The blue color combo is pretty, but I was immediately drawn to the pop of red in #1. I'm a valance person, so I say go for it!

Perhaps this one might do?

Just a thought .... hope you don't mind!

Here is a link that might be useful: fabric guru fabric

#1, the pattern is too small.

#2, the pattern is the right style for the era of the house but the fabric dies in the room. No impact.

#3, the major plus is that you bring in red while also tying into the bluish tones of the gray. However, it's a bit too blowsy cabbage rose Victorian.

tinker, I would love to know the name of the white paint on your cabinets.

Your kitchen looks so fresh with the BM Silver Crest on the walls!

I like fabric #2, but I'd like it a little more if it were just a little darker for more contrast.

My two cents.. your kitchen has strong lines and soothing colours, I would go for contrast in the valance - with something BOLD in pattern and/or colour. You have a lot of squares & rectangles in the kitchen, look for a contrast to those shapes in the valance.

Your valance will be quite small in comparison to your cabinets, so I think you can afford to go bold here. Regarding colour, do you have an accent colour in your kitchen that you can use as the predominant colour in your valance, or have an adjoining room that has a predominant colour?

You have a beautiful kitchen, love the glass knobs!

I think your window is perfect as it is, it's elegant. Even your view goes with your colours and makes it interesting.

You could go stronger with your window seat since it will be a larger piece of fabric. I would see something in black and white, a large check perhaps.
Your kitchen counters will have fruit and stuff hanging around while cooking.

Gorgeous kitchen and counters, are there more pictures available ?

You could go with something bold that picks up on your counter tops

Or to pick up on the blue theme in a little bolder way than #2 above

And did I mention I love paisley?

Though these are probably too modern for what you are looking for.

Did I happen to mention I love paisley?

Annie, I LOVE paisley too... but purposely picked something else because I could easily over-do paisley! I really do like #2 floral pattern you posted.

I know I posted just one small window, the kitchen has lots of windows.. as well as a bay-window. I DO love the trim work, and at first thought to just leave it alone.. no valance, but .. I'm confused! lol

Here are more pictures of the whole kitchen for those who have not yet seen it. (still thinking about a back-splash... may or maynot TBD)

Does an Ikat do anything for you? I have linked one below that seem to have the colors in it that Ben Moore says coordinate with your wall color.

Here is what Ben Moore shows as one combo. Click More Color Combos and you'll see one more suggestion from them for coordinates.

http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/paint-color/silvercrest

And this fabric seems to have the 'Red River Clay' color that BM also likes with Silver crest.

http://www.housefabric.com/Bristow-Cranberry-P91927.aspx

Here is a link that might be useful: Mambo Moon Power

I like the slate blue, charcoal & red river clay. Ikat is not a favorite pattern, I like the paisley's, toiles, and florals. I think... I need to take another trip to the fabric store! lol

I've linked a fabric from eBay that has the charcoal and red and is a paisley, but she only has 2 yards at 35" wide.

More with similar colors to those that Ben Moore likes.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Moda-3-Sisters-Papillon-Quilt-Fabric-Lg-Rose-Floral-Stone-Taupe-Gray-Red-1-2Y-/360474201247?pt=US_Fabric&hash=item53edefcc9f

http://www.ebay.com/itm/VERONA-Gray-Damask-Quilt-Fabric-by-the-1-2-yd-C2801-Gray-Aqua-Red-/330727999283?pt=US_Fabric&hash=item4d00ecc733

Here is a link that might be useful: Challis Gray Red Paisley Twill Lightweight SOFT

I love the blue and white toile, and think it would make a great window seat...a nice, fat, soft one, to soften the space, with black welting, to reinforce the outlines in the pattern, and tie it to your countertop.

And although curtains of some kind are great in a kitchen, your windows are so pretty that you can do without them if you like. Or you can just wait a couple of months and see if you think they are too bare.

Nothing to contribute in regards to valance fabric choice(other than I think a touch of red would be nice), but I remember that this is one of my favorite kitchens.

Thank you everyone for your help and feedback, it really helps me "think"!! I now have to get a few more samples to try.. and to think if I should or shouldn't have valances in the kitchen. At first.. I just wanted the windows naked, no blinds or anything, then I bought shades, because I felt I needed privacy in this area of the house.. but I didn't like them, and bought blinds. I really didn't want blinds, but they work great for privacy and sun control in this area of the house. My thoughts are always changing!! ugh!

my3dogs, those are all great... do you buy without actually seeing or touching? I have found that I need to see and feel it, especially fabrics, as the colors can be off so much. I'm going to print some of the pictures and take with me to the store.

Yesterday, at the fabric store I bought home several more fabrics that I ruled out and never posted, but today.. looking again, I thought I might post one other sample fabric I have... It was more bold than I thought I liked, but I always am a little conservative in my decorating! Again, blue has NEVER been my color before, NEVER... and it is only this year that I find I really like blue.. but it still scares me!!

I love that bold blue fabric and think it would gorgeous in your kitchen

I understand your dilemma - you just can't beat blinds for light control, but they do have a rather hard look. (I know - our house has them at every window except for the shuttered full length bay windows in the front.

But if you do want something soft and pretty at your windows, try the idea of soft Roman shades, hung the full width of the windows and trim, but just below the top rail of your trim? You'd keep that trim line, soften the whole effect, and cover the tops of your blinds. You can probably pop off the covering valance that is on your blinds to make room, if you decided to do that?

Ordinarily I say hang them at the top of the trim, but that top rail is part of your design, and I think that could work for you, so long as they don't look oddly low in the whole scheme.

And I am not a blue girl either, but I have to say it looks really pretty in that room, and I can't imagine any other color looking better.

brownynsmom, I do like roman shades, but I am going to keep and work with the wood blinds. I had to change what I really wanted in exchange of how we live.. and having the blinds are prefect for us in this area of the home. Our neighbors home towers over ours, with a direct view into the kitchen. We all felt like we were on TV at night and early morning with neighbors and passer by's looking in. (I'm a private person!)

off to a long dentist appointment to fix a broken tooth, so my fabric shopping is on hold today!

I love the last picture of the bolder blue. I don't think you need anything on the windows but it sure isn't going to hurt except the expense, to try it. You could always put the gathered valance on a tension rod and remove if you change your mind. I think just doing the window seat and something at the other end of the kitchen (covered seat cushion on chair) and a few blue accents along the counter. You could still add some red into throw pillows. Your kitchen is lovely.

I think you've found it! The last, bolder blue/green/gray is perfect. Do a cushion for the window seat, and a roman shade over the three windows along the counter. I wouldn't put a shade over the window seat as it may visually shrink/shorten that space. Pull out the blue with some other accents, dishes, plates etc. There are so many gorgeous shades for blue dishes, it would be a fun hunt! Love your kitchen!(and may your mouth be pain-free very soon!)

Here is a link that might be useful: Lovely blue backsplash

I like the new bolder print too! I do wonder are your cabinets white-white? Is your trim white-white? What is the background color of the fabric? It looks cream, and I thought the rule was keep your white together and your creams together - not to mix and match them. But, I'm not a professional decorator..

I love, love, love the last one you posted. Would you mind sharing the maker and pattern number?

Love that last fabric....it's beautiful. I think you should do valances as it will add softness to what currently is lovely, but lots of hard edges.

Yes, I didn't mean instead of the blinds - I meant above them.

And I love that last fabric, too. The stronger pattern works much better.

I know you keep posting he choices on the small window which meanss you want fabric on all of them. But,how about just doing the bay window and leaving the others with just blinds? Or, the bold print on the bay, but a smaller coordinating print on the rest of the windows.
I just think you have so many windows in a row to have all that floral.

I would do all the valances in that last fabric, and then find a coodinating fabric to use on the window seat.

I love the last fabric! However, I like how nice and clean lined your kitchen is.

Maybe you should just try doing something with the bay window only. You have so many windows I am not sure all of those valances are going to maintain that very nice clean look you have.

I adore your kitchen! I was just looking at valances in other kitchens and I preferred how they looked before the valances.

Hope this does not confuse you further!

I prefer no valances but if you really want them I would consider a fabric that would coordinate with your DR rug where you pulled the wall color from.

Wow, the Naked Window Brigade is here again.

I realize roman blinds and naked windows are a trendy fad right now, but the world will not end if someone dares to violate conventional wisdom. And they are not right for every kitchen. It reminds me of the Kitchen Forum, where for about four years everyone was browbeaten into "creamy white subways" whether they worked in their kitchen or not. Now those same hapless people are already worried that they're becoming dated, because they all did exactly what everybody else was doing at the same time.

Considering tinker has spent tens of thousands to produce a vintage kitchen, I don't think it's outlandish that she gives her window treatments a vintage look. And blinds plus a valance are exactly that. Add to that, they are what function best here.

Fabric adds color, pattern, softness and sound dampening to rooms. Eliminating it is one look, but only one. And not the right one in this case.

Blinds ARE a window treatment, and I don't think anyone suggested a naked window. In a vintage kitchen, blinds alone, along with her wonderful mouldings, are the traditional look, and certainly a good one in this case.

There is no 'right one'.

Valances can be great additions, but I don't believe it would add anything here. Given that this is a kitchen, sound dampening and softness aren't really issues.

What is important is that Tinker listens most to the inner voice that tells her what feels like home. Given the wonderful job she has done in this space, I think we can trust her! :-)

In a vintage kitchen, blinds alone, along with her wonderful mouldings, are the traditional look,

No, not at all. There are many photos and images of kitchens of the late teens, '20s and early '30s on the Web. You will not find many with blinds alone. A window without fabric has been considered undressed for a very long time. Only recently has nudity been considered OK outside of modernist spaces.

And are you saying harsh noise and echoes are a benefit in a kitchen?

Anyway, there's nothing wrong with liking a current fad. And there are some spaces where fabric would detract. But the Naked Window Brigade does not discriminate at all, and that is where credibility is lost. You could post a kitchen whose sink window pointed directly into the front of a strip club, and you'd still get fifty posts telling you not to put up any curtains. When the answer to every question is always the same answer, it's the wrong answer. Sorry.

Amen, Marcolo.

(When the answer to every question is always the same answer, it's the wrong answer. I'm going to save that line for a few political arguments....)

I 100% agree with Marcolo, the room needs some fabric.

I think the last fabric would be lovely. Everything else in the kitchen is so simple (and beautiful), some fabric will warm the space up. Love your kitchen.

I love the latest fabric. It has just the right depth of color. I agree that a coordinating fabric would be best on the cushion. Maybe a ticking or French stripe?
I have the same type blinds on all our windows. They do need softening. The Fabric valance will also cover the integrated wood valance that hides the blind hardware. I never thought I would use a valance again, but I'm working on one for our dining nook. Ae we witnessing a return of yet another trend?

your kitchen is gorgeous... and you have lots of windows with great molding (which i would want to show off).

if you are unsure how many windows you wish to cover maybe you could start with the "bay window" area and using that great Better Homes fabric hang 3 deep banded roman shades within the moldings (like the picture attached). then see what you think... mixing and matching with a stipe or ticking would make this an inviting space. you could also repeat the fabric on that door/window panel (?) on the far left of the room to help tie the colors across the space.

once you have lived with it for a while you could then decide whether to repeat on other windows or leave blank and add a "blue accessory/art" on the wall above the window...

Here is a link that might be useful: [Fabric Blinds for Eating Nook[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/willow-glen-residence-contemporary-dining-room-san-francisco-phvw-vp~339673)

Love the last fabric you have posted over the other selections. Your kitchen is gorgeous.

Do you mind a kitchen question (or 2)?

How long is the whole counter run on the sink side? Length on left side of sink? Is that where you prep?

Good Luck on the fabrics, valances and seat cushions.

I actually would not put up a valance. I think it would take away from the architecture of the windows.

wow.. so much to think about!! Thank you all for posting, it really hasn't made it clear in which direction I will go in... but it certainly is helpful! I spend a great part of the day - looking at more fabrics, and with company coming tomorrow, I'll shelf my project until there gone, and hopefully - have a fresh look at things!

I'm so over-whelmed.. to many projects going on, maybe too much. I have the rug in the breakfast room, where I pulled the paint color for the kitchen... sometimes it looks gray, sometimes it looks blue and other times GREEN! I feel like my house is getting too many colors (is that a bad thing?) ugh...

beaurose, here is the layout of the kitchen (except microwave draw is moved) I'm not a cook, neither is DH.. but when we do, we use the left side always!

The whole run is 16'7" (199") and left of the sink, 5'4" - hope that helps!

Tinker,

Sometimes we do need a break from "thinking" and then all of a sudden we find the perfect choice that work for us. The selection process isn't easy but remember it can changed later too. LOL.

You mentioned that you can sew the valances and cushions. Just a suggestion to write down your measurements, hems, etc for any future fabric changes.

Thanks for layout post. It's inspiration for a future re-do.

Of all the fabrics you posted I like the two in aqua the best--- the toile and the companion fabric. It does look oriental because it is ( probably that's why I like it so). However, I would instead get the wood valances for your blinds (it's a strip of moulding that fits around the front with returns on the sides back to the wall, and clips to the blinds) instead of fabric valances. Everyone is saying you need to soften the space with some fabric, but with as many windows as you have in that room it may end up looking very cottage-y.

I don't know if this will help. I finally picked a blue fabric that I love. I was afraid to do totally blue as I need to tie in some chestnut linen drapes, gray walls, and mossy gray green couches in the family room attached on. I wanted to find a fabric that would work in all areas since it's all open. I'm going to do a pillow and trim out a pillow in the fabric besides the window.

Find a color that you'd like throughout your home for flow. Then, the blue (if that is where you are going) won't be so jarring to you. Especially if you're afraid of bold and blue.

Schumacher fabric is pretty expensive, but the quality and the colors are so, so lovely. It's really more beautiful in person. Since you're only making valances (I'm making a cafe curtain), the cost isn't as much for a wow statement. But, it's still kind of pricy. You can find tons of schumacher fabric on ebay. Maybe in a colorway you'd like. I ended up buying this beauty for a song. Seriously. Three yards for eight dollars. Enough for some pillows and a cafe curtain. It's normally 100+ per yard! For the price, I thought I'd try it. And, it worked out more than perfect. You'd be surprised what you'll find given time. Don't jump into anything you aren't sure about or love.

I've attached a link the fabric. I think it would also work in your home. The darker blue and medium blue aren't scary. They are really rich. Also, make sure to take into consideration the actual fabric if you're making them yourself. This is 100% linen. Linen will droop eventually. I will end up shortening my cafe curtain 1/4 of an inch at least to allow for it. Obviously cotton will shrink when you wash it. Things like that.

Good luck!
Kim

Here is a link that might be useful: Schumacher- chalfont.

Tinker,

I take back what I said about the naked windows. I photo edited in your last posted fabric. I have to say I think it looks incredible!!!

Sorry I covered your light fixture.

Hope this hekps!!

Tinker - Is your paint color blue or green? It looks like a very soft grayish blue on my monitor. I was going to order a sample sheet of it and BM's website shows that it's green. Just wondering what it looks like in person.

Tinker, if I were you, I'd tape up a piece of the fabric in a couple of configurations - valance from the top of the wall, roman shade from the top of the trim or the top of the wall, roman shade from etc....

Look at each one for a few days. You'll soon see which appeals to you most.
And don't forget to think forest rather than trees...How will your choice look all of a piece?

Thank you all for your additional help! I've had house guest this past week, and they just left... now I can get back to thinking!

My head is spinning... lol
I'm also in the middle of painting our "new" dining room, those hard to do windows will be my next help post!:)

aktillery, that really, really helps! Thank you for photoshopping that! I had to return all the samples, so I need to go get them and try photoshopping it and seeing how it looks.

msrose, the paint is a gray/blue... but at times it does take on a green look to me! I've polled people, and they all see it as blue, but certain times of the day, it looks like a spa / aqua green...

I will say, that I did have a bunch of fabric samples for a chair I will be having re-upholstered. The designer and I picked out about 30 fabrics, lol and I have determined, I'm not a bold person! I love bold prints in pictures, but I also love the very soft tones too - so I'm still confused!

I'm also at the "what to do with the windows" stage of our remodel. I also will attempt to make my window treatments. I've done this in the past, and as long as its not too complicated, it can be fun and very rewarding. I am leaning towards the buttery, banana yellows, but can also be talked in to black and ivory. I found some panels at JCPenney that were black and ivory on sale, so I will make valances with those. When I found myself yearning for the yellows again, I decided to make another set in the yet-to-be-purchased yellow fabric, and I will switch them out for the seasons. Because of my sewing limitations, they will not be extravagant, thus easy to change. Now I just need to make them!!! Any suggestions on elegant yet simple valances for dummies?

Tinker...forgot to cast my vote for the last Better Homes blue fabric. Never been a blue fan myself, but I really like this one.

Just thought I'd mention that you might want to use a solid neutral fabric on the window seat, and add color with a couple of pillows. Most fabrics really do fade in the sun, regardless of what the manufacturer claims. It'll be easier and cheaper to change a couple of pillows than a window seat cover.

The last fabric that you posted looks wonderful...
Amy, you are brilliant!!
Your kitchen is stunning, btw!!