Origins and Definitions of Window Treatment Terminology

COVERING your windows for some privacy or blocking out light may seem a simple affair – but a quick browse at your choices soon reveals a complex language all of its own.

It may seem simple to say you are just after a new pair of curtains, but when it comes to giving your rooms a fresh new look, how you choose to dress and treat your windows can make or break your finished design project.

So it is helpful to have an idea of some of the keywords you may find yourself discussing with a sales assistant as you look to freshen up your bedroom or main living space.

Are you after drapes or curtains, with a valance or cornice to complete your room’s feel?

Valances are a common window treatment that at its simplest is just a piece of cloth – often matching the curtain fabric but could be a deliberate contrast for aesthetics – that runs across the top of the window treatment, and has a simple purpose – to hide the fixtures and fittings used to keep the curtains in place and working such as poles and brackets that may not be as visually pleasing.

They often just attach to a curtain pole or wire running through a pocket seam or may hang off more decorative rings. Ideal for a more relaxed and casual style of décor, simple valances add a softness to a room with their folds of fabric, which can also be layered for added colors and textures.

Stepping up from a simple valance, a pleated valance comes into play for a more formal room setting, like a dining room or office, a box pleated valance has stitched pleats that hang straight down over the top of the window and is attached with its own L-shaped rod, giving it more rigidity and structure. This classic design that can add a touch of the traditional or colonial look to a room, can work well in a bedroom to bring an impression of luxury. Fabrics can be matched with bedding materials for coordination, or deliberately offset with contrasting colors.

For a more artistic, flowing look, valances can be ditched in favor of swags – very loose furls of fabric draped over a rod that is part of the look itself, or just loosely held in place with tiebacks, whether rope style or metal hooks, in the corner of the window setting. Adding a romantic feel to a room, swags by their very nature can be hung in many different styles to go with their free-flowing nature. Often draped from the middle of a pole, the ends of the fabric can be loosely hemmed and hang down the sides of the windows to frame the glass in an almost organic way.

Swags work well with a rustic or country-style setting, but are much more about providing an attractive look to a window dressing than functional privacy or light screening and may well need to be combined with more functional approaches such as blinds or shades.

For a more architectural approach to your window treatments, ideal for older and larger homes, cornices may be just the right approach. Usually built out of wood, a cornice serves the same function as a valance, but provides a heavier solid structure over the top of the window. Often painted to match the room décor, they can also be treated with wallpaper or covered in fabric. Many are left in wood tones and stained and varnished, finished with wood carvings to add interest and detail. A cornice is then paired with softer finishes such as curtains or drapes, and work really well when a room lacks other architectural features such as moldings.