How to use valances to create a traditional look in the kitchen

In kitchens, valances are popular choices because they can help develop the aesthetic in a room with little space for decoration. Since the main purpose of the kitchen is cooking, the focus when designing the room often goes toward functionality.This doesn't mean that your kitchen has to be completely devoid of any style.

A valance can be an option that adds diversity when it is paired with an otherwise basic curtain or can provide a simple design accent when used alone as a window treatment.

By pairing a valance with a shade in your kitchen, you can bring a fun pattern or vibrant color to the room without taking up a lot of space. Homeowners who relish their time in the kitchen should take advantage of an imaginative design to enhance positive energy, especially when preparing food for special occasions that may call for a full day in the kitchen.

One design scheme popular in traditional kitchens is the Americana style, which valances can help to execute with great success. Try a plaid that has a few large intersecting stripes colored with a soft Nantucket Red against a gold that is reminiscent of hay. Employing any hue that is a part of the American tradition, like an amber similar to the waves of grain described in our national anthem, or green like the mountains of Vermont, will help achieve this classic look. Traditional colors will look especially fine in the banner-like inverse arches of a gathered balloon design.

One of the more functional benefits of a valance is that they are placed on high and out of the reach of potential splashes and spills that may come about when preparing a meal. In a kitchen, whether or not the decorator is going for the Americana look, a valance can help set a tone for the atmosphere of the room.