Valanced Style

Valanced window treatments can say a lot with only a little fabric. One of the least understood precepts of good design is that it doesn't take a lot to say a lot. This holds true in window treatment designs, too. To call the most attention to a window, the dressing doesn't have to be full and flowing. Instead, it can be nothing more than a well-designed valance that highlights the architecture of the window and dramatizes the room decor at the same time.

valanced window treatments
A lacy valance with a pennant bottom adds an antique ambience to this
country dining room, softening the crisp black-and-white checks of the walls.

A sure approach in using the valance successfully is to go for the unexpected -- perhaps a valance in a beautiful vintage lace, to stand in soft contrast to the geometry of a country checked wall. Or the valance can be the room's focal point through use of a totally different pattern and color from the dominant covering at the walls. The key is to venture outside the norm, into creative territory.

For more decorating ideas around the home, see: