The café curtain craze has well and truly taken hold of the Ideal Home desk and beyond. An adorable way to add privacy to your home, adding a café curtain makes for the ultimate window treatment. We particularly love them for a kitchen as an easy, practical and affordable way to lean into the bistro trend.
In 2026, kitchen trends are all about creating cosy, inviting spaces that feel like your favourite restaurant or café in the comfort of your own home. The small touches are the ultimate way to achieve this – from café curtains to banquette seating and task lighting, layering these bistro-inspired touches will make your kitchen table a place where guests want to linger.
While it’s totally achievable to DIY a café curtain yourself (I recently made this café curtain for my kitchen, and it cost less than £35), understandably, you might just want to buy a ready-made one. Opting for a made-to-measure café curtain can quickly climb in price, so I’ve found three affordable high street retailers that sell café curtains off the rack, saving you time, money and hassle.
Article continues below
1. Anthropologie
It was somewhat of a surprise when I was browsing Anthropologie and stumbled across café curtains. It’s potentially a confirmation that the trend has made it into the mainstream, but one that is more than welcome.
These café curtains have been given the Anthropologie treatment – updated with fun trims, playful colour palettes and interesting fabrics. While typically café curtains are made in cream, semi-sheer linen materials, Anthropologie’s selection of patterned materials offers a contemporary twist on the traditional design.
Anthropologie
Cotton Woven Stripe Cafe Curtain, Set of 2
Blue is a big interiors trend this year – I love how the blue stripe in these curtains mirrors the sunny skies outside.
Anthropologie
Lena Sheer Woven Café Curtains, Set of 2
Tie-top curtains offer a slice of whimsy for your window coverings and allow the pole to remain visible.
Anthropologie
Printed Cotton Tie-Top Floral Café Curtains, Set of 2
If you have a neutral interior, these block print café curtains will perfectly complement a space.
2. Dunelm
Dunelm is one of the top spots for buying affordable café curtains, and you can buy fabric by the metre to make your own, too. They have a range of window café curtains and undercounter curtains, which are great for hiding appliances or open storage in a kitchen – I’ve been refreshing the page, waiting for the Linford Stripe Undercounter Curtain to come back into stock to disguise my washing machine.
The perks of Dunelm are that it is super affordable, so if you’re prepared to do a bit of DIY to trim a curtain to the right length, then you can buy some budget-friendly options.
Dunelm
Bees Café Style Unlined Slot Top Single Curtain
This bee-themed curtain is super adorable and will add a playful touch to a country kitchen.
Dunelm
Arielle Lightweight Cafe Curtain Fabric by the Metre
For a traditional cafe curtain look, opt for this sheer fabric that can be bought by the metre.
Dunelm
Frilled Slot Top Unlined Undercounter Curtain
These undercounter cafe curtains will hide away so much clutter or unsightly appliances.
3. Amazon
Amazon is where I immediately headed to buy a café curtain pole and WundaWeb to hem my own curtain, but I hadn’t realised the breadth of ready-made café curtains they have available.
Unlike the Dunelm and Anthropologie choices, many of the Amazon options come in a variety of lengths, so you can opt for the one that best fits your window. Priced around £20, you can also achieve your full set-up for around £35 – the same amount I paid to DIY it. In hindsight, I would likely go for this route.
I would pair with this sleek brass café curtain pole that has a small recess and sits subtly against a window frame.
Amazon
Topick Green Striped Linen Blend Kitchen Curtains
I love the playful tie-tops of this linen-look curtain.
Amazon
Topick Linen Look Kitchen Curtains
This more subtle striped material would look perfect in a country kitchen.
Amazon
Topick Taupe Striped Kitchen Curtains
This taupe striped curtain will be complementary against so many colour schemes.
Don’t forget the fixings
Whether you’re creating your own curtain or opting for a ready-made option, these extras will help you finish the job.
MforStyle
Mforstyle Light Extendable Cafe Rod Mini Curtain Pole
After trawling the web for cafe curtain poles, this was the perfect slimline option that was also super affordable.
Amazon
Wonderweb Wundaweb Extra Strong Hem
WundaWeb is an absolute cupboard staple for me – it made this project so quick and simple.
Dunelm
Extendable Net Curtain and Voile Tension Rod
If you have a deeper window frame then an extendable pole is the ultimate no-screw solution that will be super easy to put up.
Since I made my own cafe curtain, my kitchen and living space feels so much more cosy and inviting. It softens the overall look which is often needed in a cooking space – for an affordable home decor hack, I couldn’t recommend more.
If you enjoyed reading this, sign up for the Ideal Home newsletter for all the latest home decor trends and inspiration delivered straight to your inbox
Read the full article here