By Alex Warr, Owner of Spokane Blinds
In Eastern Washington, our kitchens serve as more than just cooking spaces—they're gathering hubs where family traditions are passed down and memories are made. After helping countless Spokane-area homeowners transform their homes over the years, I've discovered that selecting the right window coverings for kitchens requires special consideration of our unique regional climate and lifestyle needs.
At Spokane Blinds, we understand the distinctive challenges that kitchen windows face: temperature extremes (from our frosty winters to scorching summer days), cooking moisture, food preparation messes, and the desire for both natural light and privacy. I've created this comprehensive guide to help you navigate these considerations and select window treatments that will enhance your kitchen's functionality while complementing its design.
Kitchen window treatments work harder than those in any other room of your Spokane home. They're regularly exposed to water splashes, cooking steam, food splatters, and dramatic temperature shifts that can deteriorate or warp many materials over time. Additionally, the need for frequent cleaning in kitchen environments makes maintenance considerations particularly important.
When consulting with our Eastern Washington customers, I always begin by asking about:
These factors guide us toward materials and designs that will maintain their beauty and functionality through years of daily kitchen activities.
For kitchen windows that face the challenges of cooking zones and water exposure, faux wood products offer exceptional resilience coupled with timeless style. At Spokane Blinds, we proudly feature Hunter Douglas EverWood® Alternative Wood Blinds, which give you the warm aesthetic of natural wood with substantially improved durability.
These premium blinds showcase remarkably realistic grain patterns and incorporate innovative TruGrain® technology that guarantees against common kitchen-related problems like warping from steam, yellowing from sunlight, or bowing from moisture exposure. Spokane homeowners particularly appreciate their easy maintenance—simply wipe them down with mild soap and water to restore their pristine appearance.
For a more architectural statement that complements Spokane's diverse home styles, Palm Beach™ Polysatin™ Shutters deliver impressive performance characteristics. Manufactured with UV-resistant compounds, these shutters maintain their structural integrity and appearance even when facing Eastern Washington's intense summer sun or the steam from your holiday cooking marathons. They offer the refined appearance of painted wood shutters with substantially greater durability—critical for long-term satisfaction in kitchen applications.
Spokane's distinct seasonal climate—with cold winters and warm summers—makes energy management a priority for local homeowners. Duette® Honeycomb Shades represent an innovative solution that addresses this concern beautifully. As the original cellular shade design, they provide remarkable insulation at your kitchen windows.
The distinctive honeycomb construction creates air pockets that act as barriers against temperature transfer, helping maintain comfortable conditions regardless of outdoor extremes. For maximum performance in Spokane's climate, many of my customers select Duette Architella® shades, which feature a honeycomb-within-a-honeycomb structure for superior insulation properties.
Available in an extensive selection of colors, textures, and opacity levels, these versatile shades harmonize with any kitchen design aesthetic while contributing meaningfully to your home's energy efficiency. For kitchens with patio doors (common in many Spokane homes), the Duette Vertiglide™ system provides a perfect solution, allowing you to cover the entire expanse or operate sections independently.
For homeowners seeking a clean, modern aesthetic with straightforward functionality, roller shades represent an excellent kitchen window solution. At Spokane Blinds, our vinyl roller shade options provide exceptional practicality for food preparation areas, as they can be quickly cleaned with a damp cloth—ideal for inevitable kitchen splatters.
Beyond their practical advantages, today's roller shades have evolved dramatically from utilitarian designs of the past. Available in an impressive range of colors, patterns, and textures, they can either make a bold design statement or blend seamlessly with your kitchen's existing elements. Many Spokane homeowners particularly appreciate how their minimal profile complements contemporary kitchen designs without competing with architectural features or statement backsplashes.
Eastern Washington's natural beauty inspires many homeowners to incorporate organic elements into their interiors. Woven wood shades offer a perfect opportunity to introduce natural textures that soften the hard surfaces typical in kitchen environments. Hunter Douglas Provenance® Woven Wood Shades, crafted from sustainable materials like bamboo, grasses, and reeds, add visual warmth while complementing Spokane's connection to natural surroundings.
Despite their natural composition, these shades demonstrate impressive durability and dimensional stability even in challenging kitchen conditions. Engineered specifically to resist the stretching, sagging, and fading that can affect natural materials, they maintain their beauty even in sun-drenched Spokane kitchen windows.
For enhanced versatility in privacy and light control, consider pairing woven wood shades with an independent room-darkening or light-filtering liner. This combination allows you to enjoy the beautiful filtered light effect of natural materials during the day while securing complete privacy when desired.
For kitchen windows positioned away from direct cooking areas—such as breakfast nooks or dining extensions—fabric Roman shades introduce an element of sophisticated softness. Hunter Douglas Vignette® Modern Roman Shades blend the elegant draping quality of fabric treatments with tailored, architectural lines that complement both traditional and contemporary Spokane homes.
These premium shades come in an extensive selection of designer-inspired fabrics, allowing you to introduce color, pattern, and texture exactly where desired in your kitchen design. Safety-conscious Spokane families appreciate that Vignette shades eliminate exposed rear cords, creating a cleaner appearance while enhancing child and pet safety.
Available in different fold styles and operational systems, these versatile shades can be customized to your specific needs—from energy-efficient liner options to motorized operation for hard-to-reach kitchen windows.
Spokane enjoys more sunny days than many parts of the Pacific Northwest, making light management a key consideration in kitchen design. Sheer shadings offer a sophisticated solution that transforms harsh direct sunlight into a soft, ambient glow that enhances your kitchen's atmosphere and makes food preparation more pleasant.
Hunter Douglas Silhouette® Window Shadings feature innovative S-shaped fabric vanes suspended between sheer panels, creating a floating appearance that filters light beautifully while maintaining daytime privacy. Similarly, Pirouette® Window Shadings provide elegantly contoured fabric vanes attached to a sheer backing, offering precise control over light entry and outside visibility.
Both options are available in a spectrum of fabrics, colors, and textures that complement Eastern Washington's distinctive design sensibilities—from traditional Craftsman elements to contemporary minimalism.
As Spokane homeowners increasingly embrace smart home technology, window treatment automation represents a practical enhancement for daily living. At Spokane Blinds, we've seen growing interest in motorization options, particularly for kitchen windows that may be difficult to access due to countertops, sinks, or appliances.
Motorized shades and blinds integrated with your favorite smart home devices allow for programmed adjustments throughout the day, automatically managing light levels and privacy while potentially contributing to energy efficiency. Control these systems through remotes, wall switches, smartphone apps, or integrate them with popular smart home platforms for voice-activated operation—particularly helpful when your hands are occupied with cooking tasks.
Finding your perfect kitchen window solution involves balancing practical performance needs with your unique design preferences. During our complimentary in-home consultations across the Spokane area, we bring product samples directly to your kitchen, allowing you to evaluate options in your exact lighting conditions alongside your cabinetry, countertops, and wall colors.
As you narrow your choices, consider these essential factors:
As a family-owned and operated business serving Eastern Washington, Spokane Blinds takes pride in helping our neighbors create more beautiful, functional homes with custom window treatments. Our showroom offers hands-on exploration of the complete Hunter Douglas collection, allowing you to see and operate potential kitchen window solutions firsthand.
Can't visit our showroom? We're pleased to bring samples directly to your home with our complimentary consultation service. Contact us today to schedule an appointment and discover how the right window treatments can transform both the atmosphere and functionality of your Spokane kitchen.
Alex Warr is the owner of Spokane Blinds, a premier Hunter Douglas dealer serving Eastern Washington with custom window treatment solutions for over a decade.
