What we will cover:

  1. The real function of kitchen curtains (no, it is not obvious) and why to dress a window with a patio door.
  2. Whether tulle works in a modern design. How to combine it with curtains in a kitchen with a patio door.
  3. Whether to hang curtains on one or two sides, and symmetry in general.
  4. How NOT to choose curtains, which ones serve no purpose, and how not to hang them.
  5. Then how to do it correctly.

Let’s go!

shades on a modern white kitchen with a balcony door shades and sheer curtains in the kitchen with a balcony

Modern Curtain Ideas for a Kitchen with a Patio Door

The Purpose of the Curtains

Curtains make a kitchen interior with a patio door much better because they hide:

  1. A large, ugly white vinyl window-and-door unit that was most likely scratched and smeared during remodeling.
  2. A lousy vinyl windowsill.
  3. The radiator, which is not a work of art either. Especially with exposed piping.
  4. Clutter or simply a cheaper finish on the balcony or patio beyond it.

Yes, that is the main function of the curtains.

shades and sheer curtains on the kitchen balcony door how to hang curtains in a kitchen with a balcony design of curtains on the kitchen with balcony door

You do not sleep in the kitchen, so the morning sun will not wake you there. You do not watch TV there either, so glare on screens does not matter. The balcony or patio itself provides some privacy.

Of course, if everything already looks like this, there are no questions:

balcony with stone-effect trim in the kitchen

But something tells me reality is more likely to look like this:

kitchen with balcony door without curtains kitchen decor with balcony curtains

In a kitchen with a patio door, curtains are primarily decor and a way to finish an unattractive window-and-door unit. That is why the best choice is long, floor-length curtains.

I am not a conservative and I like short curtains, especially because they are more practical for small kitchens, where you can use the windowsill.

Read my article about kitchen curtains – it focuses specifically on short options (Roman shades, roller shades, and so on). But when there is a patio door, everything changes.

Beige curtains with rings in a modern style with a balcony door in the kitchen green curtains on a white kitchen with a balcony door light curtains of tulle on the kitchen balcony door orange curtains on one side in the kitchen with a balcony door striped gray curtains on the kitchen with a balcony

To hide the windowsill, radiator, window, and door, our choice for the kitchen is modern long curtains. Here are several real photos of the correct treatment:

Beige curtains in a modern style on a white kitchen with a balcony door Beige curtains in the kitchen with a balcony door in a modern design balcony door on kitchen with gray curtains and white tulle blue curtains on the kitchen with balcony modern white kitchen with balcony and sheer curtain dark blue curtains on a white kitchen with a balcony door curtains with colors in a kitchen with a balcony door in provence style

Tulle in a Kitchen with a Patio Door

You do not have to cover the patio door completely with curtains. Blurring it and pulling attention away is enough.

Tulle handles this beautifully. Cats agree.

cat and RoomLogic.org approve of sheer curtains in addition to kitchen curtains with a balcony

Current tulle options fit beautifully into modern kitchen design, while having a couple of advantages over heavy curtains:

  1. Tulle is inexpensive, easy to wash, remove, and hang.
  2. It hides unattractive things without completely blocking natural light.
  3. It does not create a visual wall (subjectively, a kitchen with a patio door looks larger with it than with heavy curtains).
sheer curtain for kitchen with balcony kitchen-living room with balcony and sheer curtain sheer curtains and light curtains in a kitchen-living room with a balcony door sheer curtain with pattern in beige kitchen Curtains on one side and a sheer curtain in the middle in a white kitchen with a balcony door kitchen-dining room with balcony door adorned with sheer curtain brown sheer curtain in kitchen-living room with balcony door scandinavian styled kitchen with balcony and sheer curtain wallpaper and curtains in the kitchen with a balcony door modern white kitchen with balcony and window decorated with sheer curtains sheer curtain on a wall rod in the kitchen-living room with a balcony kitchen curtains with a sofa and balcony door shades and sheer curtains in different colors on the kitchen with a balcony door

For a modern design, tulle is combined with curtains or with a heavier version:

  1. Tulle in the center of the patio-door unit (opening it is covered in the hanging section), with curtains at the sides. These can be light curtains or heavy drapes. The main thing is for the sides to look at least a little heavier or darker than the center.
  2. Light white tulle with high transparency in the middle, darker and heavier fabric at the sides.

For modern styles, when the goal is to make it as beautiful and stylish as possible, the place where the tulle meets the wall should still be covered with curtains.

Tulle and curtains together are the best option and the standard.

Beige curtains in a kitchen with a balcony door in a modern classic style combination of curtains and sheer curtains in a kitchen with a balcony brown curtains and sheer curtain on the kitchen with balcony door kitchen-living room with balcony, silver wallpaper and curtains orange curtains on the kitchen with a balcony kitchen curtains with balcony door in modern classic style gray curtains in a modern kitchen with a balcony door gray curtains with poles on a white kitchen with a balcony thick long curtains and sheer curtains on the window with a balcony gray curtains on a wall rod in a kitchen with a balcony modern kitchen with balcony door and floor-length gray curtains modern kitchen window curtains with balcony door wallpaper and curtains combination on the kitchen with balcony door design of curtains on the kitchen window - tieback

Because completely hiding from the sun is not the goal, you can save money and make the side curtain panels stationary.

On One Side or Two

Whether the patio door is in the center of the kitchen or near a wall, and how the furniture is arranged, determines whether the curtains should hang on one or two sides.

There are too many options to list, but remember the rule:

A kitchen with a patio door is always asymmetrical, so you can hang the curtains any way you want. On one side, on two, or only halfway – every option is good.

There are situations where you can hang one only on one side, and that is normal.

It is impossible to hang curtains symmetrically here

Photo examples:

asymmetric curtains in the kitchen with a balcony door Two-toned curtains in a modern kitchen design with a balcony kitchen design with balcony and sheer curtain long and roller shades in the kitchen with a balcony green and gray curtains on the kitchen with a balcony door gray curtains on both sides in the kitchen interior with a balcony door blue curtains on two sides in the kitchen modern kitchen design with balcony and curtains on one side light blue and brown curtains on the kitchen balcony gray and light blue curtains on the kitchen balcony dark green curtains on the kitchen with a balcony on one side sheer curtain on the kitchen balcony kitchen curtains on one side with balcony door

Dressing a Kitchen Window with a Patio Door

Let’s start with photos of mistakes so you know what to look for below.

Mistakes

Remember what we want in the first place.

design of curtains for a modern kitchen with a balcony door

Too Sheer and Too Little

Tulle that is too thin, short curtains reaching only halfway down the window, or a narrow strip of curtain covering only part of the door – none of this performs its function.

light short curtains on the kitchen with a balcony door translucent curtains in the kitchen with a balcony door translucent curtains in the kitchen with a balcony sheer curtain on kitchen with balcony sheer curtain with golden thread on kitchen with balcony

String curtains belong here too. They are very practical and easy to walk through to the patio, but that is where the advantages end. They do not fit a modern kitchen-curtain design – they are hopelessly outdated.

White lace curtains in the kitchen with a balcony cotton curtains on the kitchen with a balcony door Sheer curtains in the form of threads in a kitchen with a balcony door

High and Other Strange Tiebacks

A tieback that is too high looks ridiculous.

The idea is clear – it is supposedly easier to walk from the kitchen to the patio. But first, there is another way to solve that. Second, it does not fit even in a normal traditional kitchen, and in a modern one, this tieback destroys the whole design.

High curtain rod above the balcony door in the kitchen drapes tied back in the kitchen with a balcony

Horizontal theatrical or French-style swags are out too.

French drapery on the kitchen with balcony door French curtains on the kitchen balcony door

Short Curtains

This is not exactly a mistake. Roman and roller shades are quite good in isolation, but in a kitchen with a patio door, I would still stick to long curtains.

But for objectivity, look at the photos – they have a right to exist.

White roller shades in the kitchen with a balcony shades on the kitchen with balcony door light roller shades in the kitchen with a balcony door roman shades in a gray kitchen with a balcony door roman shades on the kitchen with balcony door roller shades on a large balcony door in the kitchen

How to Hang Them

The standard solution for modern styles is a concealed ceiling track. The dropped ceiling stops short of the window wall, and the curtain track is hidden in the resulting recess.

kitchen with balcony and curtains on hidden rod hidden curtain rods shades on a hidden ceiling curtain rod in a kitchen with a balcony

For traditional styles, you can use a decorative cornice that also hides the attachment.

classical style kitchen with balcony door and framed curtains drapes on a picture rail in the kitchen-living room with a balcony

If this is not a full remodel and there is no ceiling track, use a wall-mounted rod. There are many ways to attach the curtains to it, and all are good except grommets.

long curtains on a wall mount in the kitchen with a balcony door shades on a wall curtain rod in the kitchen with a balcony door

Grommets are rings inserted into the curtain itself and placed over the rod. Do not use them – they look awful in person.

shades on tabs with pull cord on kitchen with balcony

The most modern and fashionable attachment idea (not exactly new, but it is the one I would choose) is curtain tape. It is attached across the upper back of the curtain, and hooks go into it. The attachment is hidden. They will always explain the details where you buy the curtains.

curtains on a curtain rod in the kitchen with a balcony door Window treatments secured with straps in the kitchen with a balcony red curtains on a strip in the kitchen with a balcony door sheer curtain on curtain rods in a kitchen with a balcony curtains on a hidden hinge rod in a kitchen with a balcony door shades on invisible hooks in the kitchen with a balcony

If you often go onto the patio from the kitchen (oh, those smokers), it is better for the tulle in the center to have two panels rather than one continuous piece. It is much easier to open that way.

curtains in two halves on the kitchen with a balcony door

Using tiebacks and bands is fine when they are low and not overdone. Gathering a small corner is already enough to make it easy to move the curtain aside and open the patio door.

long curtains to the floor and sheer curtains in the kitchen with a balcony long curtains and tied sheer curtain on the kitchen with balcony door countryside-style curtain ties on the kitchen balcony sheer curtain header on the kitchen with balcony door gray curtains with rings on the kitchen with a balcony door drapes with tiebacks next to the heater in the kitchen with a balcony

Valances (a narrow horizontal strip of curtain across the top of the window) work only with certain styles. For example, a Provence-style kitchen.

How to Choose

First, you need to decide on the color. For this, I strongly recommend reading about the color wheel and combining colors in an interior – this is my best article, and it explains the fundamental principles of combining colors in detail.

If the accents are already set and you are choosing kitchen curtains specifically to hide the window and patio door, the standard is no hue, meaning anything from beige to dark gray (black and white is too aggressive).

small kitchen-living room with gray curtains light gray floor curtains in a kitchen with a balcony gray graphite curtains on the kitchen with a balcony door

But if the curtains are a design element and you want a color accent (and that is the right approach), the main idea is to choose low-saturation colors (heavily mixed with white and gray). This is the modern design option and protection against mistakes.

The colors that work with the natural shades of kitchen finishes and furniture and are therefore used most often are turquoise, muted blue, dark blue, olive, and cocoa brown. You understand the logic – none of these are pure colors; they are all mixed shades.

Turquoise curtains in the kitchen with a balcony door light blue curtains in the kitchen with a balcony red curtains on the kitchen with a balcony door thick burgundy curtains to the floor in the kitchen with a balcony light blue curtains in a bright kitchen with a balcony dark orange curtains in a kitchen-living room with a balcony door curtains with red circles in a kitchen with a balcony patterned curtains on the kitchen balcony door

The heavier the curtains, the more expensive they look. But that is not always the right goal – stylish does not necessarily mean expensive.

Beige curtains in a modern kitchen with a balcony brown curtains in the kitchen with a balcony door brown curtains with valance on kitchen with balcony block light gray curtains in a small kitchen-living room

The tulle in the center of the kitchen patio-door unit should be heavy enough to hide the vinyl frame and radiator.

White is the standard tulle color; variations of gray sometimes work well. Every other color is a risk.

White sheer curtains in the kitchen-dining room with a balcony exit gray sheer curtain on the kitchen balcony door gray sheer curtain on a wall mount in the kitchen with a balcony standard white sheer curtain in white kitchen with balcony colored sheer curtain in the interior of a modern kitchen with a balcony black sheer curtain in the interior of a modern stylish kitchen with a balcony

The same goes for patterns and pictures. Sometimes they can improve the interior a little, and sometimes they can ruin it badly – you need a fine sense of the line.

You now know everything that can be explained in isolation; clarify individual details where you buy the curtains. Also read my articles on kitchen wallpaper or 100-square-foot kitchens, 110-square-foot kitchens, or 130-square-foot kitchens (just in case). I hope you got something interesting from this. Good luck decorating!