatively you can go for a plain fabric which is blend in unpretentiously with the casualness of your kitchen.

Option 2: Blinds:
Roller blinds are a great option for dressing windows and in the same vein as curtain fabrics you can choose plain or patterned to suit your kitchen. Kitchen blinds can easily be sponger clean and therefore make a great budget choice of window dressing.

Option 3: Voiles & Sheers
Voiles and sheer fabrics are being seen in every room in a home including a kitchen. Due to the light weight be careful if your cooker or hob is situated close to your window as the slightest of breezes can make voiles billow and move – whilst this provides a graceful and calming effect on a room it can also pose as a fire hazard in a kitchen. If you want to use voiles they may be best placed at your kitchen door and away from the cooker. You could also make Roman blinds out of sheer fabrics, however as we’ve noted these types of fabrics aren’t always the easiest to keep clean.

Option 1: Curtains:
Bright, bold plain or patterned curtains will make a real impact on the way your kitchen looks. You can opt for ready made curtains and hang them from curtain poles in a style and colour to compliment your kitchen cupboards and style for a quick and effective way to enhance the look of your windows and kitchen.

If you’re feeling the need for change why not use tea towels to brighten up your kitchen windows? You only need a curtain pole and hooks which you can easily obtain from our curtain pole spares category, and simply fix the hooks onto the tea towels and hang them – a bright and ingenuous way to dress your windows for those who like to be different! It’s also a great way of using tea towels that have been given to you as gifts and you don’t want to use them for their real purpose and yet they’re too nice to stow away in a draw.

Option 2: Blinds:
Changing the colour of your kitchen blinds is also a fast and effective way bring a new look to your kitchen. Look for the latest bold colours to compliment your kitchen colour scheme to give your kitchen the ‘wow’ factor. You can also use coloured Venetian blinds rather than traditional white if you need privacy. If you have a stainless steel contemporary kitchen aluminium Venetian blinds are the ideal choice, providing chic styling combined with the latest innovations in window blind technologies.

Option 3: Blinds and Valances:
Valances are becoming increasingly popular as part of kitchen window dressing. They not only add a pop of colour and pattern to plain kitchens they are also great at hiding the header rails of your blinds. Easy to make and simple to hang from curtain poles or net rails, a valances adds a quaint charm to traditional and modern windows and takes away stark and clinical looks that blinds alone often portray. If you want a more permanent fixture a fabric covered pelmet would also add a splash of colour to your kitchen windows.