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Home Repair The Old House Remodeling

Are valances suitable for Craftsman bungalows?

3 years ago

I recently purchased a 1925 Craftsman bungalow, it has been well-kept but decor needs big improvement. There is a valance running through dining room and living room, looks so 1960s to me—should I remove it? Would be quite a job and probably lots of wall repair....

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Comments (14)

cat_ky
3 years ago
Pictures please
Judy Corser
3 years ago
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Judy Corser
3 years ago
The valance goes right across the room including over the front door. Sorry for the poor photo, from realtor site.
cat_ky
3 years ago
Well, it isnt the best picture, but, it does need to be bigger. I clicked on it and it wont enlarge. It is very hard to be able to tell anything from that picture.
ci_lantro
3 years ago
Are you talking about the beam? Because I don't see a 'valance'.
Judy Corser
3 years ago
It’s a bit confusing. The valance is on both sides of the beam and comtinues on both sides, the length of the room. It’s quite deep, I would guess 14-16”. What makes it more confusing in the photo is there is a glassed-in porch beyond the windows and it kind of looks like that is the line of the ceiling but it is not, that ’line’ about 6-8‘ past the living room and dining room wimdows. That beam goes through the centre of the whole house, unfortunately, it’s been ‘popcorned’ at some point! I will remove the ‘popcorn’ but do not know whether to paint it a dark colour or match the ceiling colour.
Judy Corser
3 years ago
The valance looks kinda grey-ish in the photo and extends a few inches under the beam.
ci_lantro
3 years ago
OK, I can kinda' see it now.

Need better pictures--more of them w/ one showing the door.

But, yeh, if it is strictly a decorative element, needs to be gone, IMO. You mentioned 'popcorn' removal. That would be the time to get rid of it.
Judy Corser
3 years ago
Am feeling it needs to go too—I just don’t see Craftsman bungalows with deep painted valances. especially weird that they continued it right over the door! Too bad someone went to all the trouble to install the valance, probably in the 60s, when they put down the wall-to-wall carpet update which, to the contrary, protected the gorgeous fir floors for me to discover.

Here it shows how it goes over the door.
cat_ky
3 years ago
They should come off with no problem. I had them here too. Also house from the 60's. Mine also had draperies stapled to the back side. At least one set, was obviously original to the house and was a lot of fun and mess to remove.
User
3 years ago
Had them in every room in this 1910 Four Square! With matching heavy floral drapes in some rooms and swags in others and... well you get the picture. Huge dusty mess pulling all that wood down and staples and nails. Surprisingly little damage to plaster. So much dust though and bugs... wear a mask!

Had custom blinds made in Portland OR by Handwerk Shop and am waiting on them to arrive any day. You will want to live with it for a bit as we did to decide what looks best.

Love to see more of your home.
kats737
3 years ago
Yes, take it down!

We had these monstrous 1960s valences with 3 layers of sheers, thermals and curtains - all on pulleys that ran all around our octagon bay-front LR into the adjacent DR. I agree, they were a mess to take out but did not damage the plaster (thank goodness!) and were oddly made of some really solid wood that made some nice shelves for the attic. :)

Some day, if I ever refinish the windows in these very public rooms of the house, I'll be putting in wood blinds. For now, we have nice curtains in our DR, and kind of crummy ones in the octagon front. But the octagon is 7 windows and pretty complicated and the budget won.
cat_ky
3 years ago
I second Trailrunners suggestion of wearing a mask. The amount of dust is overwhelming.
res2architect
3 years ago
Protect yourself from the possibility of asbestos in the popcorn ceiling finish. It might be better to cover it with 3/8" gypsum board.

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