From maximising your view to bringing in natural light or adding a splash of colour, our round-up of kitchen window ideas is sure to give you the inspiration you’re looking for
With homeowners spending more time than ever in their kitchens, not only using them as practical food preparation areas but also as vibrant, sociable family spaces, it is vital to ensure they are full of natural light and have a strong connection to the outdoors.
Along with looks, you need to consider that any kitchen window ideas you decide to go with must be able to cope with the practical requirements of this space – from a fog of cooking steam to splashes of sauces and hot water.
Our selection of brilliant kitchen window ideas include tips on everything from making the most of the views over your garden to creating quiet seating spots and even bringing together your kitchen colour scheme.
1. Make your kitchen a room with a view
Considering how much time we all spend in our kitchens, it makes sense to ensure they are places we really want to linger. Your choice of kitchen windows can make or break your enjoyment of the room and transform everyday tasks from mundane to a pleasure. How much nicer is it to do the washing up gazing out onto your flowerbeds as opposed to a blank wall?
Large picture windows, corner windows or swathes of sliding doors are just a few ways to maximise your view of the world outside. Opting for aluminium frames enables ultra slim slightlines – Origin OW-70 Aluminium Windows have sightlines of just 65mm – to help bring the outdoors flooding into your kitchen space.
2. Create a cosy kitchen corner
Get creative with your window design by turning dreary, wasted corners into bright points of interest. Corner windows that wrap around two sides of your property can add a whole new dimension to your kitchen, highlighting views you might not otherwise get to enjoy from indoors.
Having a corner window installed is a great way to develop a new area within the kitchen – a dining table or a comfy armchair placed within this corner will mean it becomes the spot everyone is drawn to. Origin’s range of fixed frame aluminium windows are ideal for this. A 90 degree bay pole will allow for this effect.
3. Make your kitchen wall disappear
Forget solid walls and install a large run of bi-fold doors or sliding doors into the kitchen wall that connects it to the garden. Doing this will not only ensure your kitchen is light, bright and airy, but it will also allow you to open up your space completely to the outside in the warmer months – effectively extending your kitchen space.
Aim to create a level threshold between inside and out to ensure a seamless look. Talk to your installer about the options available for thresholds and track options to get the best products for your needs.
4. Create a deep window sill
Looking for a kitchen window idea that will also give you some extra storage space? A deep window sill is a fabulous way of achieving this. Not only will it highlight your choice of window frame and create character and visual interest, but it is also a practical design idea. When used around worktops or the kitchen sink, deep window sills provide the perfect spot to keep practical items such as washing up equipment, or you can add to the room’s aesthetic appeal by displaying treasured objects and decorative items too.
5. Bring light into the kitchen from all angles
Remember, windows don’t have to be at eye level – or even in walls. Get creative with your window design and consider fitting a combination of window styles and sizes at various heights.
Origin Aluminium Windows are completely bespoke, so you get to decide on which shapes and configurations will work best for your kitchen. Consider clerestory-style windows (a row of windows set above eye level) or one or two fixed, narrow vertical windows that provide attractive glimpses of your garden. These can sit alongside more standard windows and sliding or bi-fold doors.
Bringing in light from different heights can produce a really exciting effect and ensure each area of an open plan kitchen space is well lit.
6. Build in a kitchen window seat
Building a window seat into your kitchen design creates an inviting spot in which to relax and adds another element to the space – you could even build in storage space beneath. A kitchen window seat can be positioned to look out onto a particularly attractive view of the garden and provide a quiet spot to sit with a cup of tea and take a break.
Alternatively, you might want to consider using it to form part of a seating booth – an on- trend idea in kitchens at present, reminiscent of retro American diners or 1950s milk bars.
Be sure that the window it is nestled within is thermally efficient and features double or triple glazing – a draughty, cold window seat is not pleasant. All Origin Aluminium Windows are highly thermally efficient.
7. Bring some industrial chic to your kitchen
The industrial look through Georgian bars or glazing trim is a popular one in kitchens right now and shows no sign of falling from favour. This is a look that suits contemporary kitchens as well as more classic styles. It works particularly well in period homes where features such as aluminium windows and doors sit beautifully alongside original features like restored wooden floors, exposed brickworks and gnarly timber beams.
When it comes to kitchen unit styles, steel-style windows fit in with all kinds of designs, from Shaker to flush, handleless cupboard and drawer fronts. They also look great with open kitchen shelving and quirky hanging racks.
A nice idea is to use small metal elements elsewhere in your kitchen design to tie the look together. Examples include brushed aluminium cup handles on kitchen drawers and industrial metal light fittings.
8. Work with your kitchen layout
Kitchen window ideas should be guided by how you plan on using your space. Think about where you’re likely to spend the most time in the kitchen and use this as your starting point.
Your layout should be devised to ensure that those spots you will be standing or sitting at for longer periods of time are well lit and have a good connection to the outdoors. For example, by placing your kitchen sink directly in front of a window with slim sightlines, you will be able to enjoy your garden while carrying out the more humdrum kitchen tasks.
Similarly, if you plan on including a kitchen island in your layout, consider positioning it centrally to a run of bi-fold doors or sliding doors so you can look out beyond the four walls of the space.
9. Have fun with colour in your kitchen
It doesn’t occur to many people that their choice of kitchen windows can actually influence their interior design scheme – but it absolutely can. If you are opting for aluminium kitchen windows, use the opportunity to explore how they could enhance or add to your colour scheme in the room.
All Origin Aluminium Windows can be powder coated and come in a massive variety of RAL colours, meaning you can tie them in with other elements of the kitchen – be that the deep navy or forest green kitchen units that are so fashionable right now, or even your worktops or choice of wall paint.
There are no hard and fast rules to which colours should be used in the kitchen, but when it comes to choosing larger items, such as kitchen units or worktops, do carefully consider how well the colours are likely to stand the test of time. A few years ago, hot pink high gloss units appeared on the scene and it would be interesting to see how many homeowners out there were left regretting taking that particular route…
A great way to inject colour without the risk is to use small elements of bolder shades in items that are easier to play around with and change, such as pots and pans and utensils, bar stools, wall art or paint colours.
10. Match kitchen windows with kitchen doors
In order to create a cohesive interior scheme in your kitchen, why not choose your kitchen windows and doors at the same time? Many people designing a new kitchen space now see bi-fold doors or sliding doors as pretty much essential features, allowing their kitchen diners to be saturated with natural light and flung open to their gardens when the sun comes out. By using a combination of kitchen windows, full height fixed glazing and sliding or bi-folds that match either in colour or style, you can ensure the whole look is pulled together in a slick, stylish way.
11. Embrace the trend for bi-fold windows
While bi-fold doors have been a feature that many people have incorporated into their kitchen design schemes in recent years, the latest, and increasingly popular, trend is for bi-fold windows.They work brilliantly in kitchens, perhaps unsurprisingly given that they have long been used in cafes and bistros.
Also known as server windows, bi-fold windows look great positioned opposite a kitchen island or alongside a dining table, offering unobstructed views, thanks to their slim sightlines, and a sense of being connected to the outside due to the way in which they open up completely without limiting where outdoor dining furniture can be located.
12. Easy-to-clean kitchen windows
The kitchen is a practical space and any fittings or fixtures you install should reflect this. When choosing kitchen windows, think carefully about the kinds of materials that will work. Timber can be prone to swelling, twisting and warping when frequently exposed to changes in temperature or humidity, while aluminium frames will remain unaffected – they are also easy to wipe clean when they’re exposed to splashes of water or cooking sauces.
13. Include overhead lighting with your kitchen window
If you literally want to make your kitchen window light up, consider fixing lights to the wall above or to the underside of the recess it sits within. Wall lights, recessed downlighters and even dramatic pendant lights are all options that will ensure that, once the sun goes down, your kitchen window remains an eye-catching feature.
14. Fit a shelf above your kitchen window
A nifty kitchen window idea you might not have considered is to fit a shelf above it. Not only will this increase your storage options, but it will also add an interesting decorative element. You could use the shelf to keep lesser used kitchen items, such as crockery reserved for special occasions, adorn it with houseplants or potted herbs in order to inject a bit of greenery into your space or simply place ornaments here.
15. Create dining space in a kitchen bay window
A bay window can make a lovely feature in the kitchen and creates a little additional pocket of space in which to nestle a dining table. This will make the dining area of the kitchen feel more intimate and welcoming, while also ensuring that it benefits from great views of the outdoors. The Origin OW-70 and OW-80 Aluminium Windows are both available in bay configurations and in a wide range of colours and finishes.
16. Make a statement with a gable kitchen window
Gable end windows are a sure fire way to make a design statement with impact. When used in a kitchen, they add drama, symmetry and flood the space with light. They are also the perfect solution where a shallow roof pitch needs to be taken into consideration.
