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Using Window Toppers in your Home Décor

Window toppers like cornices and valances complete a window treatment by adding a finishing detail that is both functional and decorative. Valances and cornices are popular window toppers because they both conceal window treatment hardware (making the covering as a whole feel cleaner and less cluttered) and add a unique style element to the room.

Using window toppers like valances and cornices in your home décor near Richardson, Texas (TX).

Valances vs. Cornices

Valances and cornices are window toppers designed to do the same thing but one is soft with a flowing aesthetic and one is hard with a structured aesthetic.

Valances are the softer topper; they look like short drapery or curtains that cover the very top of the window and window frame. Like a curtain, valances are often hung on a rod and can be casual or formal deepening on how they are constructed and styled. For example, while unpleated valances are casual a box-pleat valance is found in more traditional designs, and in bedrooms it can be matched to custom bedding to tie into a room’s formal aesthetic.

Cornices are the harder window topper that are most often either wood or wood covered in fabric that is mounted to the wall above the window frame; there is no hanging or flowing fabric on a cornice. The boxier shape of cornices makes this window topper feel more structured and authoritarian, and it’s a great design piece to add to rooms that do not have other architectural details.

Using Valances and Cornices in Interior Design

Since both valances and cornices serve similar technical functions their use in interior design is purely personal taste. So, choosing a window topper is a reconciliation of their aesthetic construction (soft vs. hard) and your design objectives.

Window Toppers with Plantation Shutters

Plantation shutters, like Hunter Douglas Heritance® Hardwood Shutters, are classic wooden shutters that though popular in traditional design, have also found their place in modern and contemporary aesthesis. Plantation shutters can be paired with cornices or valances which produce different window fashions. Shutters with cornices have a polished and precise feel, ideal for traditional or classic styles. On the other hand, valances soften the plantation shutters, so the overall look is less formal with a cozier ambiance.

Window Toppers with Roller Shades

Roller shades, like Hunter Douglas Design Studio™ Roller Shades, are regaining popularity in modern minimalistic and contemporary bohemian designs because of their straightforward and unobtrusive design. Valances (available in a variety of fabrics and natural textiles) can add color, texture, and depth to a roller shade while a cornice would continue the shades clean, straight lines to create a more conservative look.

Window Toppers with Honeycomb Shades

As one of the most energy efficient shades, Hunter Douglas Duette® Honeycomb Shades are incredibly popular for homeowners looking to save some money on their heating/cooling bills. Window toppers can add a decorative touch to this eco-friendly shade. Cornices offer a structural counterpoint for the soft shade; valances enhance the fluidity of the window treatment and its softer vibe.

The experts at Smart Looks Window & Wall Decor can help you not only weigh the benefits of valances and cornices as part of your home décor, they can also help you design a window topper, get it installed, and assist with any window treatment upgrades you may need. Located in Richardson, Texas, Smart Looks serves Richardson, North Dallas, Greater Dallas Area, University Park, Plano, Garland, McKinney, Murphey, Fairview, Lucas, Madison, Allen and Frisco, TX. Contact Smart Looks to request your consultation to discuss window toppers today.

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