Valences: ideas wanted

[Keith Oliver]

I am getting my new MCD blinds installed on Monday.  In the front, the blinds will go all the way from A pillar to A pillar.  This means an installation attaching the double roller to the underside of the  fabric above the windshield, where presently the two partial blinds are attached, without valences.  New installations I have seen so far use a fabric valence to hide the double roller.  I doubt I will be able to find any fabric the same as what is there, so I am looking for other ideas for the valence.  I have reviewed all of the postings in the "Redecorating" section, but have seen no new valences.  If someone has redone theirs, I would like to see a photo.
At the driver's side window, I have removed the vertical valence that hides the curtain, as it is going, to be replaced by a double roller set of blinds.  I expect to replace teh big vertical valence with a much smaller one, tied into a horizontal valence above, both of wood to match the existing.  Unfortunately there is a fabric panel to which the curtain track is now attached, and I don't know if I can remove that panel and find good wood under(above) it.  Has anyone done this?  At that location there is the Tank monitor and Inverter monitor, on a removable panel, so I will be opening that up to see what I can access.
Any other ideas gratefully received, before I get into removing stuff that I may regret doing.
Once the blinds arrive, I will post some pictures, as by then I will know where they all attach.

[Richard And Babs Ames]

Wood stained to match the cabinets?

[Keith Oliver]

Ipswich Pine in a Minwax stain matches perfectly.

[John Maguire]

I am restoring a 1992 and of course fabric was pretty worse for wear so I decided to stick with the oak theme and added a key in the middle to make it a bit less of a picture frame and then came up with the thought of a decorative tile in the middle...I placed that one just to get a sense of things but I have ordered some very nice Southwestern themed ones, hand painted and even at they they were less than $20. In addition I am thinking I will affix them with some commercial style interlocking velcro so I can change them if the boss Lady tires of one or another.

[David T. Richelderfer]

I believe I remember hearing last year from Scotty when looking at Coaches at BCS in Bend that the lady who worked on fabric work when Beaver was in business had bought all the extra bolts of fabric and went into business on her own with an eye to servicing Beaver coaches that were remodeled, damaged, etc.  I think I was told she had matching fabrics for many/most of the Beavers made in the last few years of manufacturing.  I don't have her name, but the guys at BCS would have it... of course, unless I had a dream about all this.  Just so you know, I have been called a dreamer.  

[Bill Sprague]

I believe I remember hearing last year from Scotty when looking at Coaches at BCS in Bend that the lady who worked on fabric work when Beaver was in business had bought all the extra bolts of fabric and went into business on her own with an eye to servicing Beaver coaches that were remodeled, damaged, etc.  I think I was told she had matching fabrics for many/most of the Beavers made in the last few years of manufacturing.  I don't have her name, but the guys at BCS would have it... of course, unless I had a dream about all this.  Just so you know, I have been called a dreamer.

You may be thinking of Elaine (last name I forget) who works with Jim Sizemore at RV Outfiters in Bend.  She did our dining chairs, folding chairs and valences.  She covered the valances with an Pendleton wool "Indian Blanket" pattern from the outlet store in Pendleton.   It took 3 yards of fabric.

I've posted it before, but you can see a video I took where I tried to show the fabric: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8-wxx65Gtk.

[Steve Huber Co-Admin]

Keith,
We re-upholstered the valances and bedroom headboard ourselves and had the dinette chairs and sofa re-done to coordinate. Was a fairly easy job overall.  We decided not to re-do the valance frames as the existing fabric was clean and tied the colors in the coach together well.
Steve

[Peter and Connie Bradish]

We also replaced our windows surrounds in wood. We have wood stained with Golden Oak stain. Looks great.

See several photos at:
 
https://picasaweb.google.com/bradish.c/BeaverRenovation#5573625096200756882

go backward and forward to several photos of the wood surrounds.

[Keith Oliver]

Now that's what I am talking about!
thank you all for your photos.  
I have to remove the existing legs and bottom of the window surrounds to accommodate 2 3/8" depth of the MCD blinds.  The valences themselves will need to be 4 1/2 inches deep to accommodate the double rollers.  I will be building new valences and legs/bottom, that are dimensionally able to handle the new blinds.  I plan (subject to a better idea occurring to me) to use Alder, stained correctly, with raduised edges, maybe some fluting, and with the legs joined flush to the top.  I will post photos on completion.
The one across the windshield is the design quandary, as there is presently nothing there at all.  I have toured some of the new coaches that have factory installed MCD blinds, and they have built the cabinetry down in front of the blinds, to act as a natural valence,  That seems at the moment like too much work, but I may end up needing to do a makeover in that location.  Other retrofits that I have seen have used a Naugahyde matching the adjacent surfaces, and they don't look too bad.

[Gerald Farris]

Keith,
Have you thought of making a riser to attach to the wall under the valence to add the needed depth and reusing your current valences?

Gerald

[Steve Huber Co-Admin]

Kieth,
If your front cabinets over the windshield are like mine, the bottom of the cabinets is fairly thick. Seems that you could build a wood box valance and either cover it with a matching fabric or make the front finished alder to match the existing wood work. The box valance would attach to the cabinet bottom using angle brackets.
Steve

[John Maguire]

I still as yet have to do the bedroom ones and after seeing the contrasting fabric in your upgrade Steve I am going to do something similar but with wood side and bottom as my fabrics are pretty far gone. I love that contrast...looks wonderful.

[Steve Huber Co-Admin]

THANKS John, I'll pass it on the the boss and chief decorator. (As you probably noticed in the light bar thread, my color recognition is questionable)....
Steve

[Keith Oliver]

Gerald:
The current valences are ok, but the legs are not deep enough, so have to be made to attach flush rather than inside the valences.  These are just plywood with some faux suede on them, so replacing with all wood is the better way to go.  besides, the one over the sink is wood already, so I have an idea what they will look like.  
I like the look of the Monaco Dynasty valences, like this 07 Dynasty, or maybe not quite as fancy.  Easy to make and the design will allow me fit the new MCD blinds.
My "before" interior is the second picture.

Steve:
I pulled the naugahyde panels above the windshield to see what is behind them.  the vertical one is screwed to aluminum framing, and removing it gives access to lots of stuff that is up there.  The horizontal one is screwed to an Aspenite panel, and drops to the limit of the defroster pipes.  There is no reason I can't replace the vertical panel with one that is deep enough to act as a valence.  The hard part will be finding naugahyde to match, or maybe I'll end up with wood, all the way up.  decisions, decisions.

[Edward Buker]

I added an MCD single power shade to my front windshield and made a wood trim piece (in my case cherry) to act as a valence. The whole MCD shade thing is a bit of a tricky modification for a windshield. The more vertical the windshield and curtain drop, the better it will work. I also used a little SC Johnson paste wax on my A pillar wood trim that i added to make the curtain work smoothly. A little patience on this project....

Later Ed