Wow, you did hit the jackpot. I love your new curtains, but sorry I have no advice on the rods, etc. Not my area of expertise.

Those are fantastic curtains and I hear you about the valence. Could you do this? If you have corner molding in the room, cut out the section where you'd be making a cornice, take a piece of light wood and glue the fabric to it and then close in the front of the cornice with the molding you cut out and buy two pieces to fill in the sides. If you measure correctly they will cut them for you at HG or Lowe's.

I think you will be happy with a cornice in that room. I've lost all my browser Bookmarks, but I found a site that very carefully explained how to make cornices. The soft cornice would require a 1" board the depth you want and the length of the window (+ stack depth) mounted like a shelf on metal brackets. Very primitive. Then you hang the fabric from the top of the board (staples or velcro or tacks). Much easier than mounting the traverse rod as precisely as you did!

Vayagal,

There is no ceiling molding. Would what you are describing look like a fabric box with wood trim at the top?

As long as I have your ears (and eyes), how do you like the paint color - both on the manila folder and on the wall just above. It is EK Sarasota Sand. The others I tried are too green, too gold or too yellow. I have EK Mushroom now which is way too pink and grey for where this space is headed. I will be using the color on the walls and ceilings of several rooms (this is all one giant space with no stopping points)

The sample cards are Chartreuse (intense), Gustovian Grey (for ceiling in dining area?), Cornsilk above and Classic Marc on the right. Ellen is suggesting Classic Marc, but I think I need something less rosey and more toward green.

Boy you did hit the jack pot!!! If you have fabric and you are able to make a wood cornice - they are fairly easy to do. yOu need a wood frame out of 1x6's (so that you have enough depth to go around your curtains) and use 3/8 to 1/2" plywood as your face for the cornice frame. You can make it any shape you'd like - simple and straight or give it an asian flare with stepped down sides, or soften it up with curves. Use a polyfill batting to cover and soften the wood frame. I'm sure you could google "how to build a wood cornice" and come up with directions. I would make it long enough to come down and cover about 6" of the top of your drapes and go up high on the wall. You could go to ceiling height or maybe about 5" down from the ceiling so some wall color still shows above the cornice.

Also there are decorative traverse drapery rods that you can purchase which would allow you to use the drapes without a valance. You could probably find one or order one from a fabric store that carries decorative home fabrics.

Good looking drapes you have. You really lucked out on them, huh? And the colors go great with your wall color and furniture.

Go with the cornice, it will cover your rod and look great. This can look formal or casual depending on how fansy your cornice is.

Your right about the ballon and shirred look. I hated that look when it was in style, eck.

I have used cornices a lot in my other house and in this one.

Here is a picture of my cornices in my bedroom. I covered it with chennel (misspelled) but it is very plain. I need to have drapes made myself. But I think this will give you an idea of a less formal cornice.

OMG I would love to get your silk and have drapes made. I'm going to have to check out Penny's myself, geez.

.....Jane

{{!gwi}}

{{!gwi}}

As is my habit on this forum, I'll now go on and on about what I would do. ;>)

With the remaining fabric, I'd make a flat panel wide enough (side to side) to cover the full width of the curtains with an inch or two clearance on each side, to wrap back to the wall, and to sit an inch forward of the front of the drapery when hung. The point of that is to avoid crowding the curtains, and to give them plenty of room to draw.
I'd make it long enough (top to bottom) to fully cover the space between the ceiling and the top of your window frame.
If I didn't want to do the work of a cornice, I'd make the panel with a rod pocket on the top, and hang it at the ceiling, far enough forward to keep the aforementioned clearance.
And instead of hemming it, if the fabric will allow, I would fringe the bottom three inches in reference to the fringed patches.

I like either color on the manila folder the one furthest away from the curtains a bit more than the other. not so much the sample cards. And I must say WOW what an awesome deal worth waiting for!!! The photo with the paint samples really showed the richness of the fabric!! Gor-geous!!! I sure others here will help you tweak them.

I would do what downsy has suggested. Get a decorative traverse rod. It may set you back some moola but if you subtract the cost of wood, tools and DH bad mood building a conice valance, from the cost of just getting a decorative rod instead of the boxy wood valance, you will come out ahead. You got a great deal on those drapes! Maybe your good Karma is going strong and you will find a rod at JCP for like $10. Check ReStore too if there is one in your area. People throw those decorative travere rods out all the time.

Your new drapes are very full and a valance will just add bulk to the room and make them seem suffocating.

Since you do not have crown molding at the ceiling, and the drapes are a funky mondern (which is cool) a cornice may look out of place for the space.

Use the extra material to make panels or cafe curtains for the other window. If you post a pic of it someone can offer advice on what to sew for it.

I do not know why there is a concern about a cornice valance helping with the thermal aspect. Heat rises and cold sinks to the floor. So you would not really be getting a lot of cold air flying out the top unless your windows were very drafty and your climate was very windy. In that case the solution would be to go with a more energy efficient window, or calking.

Congrats on your great find. They really make the room sing.

Here is a link that might be useful: Decorative Traverse Rod

Thanks for the ideas! Like the fringe suggestion.

I am in an extremely cold climate and even though the house is well insulated (2 x 6 construction, etc) our heating costs are very high and just keep on climbing. I've researched efficiency of window treatments and eliminating air flow behind the drapes is supposed to help. Otherwise warmer air is constantly drawn in at the bottom and rises, getting cooled as it does - kinda a chimney effect. Blocking the top stops that air movement. Makes sense.

Hmmm. Style vs energy efficiency.

I hear you Dilly Dally that a cornice will add visual weight. But that might actually help this big 20 x 20 space that is fully open to the entry and dining. The 17 ft vaulted ceiling, oversize stone fpl and 15 ft of tall cabinetry could use some counterweight.

Photobucket is down right now. I wanted to post a picture clarifying the paint option. In my last pix above, the color I'm considering is painted ON the folder and on the wall above the folder. The greenish, goldish neutral.

I think that I would get a decorative traverse rod. Penney's usually has a good selection of them.

Here is a link that might be useful: Decorative traverse rods at Penney's

Oooo, Terricks those are nice. But lengths are only up to 8 feet and I need closer to 10.

FYI: Non traverse poles are on sale - great pricing!

The drapes are so gorgeous that I suggest you keep them closed at all times. Seriously, I would hate for anything extra to spoil the look of these gorgeous drapes. I wish I could help but have no ideas to propose, and only wanted to congratulate you on two really wonderful finds.

"The 17 ft vaulted ceiling, oversize stone fpl and 15 ft of tall cabinetry could use some counterweight."

OK. I understand. The photo you posted did not show any 17ft ceiling and fireplace. Photos can be deceiving on 'space' making rooms look either vacuous or cramped, depending on the camera and angle. In the photo about it looked like a small room to me.

Will wait for photos.

Yes m'am, Ingrid.

Photobucket is back up.

Here is the paint again.

These are the other drapes. Two long panels totaling just over 14 feet. They have a sheen and a flub (is that the word?). Are they a silk you think or something else? I vaugely remember something about burning a thread and if it smells like burning hair, the fabric is silk... did I make that up?

Whatever they are, I think they will be happy in my bedroom which is painted that rosey cream color. Our more formal stuff is gathered there - very different look from the main living areas.

LOL, think those old sheers could use a pressing?

celtic, you sure did hit that lottery! YUM! A testament to your persistence.

Have fun choosing colors. This part is fun too, seriously. :) (and a question re Amy's SS: did EK tell you that it's a version of F&B String or how do you know? Just curious...)

Dilly,

Pictures? Yikes. OK I had a thread a year ago and ignored the advice to paint the cabinetry. That said, here is the room. It is kinda 6 sided and open on two sides. Couch is a light brown, not grey like the picture. Carpet is on the list to be replaced.

Rug is going to DR and red chair to study. Palette will be browns, greens, golds...

I was thinking that running valences or cornices even with the cabinetry top edge would result in a continuous line and be easy on the eye. And that running the wall color up onto the ceiling would eliminate that ceiling line - which is an awkward peak at the fireplace that I don't like.

Flyleft,

Ellen told me Amy Sarasota Sand is her full spectrum version of String.

If you are willing to invest in a really nice wood traverse rod - it would hang above the drapes and have those "C" rings which the drapery pins would hang in. So the rod would be about 3" or so above where the top of your drapes is now. It would be close in line with the height of your cabinetry. I would probably go with a black color (maybe brushed with gold) or a deeper wood tone rod. Having the rod up there would give you the dark color to coordinate with the wood tones in your room. Look for at least a 2" diameter.

I really think a nice thick rod would be a very attractive look for your room. (the drapes are really nice and it would showcase them instead of having a valance over them.)

Also, I like any of the green shades, but my favorite would probably the darkest shade that is in the middle.

I think the off white drapes are antique satin. They don't look silk IMO. They are a beautiful color.

Ah, thanks, celtic. I know that Pumice, my favorite EK color, is a rendition of a DK color (I didn't ask for it, but learned it later); can understand why Amy would want an F&B in f-s. Have you seen the original? If so, how would you compare them? (if you're inclined to answer).

I seriously love those draperies in your room, btw. And I vote for the decorative rod rather than a valance, too.

Celticmoon, (love the nic)I'm in agreement with you on the color. It will work very well. Here are the directions for the cornice. It's easy to make and inexpensive. I, personally, think it would give a very classy look to the treatment. Dying to see what you do.

http://homeparents.about.com/cs/homedecorating/a/cornice3.htm

Love the drapes!

I was looking at them with my LR walls of Monroe Bisque in the background, thinking how I would love to hang those drapes in my room.

They work nicely with that colour, at least according to my monitor.

I'll let the wiser ones advise you on cornices. I'm not good in that department. :-)

Here is another vote for changing out the traverse rod for a decorative one. I have both styles of decorative rods for my pinch pleats: the decorative traverse rod with the "c" rings and a standard decorative rod where I placed the drapery hooks through loop rings. The second option was a lot cheaper since the first rod was custom.

Here they are:

{{!gwi}}

I was thinking about your draperies last night and I thought "what about putting a rattan roman shade inserted in the center window. That way you could still use the traverse rod and control the light from the window with the roman shade. I've done that in one of my rooms and I love it.