Two important questions to consider at the initial stages of planning for window treatments are: how big is my kitchen? And how big is my window?
Both these factors will influence what kind of treatments will work best for the environment.
Small Kitchen:
When you have a smaller sized kitchen area, the last thing you want to do is to make the window area overwhelm the rest of the kitchen. Because windows take up a lot of area, using something which is too bold or too busy can make your kitchen seem even smaller. The idea is to use something which will compliment the area and tie it together without drawing too much attention to the area.
In a small kitchen, avoid large patterns on drapes. Depending on the size of your kitchen, you may even want to avoid using large slatted blinds. Also avoid bright colors of drapes or blinds as that may easily overwhelm.
Large Window:
A challenge for a large window in terms of covering it is the span. You need treatments which are sturdy enough to firmly hold the coverings in place, whether they are drapes or blinds. The last thing you want is for the middle of the treatments to sag. A valance or swag might work well.
Consider the proportions of window to the room. You might have a fair sized kitchen area, but if you have an exceptionally large window, you should dress down the coverings.
If your window in proportion to the kitchen is relatively small, you may want to try a bold look to jazz up the area. The drapes or blinds can be an accent in these sorts of situations.
Light:
There are many options for light variations and privacy.
Dual layer curtains
If you need coverings to let the light through as well as coverings to block the light completely, consider two layers of drapes – one sheer layer and one solid layer. You will need curtain rods to accommodate both layers, but the flexibility of light may be worth it to you. With a dual set up you can have both drapes completely opened to let total light in; you can have only the sheer layer closed to allow light to enter but maintain privacy; you can have both the sheer layer and the solid layer shut to block out most of the light.
Horizontal blinds can allow for some privacy. If you adjust the blinds so that the slats are slanted upwards slightly, some light will be allowed to enter the room while blocking direct viewing of the contents of the room from the people outside.