Your link didn't work for me. Don't know if it is my computer, but it said page could not be found. :(

"Sorry, that page was not found."

as above.

Does this kitchen window treatment work? - NOPE!

I think it should work now.....I didn't have it listed for the public, but I do now. Sorry about that and thanks for letting me know. :)

For me, the curtain distracts a bit from the beautiful backsplash, which is fresh & current. If it were my home, I would have no curtain there - for me the wood valance takes the place of a curtain. Iam not bothered by undressed windows, so take my opinion with a grain of salt. I think your new backsplash looks awesome!

You already have your detailed backsplash (which is very nice), the glass detail in the cupboard, the grain in the wood and the detail of the arch - anything more, I think, is heading into detail overload. You're winding up with too much going on. I would leave the window plain and let the backsplash and arch be the stars.

I think the valance cuts off too much of the window. I would leave it bare.

Sorry....I love it! How have we become so afraid of pattern?
Colors work and it's another geometric without echoing the diamonds.
Works well for me.

I also vote for no window treatment.

I took a picture of the window without the curtain up....hopefully you can see it. Just thought it may help give you a visual of what it's like without it. The window trim matches the woodwork of the rest of the house and the 2 doorways in the kitchen. I think the color of stain matches well enough, but does the style or should I consider having my custom-cabinetmaker make new window trim, too if I do end up leaving it bare? I had no idea there would be 10,000 decisions involved in the whole process of remodeling a kitchen! I feel like it's bare without a window treatment. I feel like maybe if the wood valance had came down slightly more it would look better without something. Oh, bother. Thanks so much for all the input!!! Keep it coming, please!

It looks complete with it. It is perfect.

I like it with the valance but feel it perhaps is too long. How about a little shorter where the window trim won't show on top but some fabric softens the area. How tall are you? Can you see out the window with the valance up ?

If I bought your house today, I would remove the wooden valance. It feels like it is looming down on the window and makes the area look squashed. After removing the valance I would add an outside mount window treatment that would rest just above the upper window trim when opened/stacked and would not obstruct the window area.

Ditto what chispa said. It would break up all the wood, open it up a bit and give you a place to add some color.

i don't particularly care for the valance, myself.
if anything, i'd opt for roman shades.
they have so many diy instructions, even for the non-sewer.

My vote is to keep the fabric valance...I think it is a very pretty touch! I love the backsplash and the colors in your fabric coordinate very well. It looks okay without the fabric valance but looks REALLY GOOD WITH IT!

I think I love it, valance, curtain, backsplash and all! Yup. Very nice.

I like it without it but I do think something is missing - maybe some colour of some sort. Repaint the walls, add something colourful to the top of the cabinets, some colourful bowls in your glass cabinet. I don't know - just something.

I think the color and pattern go well with your backsplash, but don't like how the curve of the fabric valance follows the curve of the wood valance. If you want to keep fabric at the window, I'd use the same fabric in a slightly shorter, straight valance that doesn't cover quite as much of the window. Maybe a more tailored look without gathering.

You have a beautiful kitchen. The worst is over so now you can enjoy it. In regards to the window, I think I have to agree with chispa and lizbeth. I think the wooden valence is very formal and creates a kind of heaviness over the window. When you add the fabric it's like you're putting a ruffle on a valence that's already there. Do you have any pictures of the window before the wooden valence was attached? I'm thinking the window area might look better without it. Then you could do a valence or have fabric shades or whatever and it would break up all the wood. Even a cool light or two that hangs down in front of the windows without the wooden valence would be a nice touch.

I don't mind the fabric, but as others have said, I think it is a bit fussy for the cleaner geometric lines of the backsplash and cabinets.

If you do want to keep it, I would mount it higher so you aren't getting so much of it covering the window.

Some type of shade would be a nice choice, perhaps a roman or a woven wood with cords/tapes in black. In that case I would mount them high behind the wood valance, so they come down as outside mounts and come to about halfway down the top window. I think a stripe or medium print would be fine - not diamonds, tho.

I think I'd like it without the valance,just using the wood arch. Can you take a photo of it without the fabric valance? Your backsplash looks great and I agree with others that you seem to have plenty going on without the fabric valance.

I like both, but they cover too much of the window, so I would be inclined to keep the wood part and get rid of the fabric so the window is framed at the top, but less covered.

I'm a window treatment type person, so I like it a lot. It softens the area.
It is too long though. Too much of the center of the windows are covered.
Hike up the rod about five inches, and take another pic.
Beautiful cabinets. J

I would not keep the striped valance, I don't think it adds anything positive to your overall look except a frill of fabric. Is that a blind I see stacked under it ?

Your backsplash is beautiful, as is the detail in your glass doors, I would leave it at that.

I think your valance would be fine if you hung it a bit higher. While I love a good view, I don't like your window without some sort of treatment to cover the trim piece under your wood valance. Would it be possible to move the rod under the wood valance higher by say 2 or 3 inches?

Also, have to agree that a roman shade would look nice at that window as well.

I think it's overkill and detracts from the beautiful crisp lines of your woodwork. The way it's shaped over the windows, it reminds me of fluttering eyelashes. ;-)

i think it looks nice... the stripes and the diamonds together don't bother me at all!

remove the wooden arch first.

It's not that the pattern clashes with the backsplash. They work and I like them together. It's the way the fabric ruffles down in the same arch formation of the arch panel in front of the window. It seems out of place. A valance is typically over a window, not put with the decorative cabinetry work. I think it looks much much better without the valance and with just the clean lines of your wood cornice. But if you want fabric there, I'd put a rod over the window itself (a little higher than the window so it's hidden by that wooden cornice/panel) and hang the valance to where it's not quite as ruffled and falls a little straighter. IMO, that works better with the vertical stripes in the fabric. My personal preference would be a roman shade though (and no heavy woodwork in front of the window at all).

Your kitchen is lovely, but I also think your valance adds a needed finishing touch, although it does seem to be hanging a bit low from this side of the monitor. IMO, because I'm old enough to have lived through a number of design eras, not just this minimal-to-no fabric one, the look is hard and inflexible without the softening effect of the fabric.

I don't quite know why it doesn't work for me, other than it looks like its blocking the window and just doesn't look right because of it. I think a natural fiber shade would soften it nicely. Theres just something about that curved line I can't put my finger on with all the straight lines that I would not emphasize with a valance.

I'm sure glad others also like the backsplash-I love it and it is not going to be changed now.

There are a several reasons why I do like the wood valance; it seems to me to flow the cabinets together (there are 2 walls with cabinets, 2 without, and a smallish center island) and it fills in what I think is a large gap since the cabinets are quite tall(but like I said, I'm no decorator), it contains a hidden cloud flourecent light, and mostly because it allowed for us to run ambient light rope all along the top of our cabinet (which is so beautiful, especially at night and I'm so in love with it). :)

I do wonder, too, if maybe I should take it up a little higher as well because in the midde of the arch you see the gathering and farther out they are hidden. I'm still not sold on the stripes yet though. I don't know that they look horrible, but not sure it's quite what I was going for either.

Thinking I may try a less busy fabric in a red since I'm trying to have something that ties my dining room and kitchen together without making them look like the same room, if that makes any sense and my DR walls are red with black and mustard accents and then make the valance shorter so there's not quite so much gathering, but not quite "taylored" either and then mount them up a little higher to hide the gathering and expose more of the window.

We have had such a time in this kitchen....it's a 1910 farm house and wiring has been an issue, unlevel floors, making a fridge fit well in the space-there's a whole other topic (*slaps forhead), etc and I was hoping that something as simple as the window treatment would be the easy part and fun, but it's not the case. Thankfully, everything in the kitchen should pretty well be done by the end of the week....that is if I figure out the window situation. ;)

I will post pictures of the project when it's all done and hopefully it all turns out nicely.....I can't afford to do it again (well, I can afford to redo the curtains LOL), so I hope it does. So much appreciate the input everyone!

Maybe a pleated valance? Or something that does not have a gathered look.

Here the picture with the valance:

And without:

Like others have said, I don't think it needs anything more than a roman shade or a woven wood shade.

It could be due to the lighting but the current fabric appears too muted and, sorry to say, the gathered fabric reminds me of eyelashes. : (

Do you have mullions anywhere else in your home? They may not go with the style of your home, but if you chose to not have any WT, I would consider mullions.

@ terreks: how on earth did you get the picture posted like that? I wanted them that way when I first posted and couldn't figure out how to do it? Oh, and I didn't think about pleating them.....hmmmmmm. I'm thinking on that one. That may look nicer. Would they look better straight across or curved at the same fall as the arch?

The fabric is more brilliant than it appears in the picture which was why I had issue with it against the diamond backsplash. I do not have mullions anywhere else. I'm not sure they would fit well with the home's style. Will think on that idea, too though as I have everyone's suggestions. I sure love this site!

I vote no valance. Beautiful just by itself.

kickingup555 here is how you post a photo within a message:

Go to the photo, put your cursor on the photo and right click.
A box will come up, left click on "copy image location."
Come back here and right click and paste, which will print out the location of the photo within your message.

In front of it, directly in front of the https, type in
img src=
Then put carets at the beginning and end, and press "preview message" to see if it worked.

Thank you, graywings!!! I printed them out for future reference, too!

I vote for no valance or any window treatment. I think it's too much IMO. The woodwork is beautiful and simple.

I still say its "off" because of the location of the valance. Fabrics are at the window itself, not over the cabinetry treatment. What's the purpose in adding more over your head? Try putting the treatment at the window. I think that's why it's not working for a lot of people. Can you try to move the fabric to the window in a less gathered form and see what happens?

Are you planning to replace your cabinets anytime soon?

I think pleated straight across could work, but not hanging down as long as what is there now, maybe half that length, then the color and stripes work work, you wouldn't want them to stand out too much from the woodwork.

I think I need to hang them higher so that the rod pocket doesn't show under the valance and will be just a little higher on the window. I don't think I like seeing the top of the window showing under the wooden arch. These are new cabinets in my kitchen and I'm finding I'm having to adjust a lot to it, but I'm sure it will eventually feel like "my" kitchen, but what a process! I've been experimenting with the window treatment already there before I do anything; I pinned it up so it was straight across-which looked ok, then I pulled all the gathers to the sides so that I could get the feel for it without them-I liked it, but my husband didn't.....wait, how did he get to the mix now? lol I'll be working on it.

You sure have lots of opinions to choose from!

I think your wood valance IS your valance. The fabric one appears unnecessary and redundant.

But it's too bad that your wood valance is just a teeny bit too high in the center, so that the top of your windows show. I guess that's what you are trying to cover?

Why don't you mount your fabric valance ABOVE THE WINDOW instead of ON THE WOOD VALANCE? Maybe that's your problem.

The curtain is mounted on the little square corner pieces of the window's trim, but in the picture it does appear to be on the wood valance. I'm thinking I do need some kind of window treatment. As you walk closer to the sink, without the fabric, you will see the back panel on the wall that was made to cover a flaw in the wall and then a small gap between that and the top of the window's trim which becomes even more noticeable, too, as you get closer to it and that's what I really don't like so I thought a window treatment would help to disguise that.

I have it pulled straight across without the gathering and I'm thinking I do like it that way better-regardless of what hubby thinks. I will put it up higher though I've concluded....mount it above the window and have it hang not quite so low on the window and then it will cover that small gap,too. Still undecided on the pattern of fabric yet.

I do have a lot varying opinions, but I really appreciate all the ideas. Will post pictures when I make up my mind

After seeing the two pictures...curtain and no curtain, I think you need a curtain but straight across...I do not really like the curved curtain...Material you have is fine...goes with everything else in your kitchen. If you made your valance shorter and straight across you could add some red piping/fringe or something to make it pop.

'I think your wood valance IS your valance. The fabric one appears unnecessary and redundant.'

I agree with this.

the fabric w/everything else is just too much. I like the cabs and the BS tho. and I like being able to see the window - and out it I expect (hoping there's a view!).