6 effective uses for valances

A client recently asked me if valances were outdated.  Of course the answer is never yes or no in decor;   it's usually "that depends".  When it comes to window treatments for 2013 the key works are  streamlined  and crisp.  The once popular love for  yards of gathered  or draped material, floppy tabs and ruffles has died a quiet death.

 A valance is a  soft  window treatment  made from fabric that is used at the top of  a window and usually mounted on a strip of wood or a  velcro rod.  Valances  conceal drapery hardware, blinds  or architectural flaws and are commonly used in more traditional decor to add layers and soften the decor.

Valances are not to be confused with cornices that are usually structured from wood and padded.


 I still recommend valances for certain windows and rooms, but you won't see a gather or tab in sight.


1.  Soften a bare window 

Sometimes you have windows were privacy is not an issue and you don't want to have bare windows. A fitted valance is a great way to add softness without covering the window.

Margaret Ryall

 

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These  banded valances   with  tassels function well in a more traditional home.  The pattern duplicated in pillows  serves to move the eye around the room.  This application works well because  the colour scheme is neutral and nothing is overpowered.

This space has a totally different feel- a more sparce contemporary one.   I believe that this is a cornice,  but the same look could be achieved with a valance in white and gray.


2. To soften the look of roman shades/blinds

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This is a great solution for multiple windows.  The roman shades are mounted separately and the valance is continuous.  The colours are neutral and the added decorative motifs add sophistication to this otherwise plain window treatment.

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A colourful floral fabric adds  pattern to this pastel kitchen.  When using woven blinds choose a fabric that has the colour of the blind integrated in the pattern  to achieve a more cohesive look.  

 

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In cases where a valance is covering a blind it is best to have an outside mount.   In this way the blind can move easily if it needs to be raised.  This placement also add more prominence to the treatment. I like the way the energy of the circles works with the horizontal lines of the blind.  Curves help to soften the horizontal lines that are common in most blinds.

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This tight colour scheme of white and pink is duplicated in the  valance.  The scalloped valance is feminine and soft, fitting in with the overall decor.

3.  To add pattern to a space 

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4. To hide blinds in the daytime

 5. To give draperies a finished look

  
 Valances are a great when you have multiple windows in a room because they provide a horizontal line  against the verticals of the drapes and provide an additional layer in the room. This look works well in more traditional decor.


6.  To make a statement in a kid's room

 

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 What a great idea for any colour scheme in a little girl's room.  Easy as installing a rod ( I sometimes use shower  tension rods if the width  is large enough) and tying a knot in lengths of ribbon.  What is great about this idea is the option of adding lots of pattern in the ribbons if you wish.

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Use nautical signal flags attached to a strip for a colourful boy's valance.

Home tour: white and vintage in Gothenburg

This Gothenburg apartment currently for sale though Stadshem, has just the right mix - beautiful white wood panelled walls and floors, mid century furniture and cute vintage finds. What a fun place to live, Gothenburg anyone?!

Stadshem via Little Birdie

Get the look? Auction site Lauritz is always a great source for Scandinavian mid-century finds (trust me, I've spent hours on there!). You can buy Tulip dining chairs at nest. Get hold of the cute doggy 'Tillsammans' posters behind the bed here. Vintage finds...hmmm, lots of hours scouring around car boot sales, flea markets, charity shops...and there's always wonderful Etsy, have you got any great tips?

Have a lovely day!

A romantic log cabin with a twist

With St.Valentine's day in two days time, let's go romantic! For me there are two things that epitomise romantic. One is small, thoughtful gestures such as a little love note left behind at breakfast, or helping to pull off each others muddy wellies. The other is a romantic get away in a rural rustic retreat complete with wood burning stove and a pair of cross country skis. This is why I love this cottage. Owned and renovated by Tobias Dahl and artist Emma Netterberg, this Swedish log cabin is in Dalarna, a county famous for the handcrafted Dalarna horse. Inside it's a unique blend of modern, folk and oriental and outside it sits high up on the Tällberg slopes with a view over lake Siljan and the Dala forests.

With kind permission from photographer Klas Sjöberg. Lantliv. Via Design Traveller

I love how Tobias and Emma have made the interior completely their own. What an extremely, lovely and romantic place to reside.

What is your idea of romantic?

Lotta's beautiful black and white home

Monday morning- yay! (note the optimism!). To kick off the week I have to share the beautiful monochrome home of Sweden's Queen of Interior style, Lotta Agaton. This has been floating around the blogosphere for a few days and I can totally see why.

Styling: Lotta Agaton, Photography Pia Ullin for Residence via Feel Inspired and

Black and white perfection aside, I absolutely love the use of plants throughout the home. I saw a great post on 'green' inspiration here. What do you love about this home?

Today I have to admit I'm feeling a little worst for wear. P and I were in London on Saturday for my sister's 30th birthday at the fantastic speakeasy Evans and Peel and two days later I am still being reminded that I'm not 30 myself! Strong coffee anyone?!

Having said that London was really rainy so I actually appreciated returning to snowy Sweden yesterday. If you're suffering from a little winter blues (Northern hemisphere people) check out these lovely photos, they make you want winter to last forever.

Have a lovely Monday!

Kitchen cabinet colour trends

My choice for kitchen cabinets has always been white because I just don't like living with dark colours or too much wood grain. I liked white before it became popular; I fought the natural oak trend when we built our home in the mid 80's and now that  dark stained cabinets seem to be the going trend where I live, I continue to love white.

Just how popular are white cabinets?

  I decided to conduct a very unscientific poll using the kitchen section of Houzz.   I looked at the first 50 pictures of long views of kitchens  sorted by most popular today and here is what I found out:  Of the 50.....

8% were  natural wood or stained wood

 There was a mix of  stains...

 Laurysen Kitchens Ltd.

....from this very dark espresso like colour ...

Paragon Kitchen & Bath Studio

.... to a mid value cherry....

Christian Gladu Design

.....to natural wood .

 14% were painted colours other than white/cream  

 Photographer Maxine Schnitzer Photography

Most of the cabinet  were lighter colours so this black  kitchen stood out. I think it works in dark because it is open to a much larger space and there is a liberal use of light creams and white. Working with dark cabinets has to be a balancing act or you end up with a cave.
  

T Architect Kemper Associates Architects, LLC

Yellow was perhaps the most  unusual colour choice   of the fifty surveyed kitchens and you would really have to love yellow to live in this kitchen. 

 Natalie DiSalvo

 You can never go wrong with a soft colour for kitchen cabinets.  This creamy green is light enough to open up the space, but you can still define it as a colour.  I think it was a good solution in this Craftsman style house where the traditional finish would have been stained wood.

JLF & Associates, Inc.

Who would ever think of a grayed lavender as a cabinet colour, but it really works in this atrium kitchen. The wood tone in the medium stained island  is repeated in several places throughout the space to create visual harmony. Grays with purple undertones actually work really well with mid toned woods, but it not a colour everyone likes. 

22% were white/cream with dark islands
 

Kitchen And Bath Venegas and Company

I think the darker island concept with white kitchens works really well  to add drama to a space. This  dark colour also grounds the room and integrates well with a darker hardwood floor.    Oh, to have all those drawers!

 Great Spaces!

Of the darker islands, the most prevalent colour was a deep stained brown.

 
2 % were white with a lighter coloured island 

 Birmingham General Contractor Structures, Inc.

Barnes Vanze Architects, Inc

 I think the soft blue/green works great with the wood tones in this very Mediterranean  styled kitchen.

54 % were white or off white
  

 Shuffle Interiors

 Of the kitchens I showed did you notice what the most popular floor treatment was?

And there you have it.  What's your favourite cabinet finish?

Have a little heart

Young children often call Valentine's Day "heart day" .  The heart motif is constantly used in home accessories and these gems aren't just for Valentine's Day; they add lightness and love to your home all year round.   Have you woven any hearts into your home decor?

Honey Pie Design

This simple, graphic pillow  would look great layered with other pillows that have hits of red. The stitching and asymmetrical layout makes the design.

Totally Tutorials

Creating a wrapped yarn heart over a wooden or cardboard heart is so simple.  If you create two different sizes you can hang one inside the other.

How about Oragne?

A great activity if you are bored.

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In 1930s Hungary, farmers  personalized the designs of their grain sacks so that they could easily identify the bag while transporting grain, flour or sugar. Some of these distinct grain sacks are being repurposed as decorative pillows for the home.  A pillow with history....

UncommonGoods

Design Sponge

Lots of ideas here for interesting, creative wrapping for your Valentine.

A Few Things From My Life

When you poke around on the internet you will find all sorts of ideas for do- it- yourself art with heart motifs. Most of the really successful ones make use of repetition as the  predominant principle of design.  

Arnold Schulman Design Group

This is one spectacular bookcase and the little hits of pink hearts are adorable.
 

London Interior Designer LLI Design

 Can you find the hearts? 

Light, airy and relaxed apartment in Gothenburg

To complete the week, a Swedish home in Gothenburg currently for sale through Alvhem. It's white, white, white with a touch of colour and funkiness here and there (cue vintage suitcases, resident bike and green splashback) and represents many of the things I love about Swedish apartment interior design; it's light, airy and relaxed.

Alvhem

Alvhem always style so well. Are there any take home spaces for you here? My favourite areas have to be the bedroom and the little eating space in the kitchen, perfect.

Have a lovely Friday all and see you after the weekend!