Hang a Vintage Lantern
Hang a vintage or industrial-style lantern above the kitchen sink that is centered in front of the window to create pleasing symmetry in a farmhouse kitchen while providing light while you're up doing dishes at midnight.
Skip the Panes
In a minimalist space, feel free to leave the windows bare and in favor of a single glass pane. Cathie Hong Interiors chose to prioritize natural light by fitting this kitchen sink with an extra-wide picture window framed with black that looks onto the side yard and doesn't need any window dressing.
Use the Sill for Sundries
If you have a small window sill, decorate it with personal items like a favorite photo, or use it as a perch for your reading glasses, like this space from Leanne Ford Interiors that features decorative starburst window panes that don't need much embellishment.
Hang a Window Shelf
Maximize storage and create an opportunity to display decor by fitting the window above the kitchen sink with a hanging shelf. Becca Interiors suspended a rustic wood shelf from the rafters of this Westchester, NY, cottage, positioning it midway between the top and bottom of the windows
Hang a Vintage Lace Panel
To block an unsightly view or minimize glare from a south-facing window over the sink, add a fixed fabric panel that still allows some light to filter through. In this cozy English cottage-style kitchen from deVOL Kitchens, a tasseled panel of vintage lace adds timeless charm and contrast with the reclaimed wood window frames. And it complements creamy white textured wall panels and tiles, rosy stone countertops, and shiny brass accents.
Hang a Dramatic Shade
If you have a large bank of windows over the kitchen sink, give them the royal treatment with a theatrical window shade that will create a dramatic focal point. Ashley Montgomery Design chose an oversized plaid shade to add a country manor feel in this spacious kitchen outfitted with marble countertops and a crystal chandelier. A copper pot and a potted plant on the sill add a casual, lived-in feel.
Install Wooden Shutters
Give your kitchen a Mediterranean beach house vibe with natural wood shutters fitted to the interior window that can be purely decorative or can be shut to gain privacy or lower temperatures on a scorching day without blasting the AC. Leanne Ford Interiors chose natural wood to complement this black-and-white kitchen, but you can also paint them any color that you like.
Try a Colored Glass Vase
Add color to your kitchen window by placing a colored glass vase in the window that will catch the light, like this serene space from deVOL Kitchens.
Add Reclaimed Wood Beams
Add instant character to a bump-out window nook above the kitchen sink by framing it with antique barnwood beams. Finding Lovely added warmth to this farmhouse-style kitchen by incorporating decorative beams around the sink that complement darker hardwood flooring and look like they've always been there.
Fill the Sill With Plants
A bump-out window with a deep windowsill can feel a little sparse if left empty, or become an inadvertent magnet for clutter. Velinda Hellen for Emily Henderson Design solved this hypothetical dilemma by filling the sill with a selection of potted plants of varying types, sizes, and heights. White planter pots blend in with the vertical white tile backsplash.
Hang Cafe Curtains
To block a view of the neighbors and add warmth to the window above the kitchen sink, consider cafe curtains. Ashley Montgomery Design hung a pair of earth-toned cafe curtains by brass rings on the lower half of the kitchen window that can be left open to bring in extra natural light, or whisked close when you need some privacy.
Add Gold Accents
Add a trio of bright brass sconce lights over the kitchen window that to provide extra light in the evenings and function like jewelry for your kitchen by day, like this beige kitchen from Cohesively Curated Interiors.
Frame It With Open Shelves
In a small kitchen, add extra storage and display space around the kitchen windows by leaving them bare, and installing open shelving above and around the windows. Leanne Ford Interiors installed shelving to hug the angles of this L-shaped kitchen, with shelving both above the top of the window trim and on the empty wall space at the same level as the midpoint of the double sash windows.
Add a Transom Window
A long and narrow transom window installed above the kitchen sink will provide natural light and views to the outside while leaving room to include cabinetry above if you like. This Florida kitchen from interior designer Maite Granda has a black-trimmed window above the sink that is carved out of a bank of upper and lower flat-front cabinetry and mimics the style of larger windows above.
Bring In Potted Flowers
Add cottage style to your kitchen by decorating the window sills and the countertop on either side of the kitchen sink with terracotta pots filled with geraniums, like this charming English kitchen from deVOL Kitchens.
Transparent Roman Shade
Install a semi-transparent solar shade or loose weave Roman blind to filter glare over the kitchen sink without blocking out light completely, like this space from Becca Interiors. The non-opaque shades also allow the panes on the window to remain visible.
Hang Ceiling-Mounted Plants
Fill the dead space above the countertop in the corner of an L-shaped kitchen by hanging a pair of boho-style macrame plant holders from the ceiling, like this bright modern space from House of Chais.
Add a White-Out Shade
In a primarily black and white kitchen, soften a black trimmed industrial-style window with a simple white window shade, like this Florida kitchen from Calimia Home.
Add a Lamp
Pose a simple table lamp on a wide windowsill that can add additional ambient light in the evenings. Cathie Hong Interiors chose an all-white lamp that fairly disappears during the day, and added a vase of tall pampas grass on the other end.
Accent With Color
If your kitchen window is tall and narrow, consider mounting a slim open shelf in front of it and using simple decor in a bright color to energize the space. Leanne Ford Interiors filled Campbell's soup cans with delicate white wildflowers and added a smattering of additional tomato red accents throughout the space.
Hang a Woven Shade
Add natural warmth and texture to your kitchen window with a woven shade. Calimia Home decorated the window sills with wooden cutting boards and a simple vase of flowers that complements the neutral patterned tile for a soft modern look.
Hang Gauzy Curtains
Hang gauzy curtains to add a nostalgic feel to a modern farmhouse kitchen. Ashley Montgomery Design paired white curtains with a black rod in an inset window over the kitchen sink with an extra-wide frame that matches the cream-colored shiplap walls.