Kitchen valances — those mini-curtains hanging out at the tops of kitchen windows — were all the rage from the 1970s through the 1990s. The '90s versions were often rather big and ballooning (my mom, ...

Household members spend a lot of time in the kitchen—preparing food, eating, tidying up, and just hanging out at the kitchen island or bar. This room is both a practical and social space, so every ...