No products in the cart.
If idyllic pictures of Southern France come to mind when decorating your home, then you might very well be in need of a French country valance on your windows.
But where exactly are you supposed to hang a valance like this? French country decor is most often used in kitchens, although it isn’t unusual to find it in dining rooms, living rooms, bedrooms, and even bathrooms. In other words, it can be used almost anywhere in your home. Let’s take a look at some examples.
Rooster Valances
Roosters are very common on French country-dressed windows nowadays. They lean a bit more towards the casual farmhouse style and are a down-to-earth balance to French decorative accents. When selecting your fabric for the valance, don’t be afraid to go with bold colors and oversized patterns.
Cottons can be printed in a vibrant pattern and are great low-maintenance fabrics for those on a budget. Upgrade to faux silks or embroidered rooster patterns for a more upscale look. Here are a few ideas to inspire you.
A vibrant red fabric (P. Kaufmann Free Range in Confetti) was coordinated with a light yellow and white gingham check for the bells to span across two single windows. You can find the arched valance here.
Another example of the same valance style, using a black and gold rooster print fabric.
The fabric here looks like a heavy denim, but isn’t. It’s actually a medium-weight home decor fabric that’s printed to mimic the texture of denim. The fabric flows nicely on a slightly gathered shaped valance.
Maize and dark red are a very popular color combination for French country interiors. Here, a rooster medallion was centered on each pouf of a balloon valance. Deep inverted box pleats in red give the balloon valance the signature volume it’s known for. Check out more examples of this balloon valance style.
Up-close, showing the folds and contrast fabric on the balloon valance.
Some roosters are embroidered rather than printed on the fabric. Heavier weight fabrics like this one can be a difficult choice when it comes to window valances, but for flat styles like the scalloped style below these kinds of fabrics work well.
French style decorating is ornate, so don’t forget to add passementerie like a tassel fringe.
If you like the idea of traditional swags but are worried that the rooster pattern will get lost in the folds of the fabric, consider flat valance styles. Take a look at the examples below for inspiration of flat swags.
Toile Valances
Technically, rooster prints can frequently be considered a toile fabric. But, for a classic French country look, think about romantic French country scenery and how that would look once printed on a fabric. Once you give it some thought, it will look like these examples.
A black and white toile on a board-mounted Empire swag valance.
Light blue and light brown is another popular color combination used in French country decor…
…and so is the black and white combination.
Here’s another example of the double-wide arched valance.
And if all else fails, pick a blue and white farmhouse style toile.
Floral Valances
The French spent the majority of their time outside in centuries past, so it only makes sense to also consider floral- and harvest-themed fabrics to depict that era.
A gathered kitchen valance with dark red banding.
Pick fabrics that have pink florals and scroll designs to achieve a feminine, sophisticated look.
Casual pull-up swags on two double-wide windows. The bells were finished off with gingham check rosettes.
Checks and plaids are definitely for a country style home. Pair them with toiles and florals.