Kitchen Curtain Valance

Kitchen curtain valance in 100% combed cotton at 200 gsm, yarn-dyed, 60 °C washable — 8, 12 or 16 in. deep, in Gathered, Swag or Tailored shapes with a 1.5 in. rod pocket. Our kitchen curtain valance covers the top of the window and leaves every inch of working glass clear.

Kitchen windows a valance solves that a curtain can’t

Some kitchen windows cannot take a curtain at all. The one behind the sink, where a hanging panel is permanently damp and permanently in the way of the tap. The one above a run of worktop that is in use all day. The one on a wall where the reveal is too shallow for a blind and too awkward for a rod.

What a kitchen curtain valance does

A valance answers all three by covering the part of the window nobody uses. It is a short gathered panel across the top — 8 to 16 in. deep — that finishes the window visually, hides the rod and the curtain track above it, and leaves the entire working area of the glass unobstructed. There is nothing to move, nothing to get wet, and nothing to catch on a tap.

Valance vs pelmet — the difference matters in a kitchen

It is worth knowing the difference between the two things called this, because they are not interchangeable. A valance is soft: gathered or pleated fabric on a rod, which moves and can be washed. A pelmet is rigid: fabric stretched over a board or buckram frame, fixed, and effectively unwashable. In a kitchen the answer is always the valance, for the oil-deposit reason that governs every textile in this room.

Three kitchen valance shapes

Three shapes. Gathered is a straight panel on a rod pocket at 2× fullness, the simplest and the easiest to wash. Swag is cut on the bias so it drapes into a soft curve at the centre with a tail at each side — traditional, and the one people mean when they search for a kitchen swag. Tailored is flat with an inverted box pleat at each end, which suits a modern kitchen where a gather looks fussy.

Cloth and depth

All three in 100% combed cotton at 200 gsm, yarn-dyed, washable at 60 °C, with a 1.5 in. rod pocket and a 2 in. double-turned hem. Depths of 8, 12 and 16 in.; take a sixth of the window height as a rule of thumb and never go past a quarter or the window starts to look shortened.

Widths, colours and sets

Width to 1.5× the rod for gathered and swag, flat plus 4 in. for tailored. Alabaster, Bone, Fog Grey, Sage, Clay and Indigo, plus gingham and ticking. Also sold as a set with matching tier curtains.

Kitchen curtain valance size guide

How to care for your kitchen curtain valance

• Wash at 60 °C twice a year
• Tumble low
• Iron warm from the reverse for a crisp finish
• Skip fabric softener — dulls yarn-dyed contrast

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a kitchen curtain valance and a pelmet?

Valance = soft gathered/pleated fabric on a rod, washable. Pelmet = rigid over a board, unwashable. In a kitchen, always valance.

How deep should a kitchen curtain valance be?

A sixth of the window height; never past a quarter. 8 in. under 48-in windows, 12 in. for 48–72, 16 in. over 72.

Gathered, swag or tailored valance?

Gathered for a traditional soft look, swag for a formal curve, tailored (box pleat ends) for a modern kitchen.

Can I use a kitchen curtain valance over a blind?

Yes — hides the blind roller and softens the top line. Very common combination in a kitchen.

Complete the window

Match with kitchen curtains, a full kitchen curtain set, or gingham cafe curtains below.