V is for Victory

A frilly, feminine touch at the window is in order for kitchens aspiring to a soft and friendly atmosphere with a hint of the past. Before contemporary architecture and design introduced their spartan, clean-lined looks, nearly every kitchen was adorned with a fluffy bit of fabric in the window treatments. By returning to the earlier ideas in dressings, windows can make the kitchen a truly safe haven, where time slows down and tradition abides.

Linen valance window treatment
©Linen and Lace
Imitating a tablecloth at the window, this triangular valance in crisp
white linen is trimmed with a deep edge of crocheted lace.

One curtain design that brings a festive, old-fashioned feeling to the window through its shape alone is the V -- a form that spirals up or down the window to create a V from either negative or positive space. More than serious, straight-falling panels, this shape is ebullient. Typically trimmed with a ruffle at the bottom edges, it covers only a portion of the window, to let in light and views through the balance.

Country-style opera valance window treatment
©Decorating Den Systems, Inc.
A country-style opera valance in pure white is given a softening
touch with a decorative scalloped edge trimmed in lace.

For more decorating ideas around the home, see: