Kitchens come in all shapes and sizes, but there’s no denying the room is the heart of a home. Some of the most delightful kitchens I’ve been in have windows that let in natural light, but those windows have some sort of unique factor that sets them apart from other windows in the house.

The kitchen is the perfect place to take some window risks, in my opinion, because it’s kind of an everything-room. It can be both an industrial and no-nonsense space while major baking is going on, but it can also just as easily be the place where finger-painting and late-night cake eating takes place.

Yes, the kitchen is a special room in the house. Which is why you should take some thought into setting it apart. Here are some ideas of what you could do with your kitchen windows, if you wanted:

Introduce color! These green shelves work seamlessly with the bright green window trim, and they provide a delightfully eclectic space for kitchen window bits. The shelves are a perfect place to grow herbs, store (small) cookbooks, and display quaint eating pieces like teacups or other eclectic collections. This is a great use of kitchen window space if the view is less than desirable, particularly because the shelved treasures take center stage and are constantly highlighted with the best kind of light: natural.

Consider incorporating a privacy divider that doesn’t inhibit the view. If you’re lucky enough to have large kitchen windows, chances are you love the natural light they provide but may be less enthusiastic about the neighbors seeing the occasional sinkful of dirty dishes. Installing some sort of screen or guard, such as these swinging shutters or even a simple curtain on a rod hung partway up the window, will increase your privacy without taking away the light and view you love. I think I could wash dishes at this lovely kitchen sink all day…it doesn’t hurt that the apron sink itself is one of my favorite things!

If you are so inclined, and if your beautiful kitchen window setup allows, let the window shine, all on its own. Of course, decorative corbels flanking the window and a perfectly minimalist hanging pendant help to give a clean, thoughtful, and stylistic vibe to the view as well. I love the combination of terracotta and metal plant pots – a mixture of earthiness and industrial, which is a great touch to any kitchen space.

Install a window planter box directly outside the kitchen window. Although there are about a million wonderful things going on with this kitchen window, one of my favorite components is the fact that there are bright cheery flowers in a flower box just outside. These flowers add color and an outdoorsy feel to the kitchen at any time of day…not to mention, they frame just about any less-than-ideal view. This is a fantastic and fairly maintenance-free way to always have fresh kitchen flowers!

Beveled glass in a distressed frame, suspended from some small chains, adds a perfect touch of country cottage charm into this kitchen window. Bonus: Minimal natural light (if any at all) is sacrificed in the addition. I love the single shelf installed about 1/3 of the way up the window. The shelf here is almost eye-level and thus adds visual interest but doesn’t block any view to the outdoors. A few quaint items balanced on each side of the shelf merely add to the overall charm. And, again, there’s that beloved apron sink! Dreamy.