Affordable breakfast area furniture, and what window treatments to use for a sliding glass door

Affordable breakfast area furniture, and what window treatments to use for a sliding glass door

• 3.26.2026

I've been helping my friend with design updates for her early 2000's lovely but pretty basic home, and this area needed improvements in form AND function (anyone remember those full-length slatted blinds on sliding glass doors??). 

Breakfast Area Refresh and Sliding Glass Door Window Covering

Here's the before... modern metal chairs and midcentury table, and the builder's choice of light fixture (off-center, since they moved the table to the side when they extended the countertop). 

And the after! No paint, no expensive changes... just a new light fixture, new Roman shades (double shades on one header), and dining furniture. 

We considered several options for the window... the slated blinds from before had worked more like a curtain installed inside the frame, and just moved to the right. But they actually broke as we were thinking about this project so definitely had to be replaced. 

Light blocking is important here since it gets very hot in the summer mornings; plus, they want some privacy in the evenings particularly in the top portion of the window. 

We thought about curtains, but there's only a foot or so to the left of the opening so hard to fit them without blocking the glass (and functional part of the door). Asymmetrical, opening all to the right, might have worked, except the span is so long we'd need a center support.  

I recommended a bamboo or linen Roman shade--multiple shades on one headrail. Neutral Curtains has a ton of options for both materials but we went with bamboo (this one in Coconut) since little fingers might make a lot of contact with these after snacks or playing in the backyard, and the natural bamboo should hide more wear.

(My code Suzannah27 gets you 25% off your order at Neutral Curtains!)

We chose the Belgian white flax lining for light blocking but not full blackout. We did an edge binding too; makes it feel more polished, and hides the lining raw edge.

Custom Roman shades are so easy to find and pick from nowadays and they make a window look SO much better than the white plastic that comes with many newer homes.

I also added these original watercolors from an artist (@BoulevardBungalow) who also did a piece in my home here... they are grapes, perfect for Oregon! 

We changed the light fixture to this affordable transitional, fun white rope globe fixture, and swagged it to centered over the table.

Then the furniture! We upgraded their chairs from the modern metal ones to these vintage-inspired caning chairs ones with medium wood tone frame. We went with a simple (but also solid wood) white dining table. I love mixing the color of the chairs and table so it doesn't feel like it came out of a hotel room or Costco box!

So happy with how much we were able to do in this nook without any hard or expensive projects. It's so satisfying to add intention to a space that didn't have it before (I'm looking at you, builder light fixtures). And this project is cohesive with the rest of the updates we've done in her home, feels so good!

Shop sources here and don't forget my coupon code Suzannah27 for 25% off your order at Neutral Curtains!