No Demo Reno's Jenn Todryk Is A Sucker For This Kitchen Design Choice

HGTV's Jenn Todryk offers her fans some clever ideas for making living spaces look great without the mess and expense of tearing out walls. When it comes to finishing out a no-demo kitchen design, she loves a simple addition to make one of the most used rooms in a home quaint and cozy: curtains.

"I am a sucker for curtains in the kitchen," Todryk remarks in season 2, episode 9 of her show "No Demo Reno" called "New Space for Newlyweds." Her goal in the episode is to transform the house into an abode where the owner and her new husband can both feel right at home. One of her goals for this makeover is to give the kitchen an overall facelift — so an adjacent window seat gets some much-needed attention. In addition to changing out the comfy pillows on the seat, Todryk also flanks the windows above with curtains in complementary colors, taking that part of the room from drab to fabulous.

"What curtains do is make a kitchen, something that can be sterile, seem very inviting," she adds. The soft gray and white hues she chose for this window seat project complement the white walls so that everything blends effortlessly. With minimal expense, Todryk created an alluring spot to rest without impeding all the natural light brightening the room.

Kitchens, of course, are very utilitarian spaces — since lots of cooking and cleaning goes on there. Beyond food prep arenas, they also serve as family gathering spaces throughout the day. Everyone always seems to end up in the kitchen when you're entertaining, too. Being filled with metal appliances, stone countertops, and wood cabinetry, they can often use a little softening. Adding a touch of fabric to a window — whether it's drapes on each side like Jenn Todryk's selection or another choice like quaint café curtains — can soften the space in addition to making it more inviting.

Curtains also offer an opportunity to add color, patterns, and texture to a bland kitchen without being too overwhelming. You can even select a bolder hue to go with a neutral kitchen palette, knowing that curtains and complementary accessories are easy to switch out as color trends change. If you're not a fan of traditional curtains like the ones Todryk picked for the home on "No Demo Reno," consider pinch pleat curtains or Roman shades as alternatives.

As far as light goes, the more, the better when it comes to brightening up a kitchen. This goal can be one of the main reasons to leave kitchen windows unadorned. In spaces that get an abundance of direct sun, though, it may be too much of a good thing. Sheers on a kitchen window can filter it a bit without totally blocking the light you crave.  

Additionally, if you live in an area where all that sunlight adds extreme heat to your kitchen during the summer, a blackout shade or curtains you can draw during the heat of the day can help keep the room much cooler. You'll lose the light factor, of course, but it can be worth it to stay comfortable and conserve energy during the hottest months of the year. If you haven't thought about adding curtains or other types of coverings to your kitchen windows before, now you can follow Jenn Todryk's lead and explore the idea with your own goals for creating a perfect space in mind.