Are vertical blinds ok in the kitchen?

Yes, vertical blinds are a good choice of kitchen blinds, with the caveat that waterproof vertical blinds are the best choice and that the non-waterproof variant might not be suitable for some kitchens at all.

This blog post will tell you why vertical blinds for kitchens are a good choice, and cover a few questions that come up regularly in my email inbox about kitchen vertical blinds too.

Why are vertical blinds ok in the kitchen?

Vertical blinds are ok for kitchens because they come in fire retardant and waterproof variants, and are inexpensive.

Vertical blinds are also usually the best choice (and sometimes, only choice of standalone blind) for very tall or large windows, such as you will often find in combination kitchen/dining rooms with patio doors at the end.

Vertical blinds come in a wide range of colours and finishes, can be made from blackout and thermally insulating fabrics, and have adjustable louvers that can be used to filter light and control privacy without blocking the sun and/or your view out of the room entirely.

Are vertical blinds ok in the kitchen if your home is a period property or traditionally styled?

Functionally, there’s no reason why vertical blinds can’t be used in a classically or traditionally styled property or one with a period theme, but style-wise, they might look a little incongruous. Vertical blinds weren’t invented until the 1950s and didn’t catch on in a big way until some years later, and so they’re not really a good match for more formal styles and traditional homes.

Can you put vertical blinds in a kitchen if the blinds aren’t waterproof?

Vertical blinds in either PVC or vinyl fabrics are waterproof, and these are the types that I suggest are the best choice of blinds for a kitchen, due to the humidity and potential for direct contact with water. Also, for ease of cleaning and to ensure that your blinds don’t absorb cooking smells that cause the room itself to smell stale over time.

However, if your kitchen is either well ventilated or you don’t generate much humidity from cooking/making drinks for whatever reason, polyester vertical blinds might be viable as long as they’re not close to the sink or any surfaces where they might get splashed with water or food.

Just bear in mind that even if they don’t have direct contact with food/liquids and humidity isn’t an issue, non-waterproof vertical blinds will almost certainly collect lingering cooking smells over the longer term.

Are vertical blinds ok in the kitchen if the window is behind/above the hob?

If you’re looking for blinds for a window that’s directly above or behind a hob or the vents for an oven, you will have to be very careful about the type of blinds that you choose in general, and vertical blinds particularly might not be suitable.

Whilst some vertical blinds are treated with a special heat and fire-retardant coating, they shouldn’t be used on a window that’s directly above a hob or source of high heat, due to the fact that the louvres can sway in a breeze from the window. Should the window be open on a very windy day, there’s an infinitesimally small possibility that the louvres might blow hard enough to risk coming close to a flame or intense heat and cause a fire risk.

However, I have never heard of this happening and think the possibility of it happening is vanishingly unlikely; but even so, better safe than sorry!

Can you put vertical blinds in a kitchen if you have patio doors or very large windows?

Yes, vertical blinds in a kitchen with a very tall window or something like patio doors are great, because vertical blinds are the type of blinds that can be made in the tallest and overall largest sizes of any type of blinds.

In fact, some types of blinds can’t be made in large enough sizes for very tall or large windows, due to the weight of them, and vertical blinds are the most popular type of blinds for large windows overall.

Are vertical blinds ok in the kitchen if your windows are very small?

Finally, most people want all of the blinds they choose for one particular room to match, for aesthetic reasons, and whilst vertical blinds can certainly be made for smaller windows, they can look a bit odd if the window in question is really tiny!

If you do have one or more kitchen windows that are so tiny as to be more or less an afterthought or intended for ventilation only, a vertical blind might overwhelm the window; and if the window is really narrow, the blind may look a little strange as it will require such a small number of louvres to cover it.