Valances

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My last (2004 model year) coach had very ornate valances with lambrequins. Styling I would call baroque! We took them down (just a few screws but well hidden) and re-designed them for a cleaner, more modern look that we preferred. I have good carpentry skills and my wife a crafty seamstress, so the modification were not difficult for us. Your mileage may vary... Sorry - I don't have any photos handy to show what we did.
 
20241028_154937.jpgThey are very tight to the blind that pulls down I can only get to the bottom screws, I'm giving myself a moment to breath
 
What you may want to consider, and it's what I did, is to remove the side panels and leave just the top valance that hides the shade when retracted. I found it was the vertical panels that closed the window in and would encroach on the surrounding area.

It is cleaner looking, allows more light and I could put it back to stock if I wanted or if I sold.
 
Mine were similar but more heavily brocaded with 3-dimensional layers. Two screws in the top going up thru the overhead plus two screws through the sides (lambrequins) angled into the wall. A long extension on my power driver to sneak by the blind worked, but we ended up taking the blinds down to wash them anyway. Once I did two windows, I had the process down pat and the remaining four were easy enough.
 
What you may want to consider, and it's what I did, is to remove the side panels and leave just the top valance that hides the shade when retracted. I found it was the vertical panels that closed the window in and would encroach on the surrounding area.

It is cleaner looking, allows more light and I could put it back to stock if I wanted or if I sold.
That's a thought thank you
 
We have had the valances down on the last 3 RVs that we had. You may have screw holes that show once removed. My wife used to make custom draperies, so she has made new window coverings for all of the last 3. We only had the side parts on one of the RVs and we left them off. She recovered some of the valances and put them back and others were left off permanently. It can be challenging to remove them but since they would have been one of the last things added at the factory it should be possible. I have used an offset screwdriver and also a stubby one.
 
I'm also considering painting the walls and cabinets a lighter color to brighten up the joint!
My better half wanted to do that in our Grand Design this year, but I was able to get her to re-think it (phew!). I really didn't want all the interior wood painted, not to mention the fact that it's all stained and would require quite a bit of prep. She really hated all that dark wood. A few things she did that helped brighten it all up (not sure if I have photos, but I'll look):

  • Covered the wide interior frames of all slideouts with a light fabric*. Could have painted them, but she'd have had to deal with the prep.
  • Placed light-colored inserts in the lower panels around the island.
  • Painted the cabinets in just the bathroom.
  • Removed the dark valences (I suspect she'll eventually re-cover them and put them back up).
  • Replaced our dark theater seating in the living area (4 comfy chairs and 2 dividers/consoles) with lighter-colored furniture.
* The light color of the slideout frames had the same effect as when we needed to brighten up the exterior of our house 20 or so years ago; Painting the trim white caused the main color to look lighter.
 
We have kept our valances on since they are fairly neutral/under stated (aren't over the top). If they were too much (like a Japanese love hotel or 70's Las Vegas honeymoon suite), I would have taken them off. Your valances colors are good...maybe a little busy/distracting with the design pattern? I would probably keep them up.
 
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My better half wanted to do that in our Grand Design this year, but I was able to get her to re-think it (phew!). I really didn't want all the interior wood painted, not to mention the fact that it's all stained and would require quite a bit of prep. She really hated all that dark wood. A few things she did that helped brighten it all up (not sure if I have photos, but I'll look):

  • Covered the wide interior frames of all slideouts with a light fabric*. Could have painted them, but she'd have had to deal with the prep. This is easily reversible.
  • Placed light-colored inserts in the lower panels around the island. This is easily reversible.
  • Painted the cabinets in just the bathroom.
  • Removed the dark valences (I suspect she'll eventually re-cover them and put them back up).
  • Replaced our dark theater seating in the living area (4 comfy chairs and 2 dividers/consoles) with lighter-colored furniture.
* The light color of the slideout frames had the same effect as when we needed to brighten up the exterior of our house 20 or so years ago; Painting the trim white caused the main color to look lighter.
 
We removed them.
For the life of me, I will never understand a designer that uses walnut cabinets, solid quartz or stone counters, and tile that all match and look fantastic in a motorhome, then use the cheapest pleather seats possible and have the ugliest window treatments known to man.
They are hideous!
 

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Who the heck picks these fabrics? I am astounded. I have never ever seen anything close to what rv decorators choose. Yech.
 
I don't have a good close-up of the original window treatments but here's a shot of my 2004 American Tradition. Definitely not cheap valences & lambrequins, but way overdone in our opinion. After several years we finally decided to take them down and remodel them into a more modern look, though retaining some of the same base materials. The second photo is with the more baroque trim removed.
 

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