Draperies and Top Treatments - Need fabric advice-Kitchen windows

I am having a hard time envisioning what color and style window treatments to put in my kitchen. It is a strong sage green, BM Dry Sage, with oak cabs; red accents in room. I made some valances a few years ago in General Store Crimson stripe. I am now going to have roman shades made to put in corner windows above sink. There is also a window by eat-in dining area that is 62x50. I was thinking of putting panels with rings but wonder if I should stick with a valance as it seems every fabric I look at it seems it would be too much pattern for the room. I first thought of plaid but wonder if a floral would be best. It is a country style room with a few roosters but I am trying to get away from county a little (although we live in country!) Any suggestions for fabric?

so....you're removing the striped valances you made years ago, or you need to coordinate with them now??

assuming you're removing them:

too much pattern? the walls are solid paint, right? i think the busiest of patterns would still be okay. it's just 2 romans and one other window, right? during the day, the romans will be up & the panels will be pulled open, right? i don't think there's a problem. go with whatever you like. maybe you could do a floral on the romans and a plaid on the panels but do a banding of the plaid on the panels' inside edge and across the bottom, or something like that, so the windows aren't all the same pattern. would that dilute the patterns enough for you so it didn't feel so overwhelming?

you could lean more towards a French Country/Tuscan style by choosing a fabric like Waverly's pattern called Chianti in the colorway Cabernet, or Citrus Grove in black (see here (http://www4.jcpenney.com/jcp/ProductsHOM.aspx?DeptID=25437&CatID=28618&CatTyp=DEP&ItemTyp=G&GrpTyp=PRD&ItemID=0cb1d55&ProdSeq=4&Cat=pattern&Dep=Window&PCat=Top+Treatments&PCatID=28418&RefPage=ProductList&Sale=&ProdCount=21&RecPtr=&ShowMenu=&TTYP=&ShopBy=0&RefPageName=CategoryAll%252Easpx&RefCatID=28418&RefDeptID=25437) they're both a really nice pattern, not cutesy at all, very rich & elegant. the black would be really nice with your colors, and very dramatic - especially if your appliances are black or you have some black wrought-iron items around.

Thanks for the reply, Annette!
Yes, I am ditching the valances I made. What got me get started in this window thing was I won a bid on ebay for 2 custom roman shades that I can choose my fabric. I'll have her make the romans and I plan to make the treatment for the other window in the dining area. I haven't decided whether I'll make a straight valance with black rings at top & rod or panels with rings. I really like the Waverly fabrics you recommended. The mixing of the florals, stripes & plaids are very appealing to me. I especially am drawn to the blacks but want to be careful I don't make it too dark in the room. As we live in the country, privacy is not an issue; I only close the shade when the sun is shining in our eyes--south and west facing room. To answer your question, yes the whole room is painted in the BM Dry Sage.

personally, i don't care for valances hung on rods with the clips. something about it looks strange. maybe it's because the ring clips are for easy sliding of panels, and obviously you don't slide a valance back & forth. anyway, if you really want the rod & clips, go with the panels.

good luck & have fun picking out the fabrics!

Annette,
Thank you so much for taking the time to help me with kitchen window treatments. You are probably right about the rings on a valance. Smith & Noble shows some that are attractive; but as I recall, it was a nursery valance! I am still looking online for fabric & will check out the few fabric stores in my area for fabric. It takes me forever to decide as I don't want to be sorry.
Anyway, you are a jewel for taking time to help us wannabe decorators!
:)

well, like i said, i "personally" don't like them, but clearly enough people at Smith & Noble do that they put a picture of it in their catalog! so, if YOU like it, go for it!

be sure to see actual fabric, or at least swatches, before you commit. you can't tell much from looking online at textiles!

please post back with your end results!!! (or any other questions!) :thumbup:

Annette,
What do you think of this fabric with the sage green walls. Do you think it would work? Do you think I should add some kind of trim that has the sage color in it? It is called Wynfield Manor in the scarlet color.
http://www.housefabric.com/ProductDetail.asp?ProductID=13916

BTW, I have been reading your posts and I like your honesty:)

Miss Yellow

i like the fabric, but i can't see it in a room with sage walls, even with sage trim added. it seems forced. the design in that fabric is very goldish/tanish, and your walls are greenish/grayish. you won't like the combo. i think you should find a fabric that incorporates both the sage & the red your using as an accent. something like this (http://www4.jcpenney.com/jcp/ProductsHOM.aspx?DeptID=25437&CatID=28618&CatTyp=DEP&ItemTyp=G&GrpTyp=PRD&ItemID=0cb1df3&ProdSeq=8&Cat=pattern&Dep=Window&PCat=Top+Treatments&PCatID=28418&RefPage=ProductList&Sale=&ProdCount=21&RecPtr=&ShowMenu=&TTYP=&ShopBy=0&RefPageName=CategoryAll%252Easpx&RefCatID=28418&RefDeptID=25437) maybe, in black. it would be great, if your appliances are black. are they?

or this (http://www3.jcpenney.com/jcp/ProductsHOM.aspx?GrpTyp=PRD&ItemID=0cb17da&RefPage=ProductsHOM&cmOrigID=0cb1d55&cmPosID=2) in the Chianti Cabernet color, which is more olivey greens.

thanks for your honest reply, Annette. You are right, I probably would hate it. I do like the colors of the fabrics you suggested and am trying to find some other fabrics. I am having someone make the roman shades. I would make the valance for the other window. My dishwasher, oven front, & micro are black, but have frig in almond :mad: Here is one fabric sewer has suggested.
http://www.decoratingfabric.com/catalog_itemdetail.cfm?ItmID=S1071
or
would this paisley work
http://www.thefabricfinder.com/LizClaiborneDelmonicoPaprikaA.JPG
orhttp://www.barnfabriccenter.com/store/index.cgi?exact_match=yes&product=Drapery&cart_id=1993426.5200&pid=1155
or
http://www.barnfabriccenter.com/store/index.cgi?exact_match=yes&product=Drapery&cart_id=1993426.5200&pid=922
alot like I have already:
http://www.fabricplace.com/scripts/display_fabrics_detail.asp?thisItemID=849&thisGroupID=&thisCategoryID=84
orhttp://www.fabricplace.com/scripts/display_fabrics_detail.asp?thisItemID=992&thisGroupID=&thisCategoryID=84
or
http://www.fabricplace.com/scripts/display_fabrics_detail.asp?thisItemID=264&thisGroupID=1&thisCategoryID=84
or
http://www.fabricplace.com/scripts/display_fabrics_detail.asp?thisItemID=890&thisGroupID=&thisCategoryID=84
or
http://www.fabricplace.com/scripts/display_fabrics_detail.asp?thisItemID=857&thisGroupID=&thisCategoryID=84
I hope you can browse these quickly. It gives a general idea of my style. I am generally not a flowery or toile type of person although I love it in other homes. I know this is too long...

yes, yes, and YES!!!

i love them all!

i think my favorite is the first one, the plaid. i love plaid. it's got the sagey/khaki green, the almond like your fridge, and the red for your accent. perfect. GET IT!!!!!

wait a minute........i've forgotten what we're doing! :eek: do you need to pick 2 fabrics? one for the romans being made & one for the valance you'll make??

is this like the roman you're having made? banded roman (http://www.countrycurtains.com/jump.jsp?itemType=CATEGORY&itemID=204)

using a contrasting band would help jazz up simple romans & allow you to use the plaid on the valance. that way, you wouldn't feel like you were being overpowered with pattern!

Thanks for the quick response, Annette. Yes, I plan to use the same fabric. I have 2 corner windows where I will put the roman shades---they are both 39x42. The other window is in the eat-in dining area---I forget the dimensions, but about 70x58. I would do a valance or panels with rings. I have a linen-colored pleated shade there now that I could keep if I do a valance. We live in the country so nobody is looking in our windows; I only need to keep the sun out of our eyes at certain times of the year. So, do you still think the first plaid would work for what I have described? You are the best, Annette :)

did you see my last post? if you're afraid of being overpowered by too much pattern, you could go more solid on the romans & put the pattern on the other window. what do you think of that idea? or are you set on using only 1 fabric for all? would your sewer do a banding like the pic i posted?

I think it may have been my problem all along in thinking I should use the same fabric on all the windows and not having it look like too much. So, if I used the plaid for a valance on the larger dining area, what fabrics should I use for the romans to tie both treatment together? The sewer has no problems with the banding. Is the plaid too big to use as a banding for the romans? BTW, I would have the flat fold romans.

yes, i think the plaid is too big of a pattern repeat to use for the banding, unfortunately. but i think the solid banding, like in the pic i posted, echos the stripe in the plaid, so i think they'd look great together. however, instead of the almost white color in the pic, i think i'd choose a warmer cream color for the field on the roman (like the creamy/almond color in the plaid - or more like your linen pleated shade) and then the russet color for the band.

what style of valance are you planning for the plaid?

I am a novice sewer, so realy simple. I know you don't like rings on valances but I really like this one from Smith & Noble. I like this fabric, too--- :eek: I can't change my mind now!

Forgot the link
http://www.smithandnoble.com/sn/photoGalleryDetail.jsp?catID=-13700&index=1&changeCatID=

that link showed a picture of an olive green balloon shade. is that right?

wait, the second time i clicked it, i got a different pic - a cream roman shade! :eek: but i searched around & found 2 different straight valances on clips, so i guess that's what you're planning. that'll work out nicely with the plaid.

here's a heads-up for you: i tried hanging a simple little valance like that on clips and because they have no weight to them (like a floor length drapery does) it tipped forward & looked really weird. maybe i didn't use enough clips and so the space in between the clips was too much, and when i pulled the in between fabric forward, the weight wasn't evenly distributed front to back, so they tipped. if yours tip, add more clips & space them closer together & see if that solves it. and also try pulling some of the fabric to the back. i just abandoned the idea altogether & shirred mine on the rod, which i thought looked better anyway. :) it'll be easy enough for you to stitch a rod pocket on the top of yours IF you run into that problem, too, and decide to shirr yours on. (shir? you know what i mean!)

whatever you do, please post back with your end results!!!! i'm sure it'll turn out great! :D

Now that you mention the trouble you had with the clips for your valance, I once bought a pair of panels with rings from Pottery Barn and they really looked awful with big droops. I ended up sending them back. I might do a little testing with some rings to see if they would work, otherwise I'll shirr them. Thanks for all your help. If I can figure out how to post to this site, I'll send some "after" pics. :D

the trouble i had was, i think, because the valance was so lightweight because it's so short. full length panels wouldn't encounter the same problem. i have panels & they don't tip forward, because all the weight of itself helps to pull them down straight.

but anyway.........give 'er a go, and see what happens!!! much of decorating is trial & error! good luck & have fun!