Dining room curtain and blind ideas
Dining room window ideas for glare at lunch, privacy at dinner and easy care near food, from SunScreen and double roller blinds to sheers and lined curtains.
The best dining room window treatments do three jobs: soften glare across the table by day, give privacy once the lamps are on, and cope with the odd splash. A SunScreen or double roller blind handles the first two, and sheer or lined curtains finish the room at night. This guide covers dining room curtain ideas and the best blinds for a dining room, from casual to more formal.
In short
- A SunScreen roller blind softens glare and keeps the view, but gives daytime privacy only. Add a blockout layer for dinner.
- A double roller blind pairs a daylight layer with a blockout layer in one product.
- Sheers soften the room, and lined curtains or double curtains give privacy after dark.
- Check where the table, chairs and sideboard sit before you choose the stack and the control side.
- Compare samples in daylight and under your evening lamps.
What a dining room window has to do
A dining room is used in short bursts at very different times of day, from a bright breakfast to a dinner lit mostly by lamps. That makes flexibility more important than one fixed setting.
- Glare across the table. Direct sun at breakfast or lunch is the main daytime problem.
- Privacy after dark. With lamps on inside and the street dark, a sheer or a SunScreen blind will not hide the room.
- Furniture close to the window. A table or sideboard affects the control side and the space a curtain needs to stack.
- Splashes and spills. The covering should be easy to dust and wipe.
Best blinds for a dining room
Roller blinds are the simplest answer, because you can change the fabric to suit the job.
| Blind | Best for | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| SunScreen roller blind | Softening direct sun while keeping the outlook | Daytime privacy only, when it is brighter outside than in |
| Light Filter roller blind | Diffusing daylight and obscuring the view | Silhouettes may show at night when the room is lit |
| Double roller blind | Day and night control on one window | Needs depth: 90 mm in a recess with both layers over-rolled, or 70 mm with both under-rolled |
| Blockout roller blind | Strong privacy at night | Less view and less daylight |
A SunScreen blind is a common choice because it cuts glare and keeps most of the outlook. Screen comes in seven colours: Ice, White Linen, White Grey, Mist, Dolphin, Charcoal Grey and Charcoal. "White Linen" is a colour name, not a material.
A double roller blind is the most flexible option. One layer is Screen or Light Filter for daytime. The other is blockout for evening. You operate each layer on its own, with chain, cordless or motorised control, so the same window handles a bright lunch and a private, lamp-lit dinner.
On fit, a face fit helps cover a wider dining window, while a recess fit suits a smaller opening with a neater finish. The dining room blinds page shows the options in more detail.
Dining room curtain ideas
Curtains add softness and a finished look, especially in a room that is used more at night.
- Sheer curtains. Cassis, Cassis Volume and Bali are linen-look polyester sheers that filter daylight and soften the view. They give some privacy by day, but not at night with the lights on. See sheer curtains.
- Lined curtains. A blockout lining is sewn behind a sheer, so the two open and close together on one track. Drawn at dinner, they give privacy and a more finished drape. See lined curtains.
- Double curtains. A sheer and a blockout on two tracks are drawn separately, which suits a room that changes through the day. Double curtains project 220 to 250 mm, so check the depth.
- A blind and curtains together. A SunScreen blind for the glare, with sheers or lined curtains in front for softness and for evening. Our guide to layering sheer and blockout curtains covers the details.
Choosing a heading
- S Fold is the most popular heading, with regular waves across the full width. It looks relaxed and works with most dining rooms.
- Pencil Pleat gathers into a neat, structured line.
- Double or Triple Pinch Pleat gives a classic, tailored look that suits a more formal dining room.
- Inverted Pleat has a flat front with the fullness folded behind.
Casual dining room curtain ideas
A casual dining room asks for a relaxed look without much fuss.
- One light layer. A single pair of linen-look sheers in S Fold or Pencil Pleat, in a warm neutral such as Cassis "Sand" or "Fawn", softens the window without making the room feel heavy.
- Breezy and pale. Bali is the lightest sheer, in colours such as "Snow", "Pearl" and "Cobblestone".
- A white track. A white track recedes against light walls and ceilings, so the fabric is the focus.
- A relaxed length. Choose the "just off the floor" finish, which ends 5 to 10 mm short of the floor. It keeps the hem clear of dust, chair feet and spills.
- Add a blind only if you need it. If glare is the problem, a SunScreen roller blind behind the sheers takes care of it, and you can leave the sheers open when you do not need it.
Practical details
Furniture and stack
Note how close the table, sideboard or serving space sits to the window before you order. Chair backs can catch curtains that hang close to the table, so leave the stacked curtains somewhere to sit clear of the chairs. For wall-to-wall windows a one-way stack-back takes about 30 per cent of the track width, and a centre opening about 15 per cent on either side. Plan the extra depth if you add a double layer or a lined curtain.
Near the kitchen
Curtains are not used at kitchen windows. If your dining area is open to the kitchen, treat the two windows separately: curtains or blinds at the dining window, and a roller blind, PVC plantation shutter or venetian at the kitchen window. See kitchen blinds.
Care
Dust roller blind fabric with a soft cloth, or wipe with a damp sponge and dry it. Avoid abrasive products and solvent cleaners. Sheers are hand washed in warm water, and blockout fabrics should not go in the washing machine. A lined curtain is cleaned as one piece, following the care for its coated lining.
A dining window beside a sliding door
Treat the whole opening as one arrangement. Linked roller blinds or panel glide blinds can be ordered together to keep the finish consistent across the window and the door. See our linked blinds measuring guide and panel glide measuring guide. See blinds for sliding doors.
Tip: Compare colours under daylight and again under the lamps you use for dinner. A fabric that looks fresh at lunch can look quite different by lamplight, and a free sample shows both.
For more room-by-room thinking, see our guide to window treatment ideas for every room, and the ideas for living room curtains if your dining area is part of an open-plan space.
Questions
What are the best blinds for a dining room?
A SunScreen roller blind softens glare and keeps the view by day, and a double roller blind adds a blockout layer for evening privacy. A Light Filter roller blind diffuses daylight and obscures the view.
What curtains suit a casual dining room?
Linen-look sheers such as Cassis or Bali in S Fold or Pencil Pleat, hung from a white ceiling track, give a relaxed look. Add a SunScreen roller blind behind them if glare is a problem.
Do sheer curtains give privacy in a dining room at night?
Not with the lights on. At night, people outside can see in through a sheer. For privacy at dinner, choose lined curtains, double curtains with a blockout layer, or add a blockout roller blind.
Can I use curtains in an open-plan dining and kitchen area?
Curtains suit the dining window, but not the kitchen window itself. Near the kitchen, roller blinds, PVC plantation shutters or venetians are more practical, so choose by window.
Build your dining room blind
Choose a SunScreen, Light Filter or double roller blind, enter your measurements and see the price before you order.
Keep reading
Room ideasWindow treatment ideas for every room in the houseRoom-by-room window treatment ideas, from blockout bedrooms and wipeable kitchens to layered living rooms, with the blinds, curtains and shutters that suit each one.
Room ideasLiving room curtain ideas: headings, fabrics and layersSheers, S Fold and layered looks for the living room, with the headings, colours, tracks and clearances that make curtains frame a window instead of covering it.
CurtainsHow to layer sheer and blockout curtainsHang the sheer at the front and the blockout behind on a double track, or choose a lining. Here is how to pick fabrics, headings, colours and depth.
