When I posted the “reveal” of the new kitchen pantry area last week, I couldn’t help feeling that the project wasn’t quite done. As I was taking pictures, all I could think of was, “cafe curtains concealing the bottom shelves would be beautiful.” See?!
As a reminder, here is the same view without curtains.
So here’s the deal. I feel like the upper shelves in the space are gorgeous. AND I feel like the bottom shelves are equally gorgeous. But together, it’s so busy. I’m trying to make our home feel a little less busy and a little more colorful, especially on our yet-to-tackle first floor. And did you know that a great way to bring in color and pattern is with curtains?!
So naturally, I whipped out Photoshop (Photoshopping design ideas is my FAVORITE!) to play with cafe curtain options from a few of my favorite stores. Spoiler: it includes Anthropologie and Spoonflower curtains.
Cafe Curtain Sizing
I was hoping to find curtains that would be long enough so I wouldn’t have to sew them. While I can sew, it’s not my strong suit. However, I am getting better. The kids’ Halloween costumes I sew no longer fall apart by the end of Trick-or-Treating. Winning!
The kicker is that I do love sewing. It’s magical to stitch fabric together into a creation that only existed previously in your mind. But I have enough projects on my plate right now, and I’m trying to avoid loading my plate higher.
Standard cafe curtain size is 24″ to 36″. The height of our bookcase is 38″. Meaning, I could probably get away with 36″ curtains and hang them just under the top shelf. But the vast majority of options I found were too short.
Eight Curtain Options For The Pantry Shelves
So welcome to our cafe curtain fashion show. Our first stop of the night is with Anthropologie curtains, which are some of my favorites (although least affordable). It’s always fun to explore Anthro styles, and sometimes you can find similar alternatives for less money.
Option #1: Multi-Plaid
These curtains are the Woven Cotton Plaid Cafe Curtain from Anthropologie. I’ve been getting Instagram ads for these curtains for weeks, and I LOVE them. I was hoping to love them on the pantry shelves, but the pattern feels busy, and the grid pattern feels like it competes with the floor. Curse you, floor!
Speaking of the floor, in case you’re new here. I loathe this floor. And someday, when we renovate our kitchen, I will replace it with a different tile, but that’s a long way off. Stick around to the bottom of the post to see what I have in mind for masking the floor. I LOVE the idea, but Colby is on the fence.
But back to curtains and onto the next option.
Option #2: Yellow Plaid
Enter the Cotton Woven Stripe Cafe Curtain in Maize from Anthropologie. I LOVE these curtains and how they look with the upper shelves. The pattern is lovely as it’s not your normal plaid pattern. I’m normally not a yellow lover, but these could change my mind. I just don’t love them with the floor. Onward!
This exhausted the ready-made cafe curtains I found at Anthro. My next source to explore was Spoonflower. I love the company because it sells ready-made curtains. BUT you can also buy the fabric and make your own.
It’s essentially a pattern store comprised of independent artists. Pick your pattern and then choose your product. Or vice versa. You can use the same pattern on everything from bedspreads to wallpaper, fabric, and more.
Option #3: Checks
The next option, Cheerful Leaves Checks Curtains from Spoonflower. I was trying to find a fabric pattern similar to the first, Anthro option, but this was a big miss in my opinion, and I didn’t love it. Nothing worked, from the colors to the pattern. Enough with the plaids, maybe some stripes?
Option #4: Tan Stripes
These are the Aegean Stripe Tan Curtains from Spoonflower. Hmmm…I like these curtains, just not here. They certainly don’t bring the color I was hoping to add to the kitchen. Let’s try again…maybe something in a light blue.
Option #5: Blue Stripes
The next stripe is the Rustic French Ticking Stripe Curtain in Light Blue from Spoonflower. Now we’re talking! I could get behind this and am considering this fabric option a strong contender for cafe curtains. I also don’t hate them (as much) paired with our floors. Maybe with a deep scrubbing and lightening the grout, the pantry zone wouldn’t look so bad.
Before I can commit, I need to check out some organic patterns. You know, maybe less hard-line stripes and plaid, and try some florals. When you have alot of hard lines, like I do with the upper and lower shelves, even the floor, adding some organic patterns can create a more visually interesting space.
Option #6: Hitchcock Woods
The first floral pattern I tried was Hitchcock Woods from Spoonflower. While a beautiful fabric and color, it’s just too dark. I’m looking for something just a bit brighter.
Option #7: Earthy Florals
The next option is Earthy Florals Curtain from Spoonflower. There are two color combos that I’m obsessed with in this house, which you see a lot. Light blue with dark green (like the blue striped curtains above) and pink with dark green (like in the nursery). These curtains are gorgeous, and I love them with the wall color, but not so much the floor. If only the floor were darker…hmmm. Note the foreshadowing.
Option #8: Woodcut Floral
And the final option, Woodcut Floral Curtain in Dusty Blue from Spoonflower. Another solid contender! I love the light blue floral pattern and don’t hate it with our floors. Speaking of the kitchen floors…
Dealing With The Kitchen Floors
I have this wild and crazy idea that we should paint our tile floors. I’ve done some research, although I need to do more, and found a floor paint system from Rust-Oleum at the Home Depot. It’s supposed to be perfect for painting tile floors. I still want to explore options at our local paint store and see if they have recommendations, but I cannot let go of the idea of painting our kitchen floors. I dislike the color of them, they always look dirty, even right after cleaning, and I feel like they go with nothing in our home.
While I’m all gung-ho, let’s paint the floor (and the ceiling, too), Colby is on the fence. He doesn’t hate the floors like I do (he’s more upset that the kitchen windows aren’t the same size…which normal, non-window-salesmen do not notice), and thinks they will scrape and scuff, look terrible, and not be worth the effort in the end. He has a point. A very valid point, and I share his concerns. The kitchen is also our entry and the most high-traffic space in our home.
But I can’t help wondering if it will make my design heart happy in the interim before a big kitchen renovation arrives. Here are my three favorite curtain options with a dark, charcoal gray painted floor. First, the pink woodland floral option.
Then the light blue floral option, which I’m not saying I have a favorite, but I might love this one the most.
And finally, the light blue, French ticking stripe option with the dark gray charcoal floors. Okay, this one might be a favorite too.
Throw in a light colored runner for a rug, and now we’re talking.
It’s the Loloi Antique Sage Runner, and I adore it in the kitchen with the dark floors and blue curtains. I would prefer a vintage, wool rug, but at least this gives me an idea of what I’m looking for.
So I have some decisions to make. To paint the kitchen floor or not paint the kitchen floor, that is the question. And then, what fabric to choose for the curtains? Part of me is leaning towards just going with the blue French ticking. Or maybe the blue floral? Oh…I don’t know (throws hands up in the air).
I am, however, deciding to decide by Labor Day weekend. Spoonflower typically has some great sales that weekend, which would be nice to have a discount when purchasing the cafe curtain fabric.
Pssst…Tell me, what would you do? Try painting our tile floors? Or just leave them be? I am so torn.
Psssssst…Okay, I just read a bunch of Reddit reviews of the floor paint product (bless you, Reddit), and many users don’t recommend it for medium to high traffic areas. Dang it. So I’m leaning towards not painting.
Of these options, I’m putting in my vote for the blue floral! I think you’re right that it looks nice with the current floors (which I would leave, but maybe you could paint the grout instead to reduce contrast? https://www.younghouselove.com/how-you-like-me-now-grout/ came to mind). The floral pattern also helps break up the lines of she shelves + floor, and connects nicely to all the blue and white floral on the shelves!
Yay! I’m glad you like the blue floral. It’s my favorite too. That’s so funny because I thought of that YHL post also. So happy I’m not the only one who references their old posts still. Thanks for the comment!